Riley Strain's disappearance, death in Nashville: What we know one year later
One year after his initial disappearance, the untimely death of 22-year-old Missouri student Riley Strain is still on the minds of many in his home state and Nashville, where his accidental death prompted officials to take action to make the city safer.
The college student went missing while out drinking with frat brothers in March of 2024, leading to a two-week search. His body was ultimately found in the Cumberland River and his death ruled an accident as a result of intoxication and drowning.
As a result, Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell proposed a budget with $1.5 million in funding to secure the riverfront in December, a plan which included new lights, permanent fencing and other upgraded safety measures. The metro council approved the bill later that month and a more detailed plan is expected to arrive this spring.
Still, the case that drew national headlines is fresh in the hearts of many. Here's what we know a year later.
Who was Riley Strain?
Riley Strain was a 22-year-old University of Missouri student and member of the Delta Chi fraternity.
Strain went missing after being kicked out of Luke's 32 Bridge Food and Drink Nashville's Lower Broadway while vacationing with fraternity brothers. Prior to his disappearance, he was seen on surveillance footage walking around the downtown area, sometimes stumbling.
He had a friendly exchange with a police officer near 1st Avenue North and Gay Street. His bank card was discovered near the Cumberland River on March 17, five days before his remains were recovered in the Cumberland River in West Nashville.
Riley Strain will be remembered by the people who knew him as a young man with "a vibrant spirit and loving nature,” according to an online obituary.
Strain’s natural “ambition” helped him land an internship at Northwestern Mutual, a financial services organization. He also spent a lot of his time volunteering, namely at Wonders of Wildlife.
“This commitment showcased Riley’s deep care for the community and the environment," according to his obit. "Riley embraced outdoor adventures, whether it was hunting, fishing, or simply enjoying the serenity of the lake."
What happened to Riley Strain?
In March of 2024, Strain traveled to Nashville to attend the annual spring formal for his fraternity Delta Chi. On Friday, March 8, he FaceTimed with his mother around 7:30 p.m., telling her he was "having a good time" while out with friends.
Later that night, he was kicked out of Luke's 32 Bridge, a rooftop bar with live music along Lower Broadway in Music City's entertainment district known as honky-tonk Row. He was last seen on Gay Street shortly before 10 p.m. The bar was later investigated for potentially overserving Strain but was cleared.
After he didn't return to his hotel room and friends were unable to get in touch with him, they reported him missing the following day. A formal search began on Monday, March 11, during which a preliminary canvassing of the banks of the nearby Cumberland River was done.
Over the next two weeks, police launched a full-scale search mission, releasing security camera video, bodycam footage and deploying boats and sonar equipment in the Cumberland River. A GoFundMe to help the family in the search likewise raised just shy of $80,000.
On Sunday, March 17, police discovered Strain's bank card near the Cumberland River and focused their search there. On the morning of Friday, March 22, Strain's body was found in the river in West Nashville, approximately eight miles from downtown.
The Davidson County Medical Examiner's Office autopsy report declared his death an accident from drowning and ethanol intoxication. His blood-alcohol level was nearly three times the legal limit.
A candlelight visual was held for Strain on the same day. His parents also addressed the public that evening, thanking them for their help and support.
"You've helped us, let us take our boy home," Ryan Gilbert, Strain's father, said at the time.
"I just ask that you mommas out there hug your babies tight tonight, please," Strain's mother, Michelle Whiteid, said. "Please for me. Hug your babies tight tonight."
What happened after Riley Strain was found?
Communities in Nashville and Missouri mourned the loss of Strain, with Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell saying he had met with Strain's family and planned to make safety improvements in the city.
O'Connell said soon after Strain was found that he would review the riverfront with the Nashville Department of Transportation. District 19 Council member Jacob Kupin, who represents downtown, also said on social media he had been working to secure the area where Strain is believed to have fallen into the river.
Nashville's council also approved an analysis of Cumberland riverbank safety. Legislation called "Riley's Act" was also proposed, amassing more than 32,000 petition signatures on Change.org. The proposed law would make it mandatory for bar staff to call cabs and Ubers for "intoxicated and disoriented individuals."
In late March 2024, Strain's family sought a second autopsy. Though officials had ruled there was no evidence of foul play, Strain was not found with the pants, wallet and cowboy boots he was wearing the night he went missing. The medical examiner also reported that there was evidence of fluid in Strain's chest cavity, but no water in his lungs, confusing the family on his cause of death.
His death continues to be ruled an accident.
Contributing: Amaris Encinas, Natalie Neysa Alund, Paste BN; Angele Latham, Kirsten Fiscus, Craig Shoup, Nicole Young, Nashville Tennessean