Riley Strain update: Body of missing Missouri student pulled from West Nashville river

ByEmily Shapiro ABCNews logo
Friday, March 22, 2024
Body of missing college student Riley Strain pulled from river
The body of Riley Strain, a missing Missouri student, has been found in a West Nashville river. No foul play is suspected, police said.

NASHVILLE -- The body of missing college student Riley Strain was recovered from the Cumberland River in West Nashville Friday morning following a two-week search, according to Nashville police.



"No foul play-related trauma was observed," police said. "An autopsy is pending."



Police announced the discovery of the body of Riley Strain, a Mizzou student missing in Nashville, Friday.


Strain, a 22-year-old senior at the University of Missouri, went missing on March 8 after a night out at several Nashville bars. Strain and his Delta Chi fraternity brothers were visiting Nashville for their fraternity formal.



While the friends were out that night, Strain FaceTimed his mom and didn't sound intoxicated, Strain's stepfather, Chris Whiteid, told ABC News.



Strain and his mom exchanged more texts after the FaceTime call, Whiteid said. The last text Strain sent to his mom that night was, "I love you."



Surveillance cameras and police body cameras captured Strain's last known movements from about 9:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.



SEE ALSO: United Cajun Navy to focus search of missing Riley Strain on Cumberland River in Nashville



Strain was reported missing on March 9 and authorities launched a massive search by foot, by drone and by boat.



The United Cajun Navy also arrived in Nashville to help organize volunteer searches.



Strain's stepfather told ABC News on Wednesday that the family was beginning to have difficult conversations.



"Put yourself in our shoes," Whiteid said. "Your family, your brother, your sister -- they've been missing for almost two weeks."



"Everybody knows it, everybody's thinking it -- those conversations are starting to happen," he said. "It's not what we want. And I understand that people want to know what we're feeling -- we're feeling frustrated, we're feeling hurt, we're feeling depressed."



"Nobody knows what happened," he said.



The video in the player above is from an earlier report.

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