Panel on Brian Shaffer case draws hundreds, raises thousands for Ohio cold case nonprofit

CANAL WINCHESTER, Ohio (WCMH) – A panel discussion held by local podcasters on Brian Shaffer’s 2006 disappearance drew hundreds of true crime enthusiasts on Saturday, raising about $16,000 for a nonprofit that provides free investigative services for cold cases. 

April 1 marked 20 years since Shaffer, a 27-year-old Ohio State medical student, went missing in a case that drew global attention in the years and decades that followed. Shaffer was captured on surveillance footage heading into a bar near campus but was never recorded leaving. 

To recognize the anniversary, brothers Nic and Patrick Edwards – hosts of the Columbus-based podcast “True Crime Garage” – held a panel discussion on the case at the BrewDog pub in Canal Winchester. The event followed a six-part series that the podcast released in February about Shaffer’s disappearance.

The gathering brought in just over $18,000 in ticket sales, with about $16,000 being donated to the Porchlight Project, according to Kelly Cochenour, who helped organize the event. The Porchlight Project is an Ohio-based organization that specializes in funding DNA testing and genetic genealogy for cold cases.

The panel consisted of the podcast hosts, along with Cochenour and Meredith Erin, who both run the Brian Shaffer Dead or Alive social media pages, and James Renner, an Ohio-based investigative journalist and author. 

“So Brian’s case, to me, is trying to get all the pieces out,” Patrick Edwards told NBC4. “It’s like putting together a puzzle, but you don’t know what the final picture is supposed to look like. So all we’re doing is adding pieces of the puzzle.”

 The sold-out event drew about 200 guests. Before the panel discussion kicked off, Nic Edwards asked audience members where they came from, and some identified themselves as traveling from Florida, Texas and Canada. 

Also ahead of the discussion, State Rep. Christine Cockley (D-Columbus) informed the crowd about the Andy Chapman Act, a bill she is sponsoring that would require law enforcement agencies to enter missing people into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs). She also spoke about the importance of raising awareness for missing persons cases. 

“Before I was state representative, I was a big true crime fan,” Cockley said. “The fact that you all showed up today and were willing to come out to support a nonprofit makes this that much more meaningful.”

The panelists gave guests an overview of Shaffer’s case. On March 31, 2006, and into the early morning hours of April 1, Shaffer went bar hopping with friends, making his final stop of the night at the now-closed Ugly Tuna Saloona. He was last seen on surveillance footage talking to two women outside the bar before appearing to re-enter. The panelists also discussed their theories and took questions from the audience. 

“It truly is a mystery,” Nic Edwards said during the panel discussion. “The thing that’s so strange and difficult about Brian’s story is as soon as you find yourself going down one road, you start going down another.” 

Attendee Alicia Lindberg said as a Columbus resident, she has long been interested in Shaffer’s case and wanted to attend the event to learn more about it and see the podcasters in person. 

“I have been living in Columbus my whole entire life and so that means Brian Shaffer case has kind of been present throughout my whole entire life,” Lindberg said. “It’s just an interesting case to follow.” 

The 20-year anniversary of Shaffer’s disappearance has prompted renewed interest in the case. Cochenour told NBC4 that she has been working with a major film studio on a documentary about Shaffer’s disappearance. The studio has not yet responded to a request for comment. 

Cochenour said documentaries can help generate new leads, citing Amy Bradley’s disappearance and the yogurt shop murders. 

“I think it could really help bring Brian’s case to the light again and maybe get more tips coming into the Columbus police department,” Cochenour said.

Even after two decades, those gathered Saturday said the search for answers in Shaffer’s case is far from over. Anyone with information regarding his disappearance is urged to contact the Columbus Division of Police at 614-645-4545 or Central Ohio Crime Stoppers’ anonymous tip line at 614-461-8477.