Riley Strain, the University of Missouri student who mysteriously vanished during a March trip to Nashville, Tennessee, before his body was found in a river, died from alcohol poisoning and drowning, autopsy and toxicology reports reveal.
The Davidson County medical examiner’s office ruled the 22-year-old’s death an accidental drowning, with a toxicology report showing alcohol and THC in the college senior’s system. Strain had a blood alcohol level of .228, almost three times the legal driving limit.
Metro Nashville Police Department told News Channel 5 after the report was released: “The police department is now officially classifying Strain’s death as accidental.”
The new information comes months after his disappearance took a tragic turn.
Strain was visiting Nashville with friends for his fraternity’s spring formal trip when he was kicked out of country singer Luke Bryan’s 32 Bridge Food + Drink on March 8 and vanished into the night.
A manhunt ensued for the next two weeks, as his disappearance garnered national attention.
The bar later said he was removed based on “conduct standards,” noting that he had only been served a single alcoholic drink and two glasses of water.
Surveillance footage and location-tracking app data captured him on streets near the Cumberland River on the night he vanished.
By March 14, police announced that homeless residents at two encampments near the Cumberland River saw Strain on the night he disappeared, but weren’t sure which direction he continued in.
Three days later, TikTokers searching for Strain found his bank card along the bank of the Cumberland River. Police determined that no purchases had been made on the card since Strain vanished.
Finally, on March 22, police announced they’d found Strain’s body in the Cumberland River.
After the tragic discovery, Strain’s parents thanked the Nashville community for their “love” and “grace” during the search.
