The search for 22-year-old University of Missouri student Riley Strain, missing for two weeks, came to a somber conclusion when his body was recovered from the Cumberland River on Friday morning. Strain, who disappeared on March 8 after being ejected from Luke’s 32 Bridge in Downtown Nashville, was discovered eight miles downstream from where he was last seen.
Authorities, led by Metro Nashville Police Department Chief John Drake, found Strain’s body still clad in the black and white shirt he wore on the night of his disappearance. Chief Drake stated that foul play is not suspected in Strain’s disappearance or death.
Barge operators alerted authorities to the discovery of Strain’s body near The Nations area around 7:30 a.m. Nashville Fire Department personnel, aided by boats, retrieved the body from the river using a boat ramp at the North Nashville Exxon facility.
The exhaustive search efforts involved multiple agencies, including the Metro Nashville Police Department, Nashville Fire Department, and Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, as well as volunteers and organizations like the United Cajun Navy. Despite extensive searches using sonar, dogs, and other resources, Strain’s body remained undiscovered until now.
While Strain’s disappearance garnered widespread attention on national and social media platforms, authorities stressed that there was no evidence to support claims of foul play. Speculation surrounding his disappearance intensified when a TikToker claimed to have found Strain’s bank card on the riverbank, but investigations yielded no substantial leads.
Surveillance footage showed Strain stumbling in Nashville after leaving the bar, prompting the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission to investigate whether he was overserved alcohol that night. Luke’s 32Bridge maintains that Strain was served only one alcoholic beverage and two waters.
The TABC, collaborating with local law enforcement, continues to investigate where Strain consumed alcohol before his disappearance. All licensed establishments involved have cooperated with the investigation.
Authorities have informed Strain’s family of his recovery, bringing a heartbreaking end to the search for the missing student.
