You've probably seen it hovering at the top of your "Continue Watching" list. Or maybe your group chat has been buzzing about the dark history of Columbus lately. We’re talking about the Ohio State documentary Max recently added to its library, titled The Ohio State Murders. It’s a heavy, three-part investigation that dives into a string of high-profile crimes that rocked the campus community between the late 1970s and the early 2000s. Honestly, it’s not just another true crime binge. It’s a messy, uncomfortable look at how institutions protect their reputation at the expense of student safety.
People are obsessed.
The series centers heavily on the tragic case of Reagan Tokes, but it also zooms out to look at the broader culture of the university. It’s visceral. Max—formerly HBO Max—has a knack for these gritty, high-production-value docuseries that make you feel like you’re sitting in the interrogation room. If you’ve spent any time on High Street or walked across the Oval at night, this hits different. It’s local. It’s real. And for many alumni, it’s a bit of a wake-up call regarding the "Buckeye Family" narrative we've all been sold for decades.
What the Ohio State Documentary Max Series Actually Uncovers
The documentary doesn't just stick to one timeline, which is kinda confusing at first but eventually pays off. It jumps between the 1970s era—dominated by the terrifying shadows of the "Co-ed Killer" rumors—and the modern digital age where tracking and surveillance changed the game. One of the most jarring segments involves the 2017 abduction and murder of Reagan Tokes. This wasn't just a random act of violence in the eyes of the filmmakers; it was a systemic failure.
The state's parole system was a wreck.
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Brian Golsby, the man convicted, was wearing a GPS monitor at the time of the crimes. Let that sink in for a second. He was literally being "tracked" while committing a string of robberies and eventually the murder of a bright, promising senior. The Ohio State documentary Max features are pretty relentless in pointing out that the technology existed to stop him, but the human oversight was non-existent. It’s infuriating to watch. You see the maps. You see the pings. You see the missed opportunities.
The Brian Shaffer Mystery: Still No Answers
You can’t talk about Ohio State mysteries without mentioning Brian Shaffer. The documentary spends a significant chunk of episode two on the 2006 disappearance of the medical student from the Ugly Tuna Saloona. It’s the ultimate "locked room" mystery. He walked in. He never walked out.
The footage is haunting.
The graininess of those 2006 security cameras really captures the era. We see Brian chatting with two women outside the bar entrance, and then he just... vanishes. The series interviews lead investigators who still sound baffled nearly twenty years later. There are theories, of course. Some think he left through a construction exit. Others think he’s at the bottom of a nearby river. The documentary leans into the "Smiley Face Killer" theory briefly but smartly dismisses it for lack of concrete evidence, focusing instead on the psychological toll the disappearance took on his family. His father, Randy, died in a freak accident while searching for him. The tragedy just piles up.
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The Institutional Backlash and Campus Safety
One thing this Ohio State documentary Max gets right is the tension between the university and the surrounding city of Columbus. Ohio State is a behemoth. It’s an economy unto itself. When crimes happen, the "branding" of the school often feels like it takes priority over transparency. The film features interviews with former campus police officers who admit that during the 90s, there was a quiet pressure to keep "off-campus" crime statistics separate from "on-campus" numbers to keep those rankings high.
It’s gross.
But it’s also how major universities operate. The documentary highlights the 1999 murder of Stephanie Hummer, another case that went cold for years. It took nearly two decades and advancements in DNA technology to finally link the crime to a man named Noman Johnston. The doc argues that if the university had been more aggressive in its initial response, the community might have been better protected.
The cinematography here is top-notch. They use drone shots of a snowy Columbus that feel lonely and clinical. It matches the mood. You aren't watching a celebration of Buckeye pride; you’re watching a post-mortem of a community’s sense of security.
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Why This Documentary is Different From "The Program" or Other Campus Docs
If you’ve seen The Program or those documentaries about Greek life, you might think you know what to expect. You don't. This isn't about hazing or rogue coaches. It’s about the vulnerability of being a student in a massive city. It’s about the false sense of security that comes with a "campus" label.
Basically, the documentary argues that the "campus" doesn't really exist. Not in the way we think. High Street is a public thoroughfare. The parks are public. The series does a great job of showing how the gentrification of the Short North and the areas surrounding OSU has pushed crime into different pockets, rather than eliminating it. It’s a nuanced take that most "true crime" shows ignore in favor of cheap scares.
Actionable Insights for Viewers and Students
Watching the Ohio State documentary Max is a heavy lift, but it leaves you with more than just a sense of dread. There are real takeaways here for anyone living in a major college town.
- Audit Your Own Safety Tech: The Reagan Tokes case sparked "Reagan’s Tokes Act" in Ohio, which aimed to fix sentencing and parole monitoring. But on a personal level, the doc makes a strong case for using safety apps like Noonlight or the university’s own "Rave Guardian" system. They aren't perfect, but they create a digital trail.
- Don't Rely on the "Blue Lights": The documentary points out that those emergency blue light towers on campus are rarely used for actual crimes in progress. They are more of a psychological comfort. Stay aware of your surroundings instead of relying on the infrastructure.
- Question the Narrative: When a university says "crime is down," look at the geographic boundaries they are using. Often, "off-campus" (where most students actually live) isn't included in the glossy brochures.
- Support Cold Case Orgs: The resolution of the Stephanie Hummer case shows how vital DNA advocacy is. Groups like the Porchlight Project are mentioned in the credits—they do the work that overstretched police departments often can't.
The series is a tough watch. It’s meant to be. It strips away the scarlet and gray paint to show the grit underneath. If you're a Buckeye, it's mandatory viewing. If you're just a true crime fan, it's a masterclass in how to tell a story without being exploitative. Go watch it, but maybe keep the lights on and your doors locked while you do.
The most chilling part isn't the crimes themselves. It's the realization that most of them could have been prevented with a little more honesty and a lot less concern for public relations.
Next Steps for Deep Divers:
If the Brian Shaffer mystery specifically caught your eye, the best follow-up is the True Crime Garage podcast. They are based in Columbus and have done the most exhaustive deep-dive on the Ugly Tuna Saloona's layout and the various exit theories mentioned in the documentary. For those interested in the legislative side, researching the specific updates to Senate Bill 201 (The Reagan Tokes Law) provides a clearer picture of how Ohio is trying to fix the parole gaps highlighted in the film.