New Discovery Suggests Riley Strain May Have Hinted That His Drink Was Roofied
By Kelly Coffey-Behrens on April 16, 2024 at 5:17 PM EDT
A new discovery may lead investigators to look into the possibility of foul play after Riley Strain's mom revealed a text message from her son the night he disappeared.
As The Blast previously reported, Riley's body was found in a river two weeks after he went missing. The student was last seen by his friends at Luke Bryan's bar in downtown Nashville after he was reportedly kicked out of the establishment.
Before he went missing, Riley's mom, Michelle Whiteid, says she was texting him throughout the evening, but one message may raise more questions for investigators.
Riley Strain Was In Contact With His Mom The Night Of His Disappearance
When news first broke that Riley was missing, Riley's stepfather, Chris Whiteid, told WSMV of Nashville that Riley FaceTimed his mom around 8 p.m. that evening and gave her "a hard time because she was already in bed."
“He and his buddy were having a good time, and he just wanted to show me that he was having a good time,” Michelle Whiteid told NewsNation’s Markie Martin on 'Morning in America' at the time.
Now, more details begin to surface from the night Riley went MIA.
Was Riley Strain Drugged?
Weeks after Riley's body was discovered in the river, his mom is now revealing she received a text message from her son, indicating his drink may have been drugged.
According to TMZ, Michelle Whiteid told NewsNation that Riley told her the rum and coke that he ordered at Luke Bryan's 32 Bridge bar did "not taste good" and tasted like barbecue. Michelle says she told her son he probably shouldn't have been drinking it then.
She is convinced that Riley's drink was roofied at the bar, as it was the last place he was before wandering the streets. "Maybe there was something in it that shouldn't have been," she stated in the interview, which will air later on Tuesday, April 16.
As The Blast previously reported, the bar claimed Riley was only served one drink and two glasses of water. The establishment also stated they provided police with receipts, transaction records, and time stamps to back their claims.
Investigators Say There Is No Indication Of Foul Play
While Michelle thinks there is foul play involved in her son's death, investigators have stated they believe his death was an accident. “They removed something from the river, and as they moved it, they noticed Mr. Strain and called it in,” Metropolitan Nashville Police Department Chief John Drake said at the time of the discovery.
While the autopsy appears to have ruled the death accidental, the medical examiner's office has not yet released details regarding their findings of the toxicology report.
Riley's family has been outspoken about their beliefs that Riley's death was not accidental, claiming something else happened to their loved one.
Medical Professional Gives Insight Into Riley Strain's Death
While reports came out claiming the autopsy found a "lack of water" in Riley's lungs at the time of death, Dr. Michael Baden says there is a reasonable explanation as to why.
"It's not the water that causes harm" in a drowning, the doctor told FOX, "it's the blockage of oxygen getting to the lungs."
He added, "So, if somebody goes in the water and because of a spasm of the windpipe, because … if you can't breathe, you get a little spasm there. It's the lack of oxygen that causes the person to die. And one can have [a] lack of oxygen and water without water getting into the lungs, but just by creating a spasm in the air passages," he explained.
The public must await the findings of the toxicology reports before these questions are answered.
The Strain Family Orders A Second Autopsy
Per The Blast's previous report, Riley’s body was found without several personal belongings and clothing items, including his phone, pants, belt, wallet, and boots. His credit card was found near the river days before his body was discovered.
”We’ve had a lot of questions as far as pants, belt, wallet, [and] boots, and none of those items have been found. We’re pretty certain that he would have been wearing a belt at the time," Ryan Gilbert, Riley’s father, said, per KY3.
Riley Strain's family has ordered a second autopsy, and are hoping one of the two autopsies being done will help answer their questions.
“Riley had a swimmer’s body. [The belt] would have been snug to him, riding on his hips. … As soon as we found out he had a belt on that night, [it] totally changes the dynamics of why those articles are missing," family spokesperson Chris Dingman said on 'Elizabeth Vargas Reports', per NewsNation.
