Good article, I like the paranormal woo-woo answers to it but I'm just wired that way. Also RE: "Not even the most radical, far-left Democrat prosecutor would dare charge someone who survives a kidnapping attempt by killing their would-be captor." - YET
I watch a LOT of true crime shows. First conclusion, he's dead for sure. No way does a medical student just drop out and disappear. Second, when men are killed by apparent strangers, you have to ask, was it a gay thing? Women don't kill men, unless it's a husband with lots of life insurance or an obstacle to custody of kids, which wasn't the case here. Therefore, he was almost certainly killed by a man. How does that happen where there are no witnesses? Answer - in an intimate setting. The only other possibilities are 1) payback for a drug rip off, 2) jealous boyfriend, or 3) bar fight/road rage type thing. All seem less likely than a gay thing.
It turns out Brian may have been confused about his sexuality and was suffering from mental illness for which he was taking medication. There's also rumor and innuendo that Brian even considered becoming a trans woman. And people say it's not a mental illness!
I find foul play more likely than an intentional disappearance. The neighborhood was dangerous and assuming he did leave through the service door exit as many believe, he would've been in an area that was not well-lit and not many people around.
The only question then, is, where's the body? How was it moved? Brian was a big guy and moving a big person, dead or alive, isn't easy. It's possible he got held up and Brian complied out of fear of losing his life, and got taken to a secondary location, where nothing good ever happens.
This brought to mind something that stuck with me since college (graduated 1987, so well before our voluntary surveillance lifestyle). In a class on economics, the instructor was trying to help us understand the value, utility, and risks of cash, credit, and all the tentacles that connect one to these tools. As an example, he discussed the potential of dropping out of society entirely, is it feasible, what would it entail? The answer was, Fake your own death and have enough cash on hand to live without anything involving credit or identification. Even attempting to secure fake documents renders one susceptible to the flexible morals of those whom would "help" with such a request.
In short, when hearing about cases like this, I generally assume the person did it intentionally after careful and considerate planning.
It's incredibly difficult to do, even in 2006. And as I explained, when would he have planned on doing this? He either made up his mind long before, in the three weeks between his mother's death and his disappearance, or on the spot.
Also, in the modern age, it's difficult to disappear like that without the collusion of others. I mentioned the long distances he would've traveled - unless he walked the whole time, which is unlikely, he would've had to at least hitch a ride with someone. How did he buy their silence? Worse, did he kill someone and steal their vehicle? Again, the more you delve into these theories, the less sense they make.
Also, Brian didn't even fake his own death. Nobody knows what happened to him. The idea that he'd cut all ties with his family, girlfriend, and friends to run off demands a tremendous amount of assumptions to be true. Occam's razor applies here.
Thought provoking ramble. And if what a reader takes away is a commitment to the buddy system, your work validated. Individuals are usually vulnerable. There is strength in numbers, starting with two.
I vaguely remember this case. Thank you for sharing, especially as we come up on the 20th anniversary. Thank you for the reminders about safety. So much of safety is common sense, easy to do but easy to neglect as well.
This essay makes me think of Samantha Guthrie’s mom. I haven’t followed the case intricately, but what (potentially foul play) happened to her…and still no suspects, nobody knows where she is, no body, nobody knows what happened- very disconcerting. In this day and age, you’d think she’d would be found by now.
Nancy Guthrie was exactly who I was thinking of when I said it's still possible to go missing in a surveillance society. There's more evidence in her case than there is in Brian Shaffer's case, yet it's beginning to feel like we're never going to learn what happened to Nancy Guthrie.
I hope I'm wrong. But even if she's found, I doubt it's going to be a happy ending.
Your rambling on toward the last part of this essay gave me so much to think about. What an excellent essay!
This: There’s a unfortunately common strain of thinking, among liberal-minded folks, I must say, who claim that the only things in life that matter are what we choose, and what we never chose, be it our family, the country we were born in, means absolutely nothing.
Great stuff. And you would think it's common sense. But there are people for whom this simple and obvious advice will slide off them like rain. I think of the stories I read of young women traveling alone in places like Africa or South America on motorcycles. While some might think "how independent", I think "how dumb can you be?"
Excellent read so far, I'm captivated. Right above subtitle "Possible fate of Brian", you've written "But his apparent lack of outward concern does make one wonder. It would be nice if Shaffer would, at some point, tell more of his side of the story. I can also understand how it could open a can of worms." I know you meant to write "Florence" instead of Shaffer.
But I DID like it! I don't need perfection, you were stimulating my thoughts, that's enough. I think the worst "pandemic" of our times is the plague of "self importance". Funny story, I had read something a combat veteran wrote about the first time he was in combat, and how "offended" he felt that someone wanted to kill him, the most important person in the world. That's exactly what my reaction was the first time someone expressed a sincere desire to kill me. It wasn't funny at the time, but looking back on it, it's hilarious, it's like the "I did the meme" thing! 😏🤣
I'm old. I've been in literally life-or-death situations in the wilderness where all the shouting for help i could manage would be utterly meaningless. I figured out Life and God don't even owe me the proverbial "shallow grave"; anything I get from others, that's a blessing. I think you're doing great, and I thank you for your time and thoughts! Okay?
I get you, anyone with a sense of integrity and self-respect wants to put their best "out there". But I'm 76-and-a-half, I'm still far from a "complete product", so I just put what I've got "out there", and keep working to make it better. 😊🙏🙏
Good article, I like the paranormal woo-woo answers to it but I'm just wired that way. Also RE: "Not even the most radical, far-left Democrat prosecutor would dare charge someone who survives a kidnapping attempt by killing their would-be captor." - YET
I watch a LOT of true crime shows. First conclusion, he's dead for sure. No way does a medical student just drop out and disappear. Second, when men are killed by apparent strangers, you have to ask, was it a gay thing? Women don't kill men, unless it's a husband with lots of life insurance or an obstacle to custody of kids, which wasn't the case here. Therefore, he was almost certainly killed by a man. How does that happen where there are no witnesses? Answer - in an intimate setting. The only other possibilities are 1) payback for a drug rip off, 2) jealous boyfriend, or 3) bar fight/road rage type thing. All seem less likely than a gay thing.
It turns out Brian may have been confused about his sexuality and was suffering from mental illness for which he was taking medication. There's also rumor and innuendo that Brian even considered becoming a trans woman. And people say it's not a mental illness!
I would think it is likely he was killed -- maybe followed someone and got taken somewhere else.
I find foul play more likely than an intentional disappearance. The neighborhood was dangerous and assuming he did leave through the service door exit as many believe, he would've been in an area that was not well-lit and not many people around.
The only question then, is, where's the body? How was it moved? Brian was a big guy and moving a big person, dead or alive, isn't easy. It's possible he got held up and Brian complied out of fear of losing his life, and got taken to a secondary location, where nothing good ever happens.
This brought to mind something that stuck with me since college (graduated 1987, so well before our voluntary surveillance lifestyle). In a class on economics, the instructor was trying to help us understand the value, utility, and risks of cash, credit, and all the tentacles that connect one to these tools. As an example, he discussed the potential of dropping out of society entirely, is it feasible, what would it entail? The answer was, Fake your own death and have enough cash on hand to live without anything involving credit or identification. Even attempting to secure fake documents renders one susceptible to the flexible morals of those whom would "help" with such a request.
In short, when hearing about cases like this, I generally assume the person did it intentionally after careful and considerate planning.
It's incredibly difficult to do, even in 2006. And as I explained, when would he have planned on doing this? He either made up his mind long before, in the three weeks between his mother's death and his disappearance, or on the spot.
Also, in the modern age, it's difficult to disappear like that without the collusion of others. I mentioned the long distances he would've traveled - unless he walked the whole time, which is unlikely, he would've had to at least hitch a ride with someone. How did he buy their silence? Worse, did he kill someone and steal their vehicle? Again, the more you delve into these theories, the less sense they make.
Also, Brian didn't even fake his own death. Nobody knows what happened to him. The idea that he'd cut all ties with his family, girlfriend, and friends to run off demands a tremendous amount of assumptions to be true. Occam's razor applies here.
Thought provoking ramble. And if what a reader takes away is a commitment to the buddy system, your work validated. Individuals are usually vulnerable. There is strength in numbers, starting with two.
I vaguely remember this case. Thank you for sharing, especially as we come up on the 20th anniversary. Thank you for the reminders about safety. So much of safety is common sense, easy to do but easy to neglect as well.
This essay makes me think of Samantha Guthrie’s mom. I haven’t followed the case intricately, but what (potentially foul play) happened to her…and still no suspects, nobody knows where she is, no body, nobody knows what happened- very disconcerting. In this day and age, you’d think she’d would be found by now.
Nancy Guthrie was exactly who I was thinking of when I said it's still possible to go missing in a surveillance society. There's more evidence in her case than there is in Brian Shaffer's case, yet it's beginning to feel like we're never going to learn what happened to Nancy Guthrie.
I hope I'm wrong. But even if she's found, I doubt it's going to be a happy ending.
Your rambling on toward the last part of this essay gave me so much to think about. What an excellent essay!
This: There’s a unfortunately common strain of thinking, among liberal-minded folks, I must say, who claim that the only things in life that matter are what we choose, and what we never chose, be it our family, the country we were born in, means absolutely nothing.
I hate this thinking.
....yes, i hate it also.
Great stuff. And you would think it's common sense. But there are people for whom this simple and obvious advice will slide off them like rain. I think of the stories I read of young women traveling alone in places like Africa or South America on motorcycles. While some might think "how independent", I think "how dumb can you be?"
Excellent read so far, I'm captivated. Right above subtitle "Possible fate of Brian", you've written "But his apparent lack of outward concern does make one wonder. It would be nice if Shaffer would, at some point, tell more of his side of the story. I can also understand how it could open a can of worms." I know you meant to write "Florence" instead of Shaffer.
Back to the story!
Corrected!
But I DID like it! I don't need perfection, you were stimulating my thoughts, that's enough. I think the worst "pandemic" of our times is the plague of "self importance". Funny story, I had read something a combat veteran wrote about the first time he was in combat, and how "offended" he felt that someone wanted to kill him, the most important person in the world. That's exactly what my reaction was the first time someone expressed a sincere desire to kill me. It wasn't funny at the time, but looking back on it, it's hilarious, it's like the "I did the meme" thing! 😏🤣
I'm old. I've been in literally life-or-death situations in the wilderness where all the shouting for help i could manage would be utterly meaningless. I figured out Life and God don't even owe me the proverbial "shallow grave"; anything I get from others, that's a blessing. I think you're doing great, and I thank you for your time and thoughts! Okay?
Problem is it wasn't a complete product when I sent it out yesterday by mistake.
I get you, anyone with a sense of integrity and self-respect wants to put their best "out there". But I'm 76-and-a-half, I'm still far from a "complete product", so I just put what I've got "out there", and keep working to make it better. 😊🙏🙏