Found Deceased TN - Riley Strain, 22, missing after leaving bar, Nashville, 8 March 2024 #3

[SMK777]

I agree, so how do you explain the boots coming off? you'd think they would be like suction cups. What if: he tripped cause his pants were down, fell down the hill, dont know the terrain down by the river or where he fell in, but is it possible one of the homeless people tried to help him, grabbed onto his boots to pull him out of the water or drag him away from the edge ? and they came off? perhaps he died before falling into the water.? if I was a homeless person, I dont know if Id admit it( that I was actually helping) who would believe it?
JSM ( above) is a genius I hope they did the tests he mentioned.

That’s a plausible scenario, actually.

 

[ttjo]

That’s a plausible scenario, actually.

not trying to sound like a conspiracy theorist but those boots came off somehow.

 

[Ressler]

Joseph Scott Morgan: "They have not had sufficient amount of time to do all of the testing including toxicology"

Well said!

#RileyStrain Autopsy: The absence of water in his lungs raises questions about whether or not Riley drowned.
@JoScottForensic weighs in on #CrimeStories: https://link.chtbl.com/tliHYpSb

https://twitter.com/x/status/1775240533625245731

This is precisely why I’m questioning this case so much. Not because I find it hard to believe an intoxicated individual could’ve fallen into the river but the fact the police made a statement that suggested he fell into the river. This was said prior to any autopsy being done to my knowledge. JMO

 

[SMK777]

not trying to sound like a conspiracy theorist but those boots came off somehow.

True, and you put into words a kind of hunch I’d had, too. About someone trying to help him, but it didn’t work and they didn’t want to be possibly suspected themselves.

 

[ttjo]

This is precisely why I’m questioning this case so much. Not because I find it hard to believe an intoxicated individual could’ve fallen into the river but the fact the police made a statement that suggested he fell into the river. This was said prior to any autopsy being done to my knowledge. JMO

Certainly was said before all the tests were completed, Not only toxicology but the one he mentioned about algae and water in the inner ear. Starts at about 27 min in, and then at 37 min in he explains the diatom's, the algae that forms in the anti mortem state.

 

[ttjo]

True, and you put into words a kind of hunch I’d had, too. About someone trying to help him, but it didn’t work and they didn’t want to be possibly suspected themselves.

I think so, no matter what, they will be looked at through a nefarious lens. If that one homeless guy was close enough to hear the scuffle he was probably close enough to hear him tumbling through the bushes and tree's. Maybe he was close enough to help. Riley has size 15 feet, I dont think his boots would be of much use to anyone, they'd even be hard to sell. It reminds me of someone I know that had a pawn shop and someone came in and tried to pawn their false teeth (lol)

 

[DeDee]

Joseph Scott Morgan: "They have not had sufficient amount of time to do all of the testing including toxicology"

Well said!

#RileyStrain Autopsy: The absence of water in his lungs raises questions about whether or not Riley drowned.
@JoScottForensic weighs in on #CrimeStories: https://link.chtbl.com/tliHYpSb

https://twitter.com/x/status/1775240533625245731

This well admired Death and Forensic Investigator, JSM, trained in New Orleans where he saw intoxicated people who drowned in the river and canals. The Mississippi River runs parallel to Bourbon Street and is four short blocks over.

I do not like the idea of Riley dry drowning for as an accomplished wave board skier, he knows how to hold one's breath in rushing water. The likelihood of Riley drinking while wave boarding on the lake back home is also possible. Hence, I detect familiar adventure around water.

Mainly because Riley was not seen on the other side of the JR Parkway, I was waiting for the AR to confirm his manner of death as an accident and the cause of death as [dry] drowning. The 688 mile long Cumberland River is so murky in that area the visibility must be quite low. However, the CR is quite breathtaking in many other areas.

A lack of exterior trauma means no one beat Riley before death or there'd be traumatic bruises, broken teeth, etc. Also, if there were no broken bones or if his lungs weren't bruised, then it most likely means Riley was not a jumper from the 50' tall bridge.


Source

 

[LetsSolvIt]

Is it not plausible that he fell in the river and kicked his boots off, then took his jeans off-in an attempt to make it easier to stay above water? Even though he was an excellent swimmer, being drugged or drunk would make swimming more difficult-especially if the current was moderately fast. I just don’t see this being anything other than a terrible accident that could have been avoided, but that is JMO.

And the water was cold. Hypothermia is a potential factor and starts quickly.

 

[JerseyWasHome2]

This well admired Death and Forensic Investigator, JSM, trained in New Orleans where he saw intoxicated people who drowned in the river and canals. The Mississippi River runs parallel to Bourbon Street and is four short blocks over.

I do not like the idea of Riley dry drowning for as an accomplished wave board skier, he knows how to hold one's breath in rushing water. The likelihood of Riley drinking while wave boarding on the lake back home is also possible. Hence, I detect familiar adventure around water.

Mainly because Riley was not seen on the other side of the JR Parkway, I was waiting for the AR to confirm his manner of death as an accident and the cause of death as [dry] drowning. The 688 mile long Cumberland River is so murky in that area the visibility must be quite low. However, the CR is quite breathtaking in many other areas.

A lack of exterior trauma means no one beat Riley before death or there'd be traumatic bruises, broken teeth, etc. Also, if there were no broken bones or if his lungs weren't bruised, then it most likely means Riley was not a jumper from the 50' tall bridge.

View attachment 494473
Source

The last video of him showed he was never on the bridge and didn't jump. He was seen passing underneath the bridge and cameras didn't show him backtracking, or heading away from the water. And given his phone and Apple watch stopped sending signals within a few min of that last sighting confirms he didn't magically get onto the bridge to jump. Everything happened quickly once he got near the area under the bridge, confirmed by witnesses who saw him and "heard a commotion."

 

[skylaker]

"Schultz said much of the Cumberland River is shallow enough to stand in. He estimates the average person can stand in the river anywhere between 10-15 feet from shore. But, watch out, 'it does drop off quickly," he warned."

"typically through the downtown area, the river is narrow, and the river current is the greatest danger. A strong river current alone could cause even a good swimmer difficulty in getting back to the shoreline if they were to fall in" Landrum said.

On March 8, temperatures were as low as 56 degrees, officials said. Landrum pointed out that water temperatures would have been in the 50-degree range, making hypothermia a possibility, especially if someone is unable to get out of the water quickly.

Dangers of the Cumberland River: How water depth, current and temperature impact people

 

[DeDee]

The last video of him showed he was never on the bridge and didn't jump. He was seen passing underneath the bridge and cameras didn't show him backtracking, or heading away from the water. And given his phone and Apple watch stopped sending signals within a few min of that last sighting confirms he didn't magically get onto the bridge to jump. Everything happened quickly once he got near the area under the bridge, confirmed by witnesses who saw him and "heard a commotion."

My apologies if my contribution to the conversation was offensive.

I wrote: "it most likely means Riley was not a jumper." I never wrote that Riley jumped.

I watched Riley's memorial service. I learned of his numerous talents. He enjoyed hunting. I admired the lovely pheasant on display. He kept an ice cooler filled with water bottles in the trunk of his car. Riley loved to play tennis. Considering his height and agility, he'd be a formidable player on the court. He learned to cook a steak properly. Riley learned how to buy and sell stocks. He won a volunteer award for community service. He loved his family and texted his mother daily. #GreenLooksGoodOnYou

My DD asked over the weekend what wonderful thing I wanted for Mother's Day. I replied, "That's easy. I want to have dinner with you."

"MW, Strain's mother, also expressed gratefulness for those who helped locate her son. "I just ask that you mommas out there hug your babies tight tonight, please," she added. "Please, for me."

 

[acutename]

not trying to sound like a conspiracy theorist but those boots came off somehow.

I think, IMO, if your pants were being pulled down by the current, they could pull against your boots and it all might come off or be caught on rocks or branches .... IMO (and no I do not want to try this out to see if it happens but I am sure the experts have modeled such things)

 

[ttjo]

I think, IMO, if your pants were being pulled down by the current, they could pull against your boots and it all might come off or be caught on rocks or branches .... IMO (and no I do not want to try this out to see if it happens but I am sure the experts have modeled such things)

I know, I wonder if he had a belt on tho? Either he wasn't wearing one or he had his belt undone. Joseph Scott Morgan says shoes can come off ( in his interview with Nancy Grave) but pants coming off he had a problem with. Must be an awfully strong current in that river.

 

[SMK777]

​

So it would seem for now, that Riley’s family still struggles with the idea of his drowning, and still believes that there are “persons of interest”. ​

​

I wonder if law enforcement will be able to persuade them that certain factors can be explained and considered to fit in with an accidental drowning? ​

From the comments below this article one can see how tenacious the alternative theory of foul play is.

​

Riley Strain’s missing belt could be key to solving mysterious death: family friend​

Riley Strain was wearing a belt the night he vanished and loved ones believe the missing article of clothing “raises more questions” about the college student’s mysterious death.

“Everybody we’ve talked to about that as soon as we found out he had a belt on that night was like, ‘Wow, that totally changes the dynamics of why those articles are missing,'” family friend Chris Dingman said Tuesday on NewsNations’ “Elizabeth Vargas Reports.”

Strain, 22, was pulled from the Cumberland River wearing only his shirt and watch on March 22, two weeks after he was thrown out of country star Luke Bryan’s honky tonk bar.

His cowboy boots, pants and wallet were all missing and have yet to be recovered nearly a month after investigators said he drowned.

The University of Missouri student had been wearing his favorite belt that night, which Dingman claimed should have prevented his pants from being ripped off from a fall into the water or by a strong current.

“Riley had a swimmer’s body … With the belt being on his hips, that would have been even more hard for the pants to come off in the water. It literally would have been snug to him, it would have been riding on his hips,” Dingman said.

“The belt is a big piece of the puzzle that we now have and once again raises more questions.”

The grieving friend also claimed that investigators are eyeing several persons of interest in the case — despite their preliminary autopsy report indicating that Strain died of “accidental” causes.

Strain’s family has struggled to accept that the college student may have drowned, with Dingman pointing out that “he was actually an excellent swimmer.”

The family ordered a second, private autopsy to dig deeper into the case after Metro Nashville investigators ruled Strain suffered no obvious signs of trauma.

Digman had previously suggested that homeless people living in a nearby encampment might hold the answers to the family’s burning questions.

One local homeless man allegedly saw a “very, very intoxicated” Strain almost fall over the edge of a trail into the river.

Strain was found with no water in his lungs, as is typical with drowning victims.

Strain wandered the streets of Nashville alone March 8 when he was kicked out of Luke’s 32 Bridge Food + Drink in Nashville on March 8.

He told his University of Missouri fraternity brothers that he was going back to his hotel room, but surveillance footage showed him making a wrong turn toward the river, with his cell phone last pinging a mile from the bar.

Strain was also spotted that night by a police officer near the river, according to body camera footage.

Riley Strain’s missing belt could be key to solving mysterious death: family friend

“The belt is a big piece of the puzzle that we now have and once again raises more questions.”

nypost.com

 

[Vail]

I agree, so how do you explain the boots coming off? you'd think they would be like suction cups. What if: he tripped cause his pants were down, fell down the hill, dont know the terrain down by the river or where he fell in, but is it possible one of the homeless people tried to help him, grabbed onto his boots to pull him out of the water or drag him away from the edge ? and they came off? perhaps he died before falling into the water.? if I was a homeless person, I dont know if Id admit it( that I was actually helping) who would believe it?
JSM ( above) is a genius I hope they did the tests he mentioned.

If another person is involved, it is more likely Riley was mugged for his wallet, pants and boots, then pushed into the river.

 

[SMK777]

If another person is involved, it is more likely Riley was mugged for his wallet, pants and boots, then pushed into the river.

The problem with this theory is that there was never any activity found on his cards, and it was unlikely that he would have cash on him. Also, why was his Apple watch not taken as well?

 

[Sustained]

Dangers of the Cumberland River: How water depth, current and temperature impact people

Combine all that with the fact the river level was 7' higher on March 8th than when the ladies found his CC, Riley was highly intoxicated and fully clothed and you have an unfortunate accident.

 

[Megnut]

​

So it would seem for now, that Riley’s family still struggles with the idea of his drowning, and still believes that there are “persons of interest”. ​

​

I wonder if law enforcement will be able to persuade them that certain factors can be explained and considered to fit in with an accidental drowning? ​

From the comments below this article one can see how tenacious the alternative theory of foul play is.

​

Riley Strain’s missing belt could be key to solving mysterious death: family friend​

Riley Strain was wearing a belt the night he vanished and loved ones believe the missing article of clothing “raises more questions” about the college student’s mysterious death.

“Everybody we’ve talked to about that as soon as we found out he had a belt on that night was like, ‘Wow, that totally changes the dynamics of why those articles are missing,'” family friend Chris Dingman said Tuesday on NewsNations’ “Elizabeth Vargas Reports.”

Strain, 22, was pulled from the Cumberland River wearing only his shirt and watch on March 22, two weeks after he was thrown out of country star Luke Bryan’s honky tonk bar.

His cowboy boots, pants and wallet were all missing and have yet to be recovered nearly a month after investigators said he drowned.

The University of Missouri student had been wearing his favorite belt that night, which Dingman claimed should have prevented his pants from being ripped off from a fall into the water or by a strong current.

“Riley had a swimmer’s body … With the belt being on his hips, that would have been even more hard for the pants to come off in the water. It literally would have been snug to him, it would have been riding on his hips,” Dingman said.

“The belt is a big piece of the puzzle that we now have and once again raises more questions.”

The grieving friend also claimed that investigators are eyeing several persons of interest in the case — despite their preliminary autopsy report indicating that Strain died of “accidental” causes.

Strain’s family has struggled to accept that the college student may have drowned, with Dingman pointing out that “he was actually an excellent swimmer.”

The family ordered a second, private autopsy to dig deeper into the case after Metro Nashville investigators ruled Strain suffered no obvious signs of trauma.

Digman had previously suggested that homeless people living in a nearby encampment might hold the answers to the family’s burning questions.

One local homeless man allegedly saw a “very, very intoxicated” Strain almost fall over the edge of a trail into the river.

Strain was found with no water in his lungs, as is typical with drowning victims.

Strain wandered the streets of Nashville alone March 8 when he was kicked out of Luke’s 32 Bridge Food + Drink in Nashville on March 8.

He told his University of Missouri fraternity brothers that he was going back to his hotel room, but surveillance footage showed him making a wrong turn toward the river, with his cell phone last pinging a mile from the bar.

Strain was also spotted that night by a police officer near the river, according to body camera footage.
View attachment 494599
View attachment 494600

Riley Strain’s missing belt could be key to solving mysterious death: family friend

“The belt is a big piece of the puzzle that we now have and once again raises more questions.”

nypost.com

This sounds like one person, close to the family, who may be speaking loudly but not necessarily of one voice. My heart goes out to him too. IMHO that is grief speaking. It's hard to reconcile, especially when there are unanswered questions. But there are always unanswered questions, there will always be unanswered questions.

it was an unaccompanied death. An unaccompanied drowning.

Excellent swimmers drown. Tragic but true. There are forces greater than skill. Darkness, impairment, impact, shock, current.

Not everybody moves through grief the same way. It might take some folks longer than others to let go of disbelief, to accept that accidents happen, and while one party or another may have played a sliver or slice of a role, there's really no gain from grief in laying blame....

Over time, grief gives way to grace -- it doesn't go away, it becomes, at best, something we learn better how to carry...

And in time, ever the unanswered questions lose their sting...

And acceptance brings a balm.

Riley had a beautiful life, cut so unfairly short, having made decisions that thousands of young people make without consequence, but a beautiful life all the same.

His 22 years stand apart from his last 22 minutes.

Peace to those who are broken by his absence.

JMO

 

[SMK777]

This sounds like one person, close to the family, who may be speaking loudly but not necessarily of one voice. My heart goes out to him too. IMHO that is grief speaking. It's hard to reconcile, especially when there are unanswered questions. But there are always unanswered questions, there will always be unanswered questions.

it was an unaccompanied death. An unaccompanied drowning.

Excellent swimmers drown. Tragic but true. There are forces greater than skill. Darkness, impairment, impact, shock, current.

Not everybody moves through grief the same way. It might take some folks longer than others to let go of disbelief, to accept that accidents happen, and while one party or another may have played a sliver or slice of a role, there's really no gain from grief in laying blame....

Over time, grief gives way to grace -- it doesn't go away, it becomes, at best, something we learn better how to carry...

And in time, ever the unanswered questions lose their sting...

And acceptance brings a balm.

Riley had a beautiful life, cut so unfairly short, having made decisions that thousands of young people make without consequence, but a beautiful life all the same.

His 22 years stand apart from his last 22 minutes.

Peace to those who are broken by his absence.

JMO

Very well spoken.

 

[ErinC]

I think many people just underestimate how strong currents can get. Years ago, I was in a situation where I had no choice but to drive through water to get to safety. (NEVER EVER DO THAT unless it is life and death) I made it successfully, and when I stopped at the first gas station past the floodwaters, I got out and discovered that the current had wrapped my front license plate around the bumper so that it was completely bent in a C shape. Just from MAYBE ten feet of 3-4" deep water. Honestly, I have no problem believing that a current that could do that, could rip off a belt, jeans or boots.