Riley Strain's Death Ruled As 'Accidental' After Body Was Recovered From A River

Riley Strain's death has reportedly been ruled "accidental" by Nashville police. The 22-year-old college student was found in the Cumberland River after going missing during a Nashville trip.

Security footage and witness accounts helped piece together his movements, including when he left a Nashville bar. Social media users debated the circumstances surrounding his death, with some questioning foul play and others empathizing with Strain's parents' unimaginable loss.

In a recent update, police have ruled that the death of Strain, the 22-year-old college student whose body was found in the Cumberland River in Nashville, was "accidental" with no evidence of foul play.

Strain was first reported missing on March 8 during a trip to Nashville and was last seen leaving singer Luke Bryan's restaurant and bar.

Finally, on Friday, the Metro Nashville Police Department shared the news of the discovery of his body on X (formerly Twitter).

"The body of Riley Strain was recovered from the Cumberland River in West Nashville this morning, approximately 8 miles from downtown. No foul play-related trauma was observed. An autopsy is pending," the tweet read.

Following the news of Strain's disappearance, Bryan's 32 Bridge Food + Drink reportedly came under investigation for allegedly overserving the student alcohol.

However, TC Restaurant Group, which owns and runs the bar, denied these claims in a statement, detailing how much Riley was served and how they escorted him from the location.

The statement read, per People Magazine: "During Riley's visit to Luke's 32 Bridge, our records show he purchased and was served one alcoholic drink and two glasses of water. At 9:35 p.m., our security team made a decision based on our conduct standards to escort him from the venue through our Broadway exit at the front of our building."

"He was followed down the stairs with one member of his party. The individual with Riley did not exit and returned upstairs," the statement added. Days later, on March 22, Strain's body was found miles away from where he was last seen.

In an interview with the publication, Strain's stepfather, Chris Whiteid, revealed that Strain traveled to Nashville accompanied by his Delta Chi fraternity brothers for their annual formal.

Whiteid added that their concern rose the next day when Strain's friends contacted the family about his disappearance.

"I was literally getting ready to tee off on the golf course when my wife called me, and I turned around, went and loaded all my stuff off the golf cart, and told my friend that I was sorry I had to leave," he recounted.

The search for Strain soon escalated, gaining national attention, with social media users actively invested in the case. Notably, a bank card belonging to Strain surfaced near the Cumberland River on March 17, discovered by two women who were going through trash along the river bank.

As authorities pieced together Strain's movement, they found surveillance footage that captured the 22-year-old walking near a bridge. Local businesses assisted the search by providing security camera footage.

Prior to Strain's body being found, his mother, Michelle Whiteid, 52, told People in an interview that the last conversation they had on the night of his disappearance ended with "I love you."

She recalled that they "FaceTimed for a while" and that "he was so excited."

"Then we hung up, and he texted me, and he was like, 'It was kind of hard to hear you, but I wanted you to see what was happening," she added.

"I said, 'Well, you boys be safe. Make good choices. I love you guys.' And he said, 'I love you, too,'" Michelle added. "And that's it, that's the last I have heard from him."

Following the tragic news of Strain's passing, social media users voiced their concerns and shared their condolences.

One user called for bars to provide safe rides for patrons, writing: "Bars need to start providing safe rides for people, since they profit off the intoxication and, as in this case, detriment of their customers."

Another commenter highlighted the importance of trusting friends while out, noting: "Sad sad sad. Just goes to show, trust who your friends are when you're out anywhere. Yes, he's an adult but even having decent friends could have saved his life. Prayers to his family. Wonder if there will be signs of foul play after Autopsy?"

A third person expressed deep empathy for Strain's parents, acknowledging the unimaginable pain of losing a child. They wrote: "My heart physically hurts for these parents. I can't even imagine their pain. It's unimaginable. I believe losing a child is a parent's biggest fear, I know it's mine. I personally couldn't survive it."

Rest in peace, Riley Strain.