Body of Riley Strain found in river, no evidence of foul play: Nashville police
Written by ABC AUDIO ALL RIGHTS RESERVED on March 22, 2024
(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) — The body of missing college student Riley Strain was recovered from the Cumberland River in West Nashville Friday morning following a two-week search, according to Nashville police.
“No foul play-related trauma was observed,” police said.
There’s no evidence to suggest anything besides Strain accidentally falling in the river, Nashville Police Chief John Drake told reporters on Friday.
Strain’s body was spotted by workers at the river Friday morning, Drake said. The autopsy will likely be done Friday, he said.
Strain, a 22-year-old senior at the University of Missouri, went missing on March 8 after a night out at several Nashville bars. Strain and his Delta Chi fraternity brothers were visiting Nashville for their fraternity formal.
While the friends were out that night, Strain FaceTimed his mom and didn’t sound intoxicated, Strain’s stepfather, Chris Whiteid, told ABC News.
Strain and his mom exchanged more texts after the FaceTime call, Whiteid said. The last text Strain sent to his mom that night was, “I love you.”
Surveillance cameras and police body cameras captured Strain’s last known movements from about 9:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Strain was reported missing on March 9 and authorities launched a massive search by foot, by drone and by boat.
The United Cajun Navy also arrived in Nashville to help organize volunteer searches.
Strain’s stepfather told ABC News on Wednesday that the family was beginning to have difficult conversations.
“Put yourself in our shoes,” Whiteid said. “Your family, your brother, your sister — they’ve been missing for almost two weeks.”
“Everybody knows it, everybody’s thinking it — those conversations are starting to happen,” he said. “It’s not what we want. And I understand that people want to know what we’re feeling — we’re feeling frustrated, we’re feeling hurt, we’re feeling depressed.”
“Nobody knows what happened,” he said.
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