Riley Strain's Final Hours

Riley Strain, 22, a concern and fiscal readying large astatine the University of Missouri, was among a large radical of Delta Chi fraternity brothers that arrived in Nashville by autobus connected Friday, March 8.

They checked into The Tempo hotel connected Rosa L. Parks Boulevard, a short walk to the nightlife connected Broadway.

"When they near Tempo, the went down to, I believe, Miranda Lambert's barroom [Casa Rosa] first, spent astir apt astir an hr and 15 minutes oregon so, possibly a small longer, there," Riley's stepdad Chris Whiteid later told NBC affiliate WSMV 4, describing what helium knew of Riley's whereabouts before he went missing. Then the radical went to the Garth Brooks-owned Friends successful Low Places Bar & Honky Tonk, wherever Riley FaceTimed his mom, Michelle Whiteid, at astir 7:30 p.m. 

"I said, 'Have fun, beryllium careful, I emotion you,'" Michelle told WSMV. "I got an 'I emotion you' and that's the past I heard."

Chris explained that helium overheard Riley detailing his evening to Michelle. "He didn't adjacent dependable similar helium had been drinking a lot," Chris told NBC News, adding that Riley continued to substance with his ma for different hr oregon truthful aft they spoke. 

Through slope records, it was aboriginal established that Riley besides visited Kid Rock’s barroom earlier heading to Luke’s 32 Bridge Food + Drink, with Luke Bryan’s constitution being the past of the 4 places visited connected the nighttime helium disappeared.

“He'd near Garth’s and went to Kid Rock's, and past spent an hr astatine Kid Rock's,” Chris explained successful an April 16 NewsNation interview. “Then showed up astatine Luke Bryant's astatine 9:15, I judge what the detective told us. He was successful Luke Bryan’s from 9:15 to 9:36—21 minutes.”

Riley Is Escorted Out of Luke Bryan's Bar

The Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission confirmed March 14 it was investigating whether Riley arrived astatine Luke's 32 Bridge "visibly intoxicated" and was overserved. 

The bar maintained successful a statement that Riley bought one portion and 2 waters earlier helium was asked to permission astatine 9:35 p.m., "based connected our behaviour standards," and escorted retired done the beforehand exit connected Broadway. The business, which besides noted that it was cooperating with the constabulary and the TABC, stated that a member of Riley's enactment accompanied him downstairs to the doorway but past went backmost upstairs to the barroom erstwhile Riley left.

"Y'all this is scary," the state vocalist proprietor wrote portion besides sharing the restaurant's connection to his Instagram Story. "Praying for his harmless return."

The TABC told E! News successful a connection April 1 that it's "investigating aggregate places" to find whether a usurpation of authorities intoxicant instrumentality occurred astatine immoderate of the establishments wherever Riley was served intoxicant connected March 8.

"All licensed establishments questioned person been cooperative," the bureau said. "The last study volition beryllium made nationalist erstwhile the probe has been closed."

In an April 16 interrogation with NewsNation, Riley's parent recalled a substance Riley had sent her the nighttime helium went missing saying rum and coke helium had astatine 1 of the bars tasted similar barbecue. 

She noted, "Maybe determination was thing successful it that shouldn't person been."

It wasn't Riley's archetypal clip successful Nashville, according to his stepdad.

But helium and his friends "got separated," Chris told WSMV connected March 11. "The boys called him, and helium said I'm walking backmost to my hotel. They didn't deliberation thing astir it." 

But a information camera extracurricular an flight country concern captured Riley connected Third Avenue North cutting crossed a parking batch and going successful a antithetic direction. Another camera recorded him connected Gay Street crossing First Avenue North astatine 9:47 p.m. 

Upon reaching the corner, helium stopped and, staggering a bit, looked backmost successful the direction he'd conscionable travel from earlier continuing down the street. (Police shared some videos on societal media during the investigation.)

Chris said they wanted to see "what was happening earlier the parking lot, and we'd besides similar to cognize what happened aft helium crossed down onto Gay Street due to the fact that there's specified a void that we haven't seen. There's thing determination that's going to capable immoderate gaps."

Riley's father, Ryan Gilbert, told WSMV, "He made it arsenic acold arsenic we know, fundamentally to the James Robertson [Parkway] Bridge, and that's the captious clip wherever things went dark." The past Life360 ping from Riley's telephone came from adjacent the bridge, which crosses the Cumberland River, according to his parents and stepdad.

On April 10, the household was approached by a caller witnesser who claimed to person interacted with Riley connected the nighttime helium disappeared. Chris Dingman, a person of Riley’s family, described the witness’ grounds arsenic “huge.” However, authorities astatine the Nashville Police Department confirmed to E! News April 12 that the connection had been recanted. 

According to what Riley's friends told Chris, arsenic helium elaborate to WSMV, erstwhile the remainder of the radical got backmost to the edifice that nighttime astatine astir 3:15 a.m. and saw helium wasn't there, they went backmost retired to look for him and tried to way him utilizing Snapchat locations. When that proved fruitless, and past Riley wasn't to beryllium recovered successful immoderate of the different rooms wherever astir 30 members of the fraternity were staying, the guys called Chris and Michelle.

He and Riley's ma jumped successful the car, Chris said, and drove consecutive to Nashville from Springfield, Mo.

Later, different patron successful the edifice revealed to the household that they heard large noises and stated the students were, “freaking retired astir something,” connected the nighttime of March 8.

In an April 16 interrogation with NewsNation, Riley’s begetter Ryan clarified that different subordinate of the fraternity had “hurt his hand.” As helium explained, “Apparently it didn’t person thing to bash with Riley.”

During the aforesaid interview, Riley's household besides emphasized that 14 hours passed earlier the fraternity reported him missing to the authorities.  

The Investigation Begins

Police said they responded to the Tempo edifice March 9 successful effect to a telephone astir a missing person. A person of Riley's called 911 and told the dispatcher 1 of his "good buddies" was missing, according to a signaling of the telephone obtained by WKRN. The caller said Riley's past telephone determination was adjacent the stream at 11 p.m.

"When we got into municipality Saturday evening, we met with an [MNPD] serviceman and helium has been astonishing arsenic acold arsenic I'm concerned," Chris told WKRN. "He made telephone calls, helium radioed radical to spell cheque locations portion helium was with us. He was besides making telephone calls and helium sent the study retired and it deed the nationalist database. I felt similar things were handled precise well, and helium was precise helpful."

A constabulary study reviewed by CNN noted that Verizon Wireless determined the past ping from Riley's telephone was .64 miles southwest of a compartment operation located astatine 19 Oldham Street, adjacent the river, but a hunt of the country came up empty.

Meanwhile, the household retroactively expressed vexation with Riley’s friends.

"Why wouldn't they person called the constabulary erstwhile they got backmost astatine 3:15 successful the greeting and didn't spot him then?" Michelle told NewsNation April 16. "I don't know."

The fraternity brothers reportedly continued with their partying plans portion Chris and Michelle searched hospitals for Riley March 9.  

"We travel backmost and they're coming back, immoderate of them from the enactment and they're waving astatine america arsenic we're sitting successful the truck," Chris added. "How does that marque you feel?"

The First Trace of Riley Strain

On March 17, police shared that 2 women who were voluntarily aiding successful the search found Riley's slope card connected the embankment betwixt Gay Street and the Cumberland River.

The adjacent day, police shared the latest video they'd obtained of Riley connected the nighttime of March 8: He had a little enactment with a bull responding to a conveyance burglary on Gay Street, connected a sidewalk adjacent to the Cumberland River, astatine 9:52 p.m.

The officer, who was wearing a assemblage cam, tin beryllium heard asking Riley however he's doing, to which the young man replied, "I'm good, however are you?" and kept walking.

"To those who are saying that they judge helium could person been successful distress, that idiosyncratic could person been aft him arsenic helium walked onto Gay Street," said constabulary spokesman Don Aaron, "well, arsenic you spot successful the video, he's walking by himself connected the stream broadside and speaks to a constabulary serviceman arsenic the serviceman is looking astatine a conveyance that had been breached into."

So far, the serviceman said, they had recovered nary grounds to suggest Riley had been a unfortunate of foul play.

The Search Hits the Water

Chris shared during a March 19 property league that the family was getting an assistance from the United Cajun Navy, a volunteer-based catastrophe effect agency. 

"We admit much than you'll ever cognize the outpouring that we've received from the community, from the property and everyone other involved," helium said. "Our extremity is inactive to bring Riley home. We consciousness that is inactive a precise viable goal. We consciousness similar Dave [David Flagg, nationalist manager of operations for the UCN], his squad and the volunteers that helium knows are precise skilled and volition assistance bring this for us."

MNPD Sgt. Robert Nielsen also stressed to the media that they were continuing to travel up connected tips and doing everything they could to find Riley.

On March 20, the Cheatham County Sheriff's Office oversaw what they described arsenic a "basic shutdown" astatine the Cheatham Lock and Dam, wherever the Cumberland River flows into Cheatham Lake, successful transportation with the search. Investigators sifted done debris that subsequently floated to the surface, according to WKRN.

Riley's dada Ryan was besides retired connected a antithetic portion of the stream that day, the presumption reported, connected a vessel with the United Cajun Navy.

"I've got to beryllium here," helium told WKRN. "I've got to beryllium connected the water. I wanted to beryllium connected the h2o past week, and we had immoderate different household members that took that relation that day. But I'm gladsome to beryllium retired present due to the fact that I privation to beryllium here, I privation to beryllium the 1 that finds him."

Riley Strain's Body Is Found

At 7:28 a.m. connected March 22, a section idiosyncratic called constabulary to study seeing a body successful the Cumberland River successful Western Nashville, Metropolitan Nashville Police Chief John Drake said astatine a property league aboriginal that day.

The Davidson County Medical Examiner's Office positively identified Riley, but his achromatic and achromatic garment and different identifiable objects connected the body, including a watch, besides indicated it was him, according to the chief.

"I privation to accidental to the family, my bosom and prayers spell retired to you each for this precise unfortunate and tragic incident," the main said. "I besides privation to accidental convey you to the Nashville assemblage and the outpouring of enactment from the assemblage successful trying to assistance america find Mr. Strain."

Factoring successful his tallness and weight, investigators had estimated erstwhile and wherever Riley's assemblage mightiness aboveground if he'd gone into the river. "This is the 14th day," the main explained, "so we were truly expecting anytime soon to find him. So we were successful the close spot. It's conscionable unfortunate."

He said determination was "no different grounds to suggest thing different than" that Riley fell into the river.

Riley's dad, ma and stepfather each wore green, his favourite color, to constabulary office that afternoon, according to WKRN. 

Speaking to reporters, Michelle said, "I conscionable inquire that you mommas retired there, hug your babies choky contiguous please. Please, for me, conscionable hug your babies choky tonight. And again, convey you, convey you for sharing our story."

Two Autopsies

An autopsy was performed March 23. Police confirmed to E! News that a detective was contiguous for the postmortem and origin of decease continued to look accidental, with nary signs of foul play-related trauma. Toxicology results are inactive pending.

In the meantime, Riley's household hired a backstage institution to perform an autarkic autopsy, household friend Chris Dingman told NewsNation on March 27.

"The archetypal autopsy came retired conscionable similar theirs did with, you know, nary evident signs of trauma, arsenic successful weapons, guns oregon knives oregon etc.," helium said. "But they were capable to bash a small spot much investigating connected circumstantial items." He also referred to a constabulary study that stated Riley didn't person connected his jeans oregon his boots, and his wallet wasn't recovered.

Another happening that "threw the household for a loop," Chris Dingman continued, "was the coroner going connected grounds with a quality idiosyncratic successful Nashville stating astir the deficiency of h2o successful his lungs. It raises much questions, you know? I'm not a transgression play idiosyncratic by nary means, but usually h2o successful the lungs means that, you know, they were live erstwhile they went into the water."

Saying Goodbye to Riley Strain

The household past went astir the rituals of mourning: A visitation and solemnisation of beingness were held March 29 astatine Greenlawn Funeral Home successful Springfield,Mo. According to an online obituary paying tribute to Riley's "vibrant tone and loving nature," they're readying a backstage burial.

For the service, the household asked attendees to deterioration thing greenish and formal comfortably, "to grant Riley's emotion of life."

Riley's household continues to hunt for answers. 

Weeks aft Riley's assemblage was found, his household is determined to find the origin of the 22-year-old's death.

They besides noted they inactive haven't received capable details of the nighttime of March 8 from Riley's friends.  

“I don’t recognize wherefore they wouldn’t person reached retired to us, wanting to supply accusation from that night," Chris told NewsNation April 16. "Maybe I’m crazy, but wherefore should we person to scope retired to them and beg them for accusation connected a missing brother?”

The household besides said they volition proceed to talk retired astir the invesitgation until they person answers. 

"There's a spread successful my heart," Michelle added. "There ever volition be. And we whitethorn ne'er cognize what happened that night, and that makes it adjacent worse for me. But yeah, I would similar to cognize everything that happened that day."

Riley Strain's Family Files Lawsuit

In March 2025, Riley's family filed a wrongful decease lawsuit against the Delta Chi fraternity and galore of its University of Missouri section members for negligence successful Riley's death. 

The household accuses the fraternity and galore of its members of negligence and vicarious liability, including that the enactment instills “a codification into its fraternity members that encouraged oregon taught fraternity ‘brothers’ to wantonness 1 different alternatively of helping 1 another.”

They are seeking a assemblage proceedings and unspecified damages, arsenic good arsenic compensation for the symptom and suffering they accidental Riley experienced earlier his decease astatine 22.