Brian Shaffer Vanishes From Locked Bar — No Exit on Camera

On the night of April 1, 2006, 27-year-old Ohio State medical student Brian Shaffer went out with friends to celebrate spring break at the Ugly Tuna Saloona bar at 1546 N. High Street, Columbus. CCTV cameras covered both the entrance and exit of the bar. At 1:55 AM, Shaffer was recorded on camera speaking to two women in the lobby — and then he simply ceased to exist on film. When the bar closed and patrons filed out, Brian was not among them. Police reviewed every frame of footage and were able to account for every single person who entered the building that night — everyone except Brian. He did not appear leaving via the front entrance, and the only other potential exit was a service door leading to a construction zone, though it had an active camera as well. His car was parked untouched six blocks away at his apartment. His cell phone, credit cards, and bank accounts have never been used. He left behind his girlfriend, his father, and every material possession. No body has ever been found, no credible sighting confirmed. Columbus Police have called it their most baffling case in department history. Nearly two decades later, the question remains: how does a man walk into a bar and disappear from a building surrounded by cameras?