Riley Strain, a 22-year-old University of Missouri student who went missing during a fraternity trip to Nashville, Tennessee, has been found deceased in the Cumberland River, ending a search that captured national attention.
The search for University of Missouri student Riley Strain, who had been missing for two weeks, came to a tragic end with the discovery of his body in the Cumberland River in West Nashville, Tennessee. The 22-year-old was in Nashville for a spring formal trip with his fraternity brothers when he disappeared. According to reports, Strain was removed from a bar due to intoxication and was last seen telling his friends he would return to their hotel. Surveillance footage later captured him stumbling through downtown Nashville and interacting with a police officer before jogging towards the river, in the opposite direction of his hotel. His family speculated he might have been confused about his hotel’s location.
The intensive search for Strain involved police, volunteers, the “Cajun Navy” group, and helicopter searches but initially turned up no leads. Concerns were raised about the effort, with efforts intensified following claims by homeless individuals of sighting Strain’s clothing.
Strain’s body was eventually discovered by workers approximately 8 miles from downtown Nashville, with the Nashville Police Chief John Drake noting that the time it took for the body to surface matched expectations given Strain’s physical characteristics. While initial investigations reported no signs of foul play, an autopsy was pending, and the police continued their investigation into the circumstances of Strain’s disappearance and death.
