On March 8, 2024, University of Missouri senior Riley Strain went missing on a trip to Nashville, Tennessee with his fraternity brothers, shortly after he was kicked out of Luke Bryan’s bar, Luke’s 32 Bridge Food + Drink for violating “conduct standards.” On March 22, Strain’s body was found.
The 22-year-old was last seen by his fraternity brothers around 10 p.m. He told them he would return to their hotel — however, surveillance footage around Music City shows Strain walking alone and stumbling down the street in the wrong direction. According to the surveillance footage, his last location was walking across Church Street, close to the Cumberland River, and there was no confirmed trace of him beyond the James Robertson Parkway bridge and Gay Street.
Early on, Nashville Police Sergeant Robert Nielsen confirmed “no indication of foul play and no indication Strain was in a fight or argument with anyone that night”. For weeks, it was unclear where the Delta Chi member was, causing authorities — as well as the Nashville community — to search by foot, drone, and boat as online sleuths developed and shared their theories about what might have happened to him.
The last text and bank card discovery
Less than 10 days after Strain went missing, his bank card was found in the Cumberland River embankment along Gay Street, discovered by two women who were moved by the missing person’s case and motivated to search for the college senior while live-streaming on TikTok. Meanwhile, police body cam footage from an officer in the Cumberland River neighborhood the night Strain went missing showed a brief interaction with the Mizzou student and confirmed he was in the area shortly before his last cell phone ping.
Strain’s strange last text to a female friend that night, “Good lops,” also raised questions, as some theorized “lops” might mean “low on battery, sorry” or “source,” indicating Strain’s phone might be low on power, and he might not respond. Strain’s phone, however, had batteries before it lost its signal, a family friend said. There’s uncertainty about what that last text meant. Many now think it may have been a simple typo, and Strain may have meant to type “lol” or “lols” instead.
Is Riley Strain still missing?
On March 22, Riley Strain’s body was recovered from the Cumberland River, about eight miles from downtown Nashville, where Strain was last spotted on police body cam footage, according to CNN. The sad conclusion of this missing person’s case confirms what some suspected all along: For whatever reason, Strain ended up in the river that night and drowned. When Strain was found, police said there were no signs of foul play.
To date, there was no clear indication of how Strain wound up in the river, but police said that his shirt, watch, and other pieces of ID initially confirmed it was Strain’s body. As of this report, an autopsy was pending, which may confirm or deny the widespread speculation that Strain had been drugged at some point that evening. Police said a worker in the area found Strain’s body around 7:30 a.m. that morning.
Nashville officials respond
When news broke that Riley Strain’s body had been recovered from the Cumberland, several Nashville officials, including Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell, shared their thoughts on social media. O’Connell wrote in part, “I met with Riley’s family earlier this week, and as devastating as I find this news, I can’t imagine their heartbreak. We will continue to work toward improvements in safety in a variety of ways … “
Meanwhile, Council member Jacob Kupin who represents downtown Nashville, added on social media, “My heart breaks for Riley’s family and friends. Since his disappearance, I have been actively working on steps to secure the river area where he likely fell. We will continue these efforts to make sure his death was not in vain,” according to The Tennessean.
As well as an autopsy, WKRN said The Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) investigation into whether Strain was overserved at Luke Bryan’s bar was ongoing when Strain was found. The establishment said Strain had one alcoholic drink and water while there.