A timeline of events from the night Riley Strain went missing in Nashville to his body being found in the Cumberland River
Investigators have found the body of Riley Strain, a 22-year-old University of Missouri student who disappeared on March 8 after drinking with his fraternity brothers in the city's downtown. Throughout the investigation, Metro Nashville Police Department released several videos that show Strain walking alone. Here is a timeline of events the night Strain disappeared and the announcement that his body had been found in the Cumberland River.
9:35 p.m. Luke's 32 Bridge
Strain and his friends were in the city for the weekend and staying at a downtown hotel. On March 8, they went to Luke's 32 Bridge, a bar owned by music artist Luke Bryan.
Strain was escorted out of the bar at 9:35 p.m. according to a joint statement from the bar's management company and Bryan. They said the decision to ask Strain to leave was made "based on our conduct standards."
The Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission announced it was going to investigate claims that Strain was overserved at the bar. The bar's records show he ordered one alcoholic drink and ordered two waters, according to the statement.
9:47 p.m. Gay Street
Nashville police released a video showing Strain crossing Gay Street at around 9:47 p.m. after leaving the bar. According to Google Maps, the street is about a 16-minute walk from Luke's 32 Bridge.
Detectives today continue to pursue tips & investigative leads concerning missing person Riley Strain, 22. Strain, wearing a 2-tone shirt, is seen in this video crossing 1st Ave N to Gay St (right to left), at 9:47 p.m. Fri. Have info about him? Plz 📞 615-742-7463. pic.twitter.com/fE86dlqeOC
— Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) March 12, 2024
Bodycam footage shows Strain on Gay Street
Officer Reginald Young was on Gay Street responding to a call about a vehicle burglary and his body-worn camera captured Strain walking down the sidewalk. Strain is not visibly distressed and he and Young exchange a short greeting.
Strain appears in the bodycam footage around the 14-second mark. Young was on that street for about 45 minutes.
Shown was Riley's brief exchange of greetings w/ Officer Reginald Young on Gay St., south of the Woodland St. Bridge, on the night of 3/8. Riley did not appear distressed. Officer Young was there on a vehicle burglary call & remained on that portion of Gay St. for 45 min. pic.twitter.com/z0xeEzeieK
— Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) March 18, 2024
9:52 p.m. last sighting on Gay Street
Strain's last sighting on Gay Street was 9:52 p.m. "No video has been discovered that shows Riley away from Gay St. after the 9:52 p.m. timeframe," the police department wrote on social media.
The detectives on the ground and the police department's helicopter searched the area, but there have been no sightings of Strain.
About 1:35 a.m.
One of Strain's friends reported him missing about four hours after he was escorted from Luke's 32 Bridge.
A friend on the trip, identified only by his first name, Brayden, told CBS affiliate WTVF he tried to find Strain after he left from the bar on March 8. Brayden also used Snapchat's location feature to try and locate Strain, but he was unable to find him, he said.
Calls made to Strain's cellphone went to voicemail after he went missing and investigators said Strain's phone last pinged near a cell tower less than two miles from Luke's 32 Bridge.
Aftermath of Strain's disappearance
After hearing their son was missing, Strain's parents drove from Springfield, Missouri, to Nashville. His mother, Michelle Whiteid, said she and her son normally talk every day.
"I just need to know where my son is," Whiteid told WTVF. "We talk every day, multiple times a day, this is the longest I've ever gone without talking to him. It's devastating — I just want to find him and hug him."
Nashville police began releasing updates about their investigation, sharing the video of Strain crossing the street on Tuesday, March 12.
Strain's debit card was found Sunday, March 17 on an embankment of the Cumberland River, near where he was last seen more than a week prior. Nashville police shared this information, as well as Young's bodycam footage on Monday, March 18.
Strain's body found in Cumberland River
On Friday, March 22, police announced on social media that Strain's body had been recovered from the Cumberland River in West Nashville.
"No foul play-related trauma was observed. An autopsy is pending," they wrote.
After his debit card was found along the river, investigators had been focused on area waterways, using helicopters boats and ground crews. They expanded their search from the dowtown section of the river to the Cheatham Dam, about 40 miles from the city's downtown.