The weeks-long search for missing University of Missouri student Riley Strain has come to a tragic end. The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department confirmed Friday that a body recovered from the Cumberland River in West Nashville earlier this morning has been positively identified as the 22-year-old.
Strain had been missing since March 8th when he disappeared after being kicked out of a Nashville bar, Luke’s 32Bridge, during a fraternity spring break trip. Surveillance footage last showed him walking alone downtown around 9:52 pm that night before he was reported missing by friends just after 1:30 am.
During a press conference, MNPD Chief John Drake stated that no foul play is suspected in Riley Strain’s death based on the lack of “trauma” and the fact that he still had personal belongings like his watch and clothes when the body was found. An official cause of death is still pending autopsy results.
“There is no other evidence that suggests anything other than [Strain] falling into the river,” Drake said, adding that his “heart and prayers go out” to the Strain family.
The grim discovery occurred around 7 am Friday when some workers by the river spotted the body and contacted authorities. Drake revealed plans had already been made to search that section of the Cumberland River based on calculations involving Strain’s height and weight that predicted his body may surface in the area.
The search efforts to locate Riley Strain had gradually expanded outward from downtown Nashville along the river’s path and its dams after his debit card was found along the waterway. Hundreds of tips poured in as the operation involved helicopters, boats, and land crews over the past couple of weeks.
Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell extended condolences to Strain’s loved ones on X, lamenting “This is not the outcome that anyone hoped for – especially his parents and everyone who loved him.” He vowed the city would “continue to work toward improvements in safety in a variety of ways.”
Riley Strain’s parents, who had been in Nashville assisting with the search, had begun bracing for the worst possibility in recent days according to the student’s stepfather. The family is now mourning the confirmation of their tragic loss and seeking answers.
