Riley Strain updates: Preliminary autopsy suggests student’s death was ‘accidental’
The missing student’s body was recovered from the Cumberland River on Friday
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A preliminary autopsy has been completed on student Riley Strain’s body after he was recovered from Nashville, Tennessee’s Cumberland River this week.
The initial autopsy results suggest an accidental death, as there were no signs of foul play, police told WKRN. Authorities recovered his body Friday around eight miles from the downtown area where he was last seen.
Now, his family is thanking the Nashville community.
“I want to reiterate how thankful we are for everyone and how much we appreciate everyone’s support, love and prayers,” Strain’s mother, Michelle Whiteid, said.
“We are quite thankful for everything you’ve done — the grace you’ve given us,” Chris Whiteid, Strain’s stepfather, said.
The 22-year-old University of Missouri student was partying with his fraternity in Nashville on 8 March when he was kicked out of a bar around 10pm. Strain’s bank card was found a week later near the river.
The discovery came after Mr Whiteid and family friend Chris Dingman told NewsNation police had shown them footage of what was believed to be Strain’s last known movements.
In the video, Strain was seen jogging close to the river, away from the direction of his hotel, they said.
Body of missing Missouri student Riley Strain found in Nashville river
Timeline of Missouri student Riley Strain tragic disappearance and death
What we know about the disappearance and death of University of Missouri student Riley Strain
Riley Strain seen in video footage approaching river bridge as witnesses reveal they saw him being sick
Mystery over Riley Strain’s last text as family friend pours cold water on ‘good lops’ theory
Riley Strain’s family thank Nashville community for love and grace
“I want to reiterate how thankful we are for everyone and how much we appreciate everyone’s support, love and prayers,” Riley Strain’s mother, Michelle Whiteid, said.
“I just ask that you mamas out there hug your babies tight tonight, please, for me,” she continued.
Their words came at Friday evening press conference, just hours after authorities recovered 22-year-old Strain’s body from the Cumberland River.
“We are quite thankful for everything you’ve done — the grace you’ve given us,” Chris Whiteid, Strain’s stepfather, said. “We have learned through this ordeal that everybody has brought all the good to us. We’ve had a little bad, but it has given us faith in people that sometimes gets clouded by what we are constantly hearing.”
ICYMI: Restaurant where Riley Strain was last seen removed the student due to “conduct standards”
Riley Strain was thrown out of a restaurant and bar owned by musician Luke Bryan just minutes before surveillance footage captured him alive for the last time.
Luke’s 32 Bridge Food + Drink, owned by Mr Bryan, issued a statement to CNN explaining why staff removed Strain from the premises.
“At 9:38 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.” The restaurant also told the outlet staff served Strain two waters and one alcoholic drink before he left.
A nearby worker helped spot Riley Strain’s body in the Cumberland River
In a press briefing, Nashville police said that a worker spotted a body in the river around 7.28am that morning. The worker was removing an object from the river, when the body surfaced.
The Nashville Fire Department was called in to the scene and recovered the body from the water.
SEE IT: Candlelight vigil held for Riley Strain after authorities recovered his body
ICYMI: Country music star dedicates song to Riley Strain
Musician Carly Pearce dedicated a song to Riley Strain while performing in Missouri, the state where the 22-year-old attended school.
“I do not feel like I can live in Nashville and be in the state of Missouri tonight and not say that we love you Riley Strain,” Ms Pearce said from the stage Friday night. “I just want to say that I’m thinking of his family and I’m thinking of his friends and anybody that knows him in this room that knows him. And I want to dedicate this to them.”
Ms Pearce posted about Strain earlier this week, just two days before his body was found.
Rescue service that helped find Riley Strain moves to different missing case
The United Cajun Navy, which helped authorities find and recover Riley Strain’s body on Friday, is now diverting resources to a missing child case, the organization said in a statement.
The non-profit dedicated to finding missing children will now assist in the case of 15-year-old Sebastian Rogers, who has been missing for five weeks, according to their statement.
Riley Strain’s body was still in his distinctive shirt
Riley Strain was still wearing his distinctive shirt when his body was pulled from the river, police said.
On the night he was last seen in downtown Nashville, Strain was sporting a monochrome shirt.
Since his disappearance, reports have emerged that a homeless man had found a shirt matching the description close to the river bank and was later seen wearing it.
But, in the press conference on Friday morning, police said that Strain was still wearing his shirt and watch – and that these items helped to identify him.
Body of missing Missouri student Riley Strain found in Nashville river
The body of missing University of Missouri student Riley Strain has been located in West Nashville after he disappeared two weeks ago.
Mr Strain’s body was discovered approximately 8 miles from downtown Nashville in the Cumberland River. Workers were removing an object from the river when they stumbled upon Mr Strain’s body.
According to police, Mr Strain was wearing his distinctive black and white shirt when he was found, contradicting earlier claims by that the shirt had been taken and worn by a man named Ross.
Police said an initial analysis of Mr Strain’s body showed no evidence that of foul play, and that an autopsy is pending.
Body of missing Missouri student Riley Strain found in Nashville river
Mr Strain’s body was recovered from the Cumberland River
Timeline of Missouri student Riley Strain tragic disappearance and death
Riley Strain, the 22-year-old University of Missouri student whose body was recovered from the Cumberland River on Friday, was missing for two weeks.
From The Independent, a timeline of Strain’s disappearance, including the last moments he was seen alive:
Timeline of Missouri student Riley Strain tragic disappearance and death
Nashville police said they do not believe there was any foul play in Riley Strain’s death
The tragic case of Riley Strain and the TikTok sleuths who tried to find him
At one point, a debit card on a river embankment was the only major clue in the disappearance of University of Missouri student Riley Strain – and it was discovered by two TikTokers.
Read more from The Independent’s Andrea Cavallier:
The tragic case of Riley Strain and the TikTok sleuths who tried to find him
Riley Strain’s body was found after an agonizing search that included both traditional law enforcement and self-styled social media sleuths. Family and friends of Strain largely welcomed their efforts — but do online detectives help or hinder such efforts? Andrea Cavallier reports
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