Found Deceased TN - Riley Strain, 22, missing from a bar, Nashville, 8 March 2024

[branmuffin]

Until this case, I'd not heard of the young men going drinking, getting bounced, then winding up in water. If this is as big a problem as it seems it may be, instead of assigning blame, we (or someone) needs to be looking at how this is happening and putting measures into place that will lessen the number of incidents.

The kids need to be educated, of course. However, it is the city and LE putting in the work and long hours attempting to find this young man. And it is the bar under scrutiny for overserving him.

Because the towns and bars are making money from the sale of booze and need to keep their reputations, it would make sense (to me at least) that owners start a discussion about measures that make sense to implement in their establishments. Not because they have to, not because they just want to fight anyone who says they're to blame, but because it saves lives and in the end will be good for the bars' bottom line. Same for the city management.

I suspect the PD may be short staffed, but would a reshuffling of scheduling and more pro-active arrests for public drunkenness perhaps save lives on Friday and Saturday nights? There would be a lot of upset kids, but at least they'd be alive to be angry.

If the drinking, bouncing and drowning is a real issue, it's time to start working on it.

I don't think that approach would work because the percentage of people who do get so drunk and end up drowning in a water source is miniscule compared to the countless people who get blind drunk, make their way home, pass out and wake up with a killer hangover. You can't legislate common sense. And it isn't an innate ability, it's taught. So who should do the teaching?

To me it's same type of situation where a vehicle ends up in a water source and the people drown. Some suggest changing the windows so that they'd be easier to break in the case of a submersion but car manufacturers over the years have perfected and changed the composition of car windows and windshields because 99 percent of all car accidents would have many more serious injuries from flying glass because 99 percent of all car accidents occur on land.

 

[mythwrites]

Brian Bone
Caleb Marple
Irshaad Ikbal
Abdul Alanazi
Garret Walker
Inaki Bascaran
Dakota Bingham

These are just a few of the names of individuals I followed on WS that all left bars extremely drunk or disoriented and ended up in a water source. I know other victims have been mentioned, too. There are many, many more unfortunately.

I was just looking at MNPD records of similar cases to this one and just saw Dakota Bingham's. Disturbing parallels for sure.

 

[Sky sparkles]

Someone provided a link earlier showing what the capacity was. It differed according to each area. I think the capacity overall was in the 1200+ people. That's a lot of people but I would hope that when this bar was designed they'd have to conform to regulations regarding capacity for things like evacuation due to fire, etc. I went through every single pic I could find of that bar and I never found one image that had a telltale red exit sign.

Just looked back on my photos from when I was there. Pretty clear exit signs actually- at least on the first floor you can see these 2 going to the side exit & there was another near the door

 

[branmuffin]

Just looked back on my photos from when I was there. Pretty clear exit signs actually- at least on the first floor you can see these 2 going to the side exit & there was another near the door

I'm glad you found them. I was checking out lots of pics, mostly commercial shots and didn't see any. Is there any way to get off the two roof top patios without going back into the bar and down the stairs?

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Aaron Rummage, Director of Legislation, Policy and Communications at the Tennessee Alcohol and Beverage Commission told The Star in a statement Thursday there is an investigation into the bar to see if there were any violations, such as overserving the college student.

“There are no specific rules or statutes that governs escorting out intoxicated patrons from their businesses or providing assistance in getting someone home. However, state law prohibits serving alcoholic beverages to someone who is visibly intoxicated. A violation is a class A misdemeanor,” Rummage said in the statement.

Another friend of Strain’s, who was there in Nashville, called police at 1:46 p.m. Saturday from outside the Nashville Central Police Precinct trying to file a missing person’s report, explaining they were in town for a fraternity formal when Strain went missing.

“We’re here on a fraternity formal trip. It’s one of my good buddies,” the caller said.

Missing Mizzou student Riley Strain seen in homeless camp after leaving Nashville bar

22-year-old Riley Strain of Springfield, a Mizzou senior, was last seen leaving Luke Bryan’s bar in Nashville Friday night, but hasn’t been heard from since.

www.aol.com

 

[Hansen]

Regardless of why Luke's 32 Bridge made him leave and if they were right or wrong, they could've waited until his friends paid their tabs before making him leave (apparently they were in progress of doing that when he was asked to leave)

Who's decision was it to make him leave that second? Why didn't the bar or his friends help him get a ride share? How long did his friends look for him that night? Where did they look? When exactly was the last verbal communication or text to him?

 

[SamDaClam]

SBM

I'm sorry, but this literally happens daily across the globe. It's certainly unfortunate, but your statement is grossly inaccurate.

Yeah, but in most of those cases the person is too bombed to run or to even walk. Even if he was very unsteady, he seemed to go quite a ways. He still had ‘some’ motor skills left, and should had enough wits about him left to reassess his predicament. That is why drunks were “rolled” so often, because they literally could not move.

 

[Hanoi2009]

I hate how many threads we have here on WS of young men, drinking in a bar, "disappearing", and being found in a river. It is sad. I wish we could help them understand the dangers of leaving a bar drunk and alone. The young believe they are invincible, but we have found that they are not.

Ugh- YES! I have two sons- 13 and 11. I am so worried about all of these things as they get older. As I said, I live in Chicago, and we have these cases more regularly than I’d ever want, and they really hit home for me. How do we help them understand and make better choices? I also think luck plays into it somehow??? When I think about the nights in my life when I drank too much or was too vulnerable on an isolated walk home across campus or downtown, it makes me shiver. There but for the grace of God go I. Hoping beyond hope for a good outcome for Riley and his family.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

Maybe the bars need to ask the entire group to pay and leave, walk the person out the the sidewalk, and calmly repeat to the person they are kicking out, "I need you to stay here and wait for your friend(s). You all have to leave together..." and hopefully watch them go with at least one friend. Maybe not everyone would stay and wait for a friend, but at least the security tries.

 

[PommyMommy]

MAR 14, 2024

Missing Mizzou student spotted by homeless in downtown Nashville

Several family members assisting in the search discovered that Riley was seen by homeless people the night he disappeared.

www.wsmv.com

WSMV4′s Sharon Danquah spoke with a man who works as a bouncer at a different bar who was helping in the search. He said he was approached by a homeless who saw Riley fall into some bushes, get back up, and then disappear that night.

Chris Dingman, a close friend of the family, also said several members of the family told him a homeless person acknowledged seeing Strain in the area.

“Basically, the areas where his phone quit pinging. We now do have visual confirmation from two homeless camps that Riley was in that area,” Dingman said.

 

[PommyMommy]

MAR 15, 2024

Crews search Nashville river, area near homeless camp for missing student Riley Strain

Strain, in Nashville for a fraternity event, walked out of a Broadway bar Friday night and disappeared a short time later.

fox28savannah.com

Thursday crews searched both by boat and on foot near a homeless encampment where Strain was last known to have been seen.

... However, his last-known location was between the bridges off James Robertson Parkway and Woodland Street.

Describing it as an emotional rollercoaster, Whiteid said his stepson was last seen near a homeless encampment.

On Thursday, MNPD’s Urban Search and Rescue repelled down the embankment near the Woodland Street bridge and scoured the shoreline of the Cumberland River, with members of the community joining in on those efforts.

"For about six hours, we went up and down the river, walked all the banks, went 14 miles downstream, and then came up almost to Rock Harbor," said search volunteer, Garry Hanner.

 

[mst]

Two observations. When I was younger, I went out with my friends to a bar and was drinking. I decided to go home. I did run all the way home and remember that I was finding it physically easier than normal. I wasn't running out of breath and just wanted to get back.

I wonder if the rate of overdrinking in let's say Europe is lower amongst younger people? I grew up in a household where I was exposed to alcohol at a young age and when I turned 21 many moons ago, it was no big deal. Didn't even go out

 

[kwash]

My family and friends drink, as do I, and we are very familiar with bar etiquette and the removal of overly intoxicated patrons. The bar is trying to get the person off their property.

I have witnessed a drunk young woman who had slipped on the dance floor and split her chin open being escorted out a back door and into an alley. I encountered her trying to get back in the front entrance to let her boyfriend know she needed help - they would not allow her in so I helped find him. It was late at night, she was injured and was led to a dark alley and left by herself. It makes no sense to handle something this way. If anything it invites liability.

That said, based on what I’ve read about this case I don’t see anything unusual or egregious in the way Riley and his friends were treated. It is unfortunate that they became separated, but alcohol seems to be the culprit here.

 

[arielilane]

The @MNPDNashville says all of its resources are dedicated to finding 22-year-old missing @Mizzou
student Riley Strain. They've been using boats with sonar, drones and helicopters. The boats have been in the Cumberland River.


I've also been checking daily with @Mizzou for any updates on Mr. Strain, who is from southwest Missouri's Springfield. @MizzouPD is also investigating: anyone with information on Riley's whereabouts should call the MUPD at (573) 882-7201.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1768642613538673064

 

[arielilane]

@AwarenessTCS

PLEASE It only takes one second to share this #missingperson case. The willing and able can make a difference! #RileyStrain, 22, was last seen on 3/8/2024 at approximately 10:00 PM in downtown #Nashville #Tennessee. He was last seen wearing brown square toe boots, blue jeans, and a black and white button up shirt as seen above.

Riley is 6'6", 165 lbs with blonde hair and brown eyes.

Case# 24-0165752Metro Nashville Police Department. 615-862-8600



9:16 AM · Mar 11, 2024

 

[cocomod]

I appreciate @em13 and @branmuffin statements because I feel the same.

I have a son that can drink beer, but if he touches hard liquor he blacks out. I am not a drinker, but I didn’t understand black out until I saw him. He goes from very happy drunk to blackout in seconds. In blackout mode, he is usually extremely paranoid. He does insane things in this mode - he doesn’t act like himself at all. He will run away from anyone trying to help him. He has run down the street and hid in bushes, etc. it takes hours for him to come down from this state. It scares me and once sober scares him enough to say he will never drink liquor again. But, a friend will come along and offer, and sometimes he takes the bait. I hope beyond hope he doesn’t do it again because he literally isn’t the same person and he has ZERO idea of what happened the night before.

I am praying for a miracle, but if Riley was able to sleep it off, IMO we would know where he is by now.

 

[dotr]

Lengthy article detailing cases of drowning in which the 'Smiley Face killer' was a suspected, but also debunked theory.

Why Three Investigators Blame a Rash of Drowning Deaths on a Gang of Killers

Despite little hard evidence, three investigators believe young men aren't accidents, they're the work of the "Smiley Face Killers."

www.rollingstone.com

BY NILE CAPPELLO SEPTEMBER 13, 2019 rbbm
''What do critics of the Smiley Face Murder Theory think is happening instead? Not a gang of killers, but a pattern of college-age white males at high risk for binge-drinking, risky behavior, and accidental drowning. According to a 2015 report by the Center for Disease Control, the two leading causes of death for white males under the age of 44 are accidents and suicide, respectively. A fact sheet by the CDC shows that men ages 18-34 are most likely to binge-drink, that binge-drinking is twice as common among men as it is among women, and that its risks include unintentional injuries. “The cases align with larger patterns we see datawise across the U.S., and not just in college towns,” Arntfield says. A report released in 2010 by police in La Crosse, Wisconsin — considered by some to be a hub of Smiley Face Killers — supported this explanation, noting that between the fall of 2006 and February 2010, police and foot patrol in La Crosse stopped at least 65 intoxicated persons from approaching local rivers late at night. The report went on to detail the cases of 20 near-drowning victims who had survived and whose testimonies pointed to dares, suicide attempts, and, most commonly, accidents. The Center for Homicide Research’s own team found that footwear slip marks are common on the riverbanks of Minneapolis''.

 

[Trebor5591]

I hate how many threads we have here on WS of young men, drinking in a bar, "disappearing", and being found in a river. It is sad. I wish we could help them understand the dangers of leaving a bar drunk and alone. The young believe they are invincible, but we have found that they are not.

My family and friends drink, as do I, and we are very familiar with bar etiquette and the removal of overly intoxicated patrons. The bar is trying to get the person off their property.

I have witnessed a drunk young woman who had slipped on the dance floor and split her chin open being escorted out a back door and into an alley. I encountered her trying to get back in the front entrance to let her boyfriend know she needed help - they would not allow her in so I helped find him. It was late at night, she was injured and was led to a dark alley and left by herself. It makes no sense to handle something this way. If anything it invites liability.

That said, based on what I’ve read about this case I don’t see anything unusual or egregious in the way Riley and his friends were treated. It is unfortunate that they became separated, but alcohol seems to be the culprit here.

I've seen other posts where people advocate laws requiring bars help manage overly drunk people by escorting them to quiet rooms, etc., where they can sober up a bit, find their friends, etc., before "kicking them out". But I think those laws are unrealistic and they don't address the root cause of them problem, which is alcohol itself. Alcohol is a dangerous drug, capable to killing by itself or being a contributing factor to death in other ways: accidents, murders, etc. I really think if legislation wanted to tackle the problem in a meaningful way, legislators might consider banning restaurants and bars from selling alcohol altogether. Alcohol itself should not be banned--the prohibition experiment showed that--but alcohol consumption could be limited to people's own homes, where they don't have to drive afterwards, etc. It would put a lot of bars out of business, but I think business that sell alcohol by the drink are immoral businesses that the world could well live without. JMO

Regarding Riley Strain, I feel his body will be found in the Cumberland River, unfortunately.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

“The last contact with his friends was after he left Luke Bryan’s,” Metro Nashville Police Cold Case Sgt. Bob Nielsen said. “I believe one of them tried to reach out to him. I don’t remember if it was by phone or by test. I think he said he heard, it sounded like he was outside. He could hear a lot of loud noise outside but couldn’t get any more information because he wasn’t able to actually speak to him.”

“Some of the data we are still waiting on,” Nielsen said. “There’s a legal process when you’re getting some of this information, so sometimes it’s multiple steps and a lot of it depends on the company that you’re trying to get that information, whether social media or cell phone company.”

A phone location specialist told WSMV4 that in some of these cases, the company that created the phones or watches can track down more precise locations of the devices before they turned off.

“Right now, we have requested some of that information. We have done emergency pings and are just trying to get that information from them,” Nielsen said.

Police trying to pinpoint missing student’s location by his phone and watch - KTVZ

By Sharon Danquah Click here for updates on this story NASHVILLE, Tennessee (WSMV) — Police are trying to pinpoint the last place Missouri college student Riley Strain was last seen by using his phone and Apple watch. Strain, a University of Missouri student, was visiting Nashville with...

ktvz.com

 

[Trebor5591]

Here is an uncensored video of Riley falling and hitting his head--hard.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1767699951587352654