22-year-old University of Missouri student missing for over a week

March 19, 2024

Twenty-two-year-old University of Missouri student, Riley Strain, has been missing for over a week after disappearing on a night out in Nashville, Tennessee.

Riley is described as 6’6, 165lbs, Caucasian, with blonde hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a black and white short-sleeved button-up shirt with blue stone washed jeans and brown square toe boots. He is a senior at the University of Missouri, where he is studying business and was about to graduate in the next couple of months.

Riley Strain arrived in Nashville on March 8, along with his Mizzou Delta-Chi fraternity brothers, for an annual conference event in the city. The group were reportedly staying at the Tempo Hotel downtown during their trip.

That night, after having a video call with his mother, Strain made his way to Luke’s 32 Bridge on Broadway, a bar, with his friends. There, he bought one alcoholic drink, followed by two waters.

At around 9:35pm, Strain was escorted out of the bar by security, who made him leave through the front exit of the venue. One of Strain's friends was initially walking with him, but did not leave the bar, instead, went back inside, leaving an intoxicated Strain to be ejected alone. Bartenders would later tell investigators that Strain had been over-served.

The Bar later said in a public statement made by the TC Restaurant Group, that they “made a decision based on our conduct standards to escort him from the venue through our Broadway exit at the front of our building.”

The owner of the bar and restaurant is reportedly continuing to work with Nashville Police and is cooperating with the investigation.

According to one friend in the group that Strain was out drinking with that night, Strain called to state that he would be returning to the Tempo Hotel. This was the last time anyone has heard from Riley Strain since. It would later be discovered that Strain walked in the opposite direction.

After being ordered to leave the bar, Strain had a brief encounter with an officer, where the pair exchanged exchanged pleasantries in passing.

Between 9:45 p.m. and 9:47 p.m. surveillance footage from various stores along Strain's journey that night captured him stumbling and running along the streets of Nashville. Footage from Downtown Smoke & Vape Shop on Church Street captured Strain running and falling on his front and side in a parking lot along 3rd Avenue. He is shown struggling to get back on his feet before walking off, appearing dazed and stumbling.

Additional footage from 3rd Avenue captured the 22-year-old crossing over into Gay Street, appearing to mix in with a group of people walking in the same direction for a moment, before spinning in a circle and trailing off.

Strain’s friends attempted to locate Strain via Snapchat, but were unsuccessful.

They eventually contacted the police to report him missing.

Hospitals and jails in the area were contacted by police, however, there was no trace of Riley Strain. At the time of writing, land and air searches have not turned up the missing young man. The Cumberland River, near Riverfront Park, is also being searched using a sonar equipped boat. The office of Emergency Management has also become involved, providing their own boat with sonar, and a drone.

The last ping on Strain's phone, was from a cell tower near Top Golf, on the other side of the river between 9:55 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. Tennessee newspapers report the ping could have been on top of or below the bridge.

Police stated that the radius of the ping was around two miles, and does not provide any information as to direction of travel. They stated that they are waiting for more information in the form of phone records as well as Strain's apple watch.

At this point in the investigation, foul play is not suspected, and police believe they are dealing solely with the case of a missing persons and are not in the process of conducting a criminal investigation at the current time.

Media outlets report that Strain was spotted by two members of the public, who are homeless, later that night. These sightings have not, at the time of writing, been confirmed by police.

Volunteers searching for Riley Strain, as well as any clues pertaining to his disappearance, discovered the missing man’s debit card on March 18. Several female volunteers climbed down to the riverbank below the bridge where Strain may have been walking that night, and while streaming their efforts, one discovered Strains debit card and reported it to police.

Two of the women met through TikTok and decided to search the area together, stating that they believe more local people should be looking for clues. They encouraged others to look for Strains size fifteen boots he was wearing when he went missing, as well as his wallet, and the other personal items he had when he went missing.

Anyone with any information regarding Reily Strain's disappearance is asked to contact The Metro Nashville Police Department at (615) 862-8600. Case #24-0165752

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09 April 2024, Update: Riley Strains body was pulled from the Cumberland River and is believed, at the time of writing, to be an accidental drowning.