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

[SMK777]

MU and Delta Chi offer support after police find Riley Strain’s body​

April 3, 2024​

After a two week search, officials have located and recovered MU senior Riley Strain’s body from the Cumberland River in Nashville, Tennessee. During a press conference on March 22, John Drake, Metro Nashville Police Department Chief, announced that a worker of a company near the river made the initial discovery and reported it to the authorities.

“I want to say to the family my heart and prayers go out to you all for this very unfortunate and tragic incident,” Drake said during the press conference.

Drake added that Strain was found wearing the same shirt and watch as the night he disappeared, and that there was no evidence of foul play. He also gave thanks for the near 200 tips that the Metro Nashville Police Department received during the investigation.

MU President Mun Choi sent a mass email informing the campus community of the police department’s discovery and offering support through the MU Counseling Center and Employee Assistance Program.

“As the Mizzou community mourns Riley, we are keeping his family in our thoughts and offering support,” Choi wrote in the email.

The international level of Strain’s fraternity, Delta Chi, posted a press release on Instagram and their website saying that they were deeply saddened by Strain’s passing. They also stated that they will be providing their members with 24/7 access to resources and professional support as they navigate the loss.

“We ask for respect and privacy for Riley’s family and our Fraternity brothers during this incredibly difficult time,” Delta Chi wrote in the press release.

MU and Delta Chi offer support after police find Riley Strain’s body

After a two week search, officials have located and recovered MU senior Riley Strain’s body from the Cumberland River in Nashville, Tennessee.

themaneater.com

 

[waldojabba]

So only 12 dry drownings out of 4000 cases, and they had sustained a blow to the head? I don’t blame the family for having questions.

I don't blame the family for having questions either - I support them in trying to find their answers. Why not let it play out - no harm in questions and investigating. Sure chances are its just an unfortunate accident but they owe it to Riley and themselves to look a little further in to it if they are not comfortable yet in moving on. As my young nephew used to say, constantly.... 'never know. Just IMO

 

[SMK777]

I don't blame the family for having questions either - I support them in trying to find their answers. Why not let it play out - no harm in questions and investigating. Sure chances are its just an unfortunate accident but they owe it to Riley and themselves to look a little further in to it if they are not comfortable yet in moving on. As my young nephew used to say, constantly.... 'never know. Just IMO

I agree. Although as you state it’s probable that this was simply an unfortunate drowning accident due to intoxication, there’s no harm in some extra investigation to put the family’s mind at rest. They will never forgive themselves or have full closure unless they know they left no stone unturned. MOO

 

[Ann-Tx]

Source:

KY3 (NBC) - Springfield, MO
Published: Apr. 5, 2024 at 6:40 PM CDT

Video/article

“It’s not over.” Riley Strain’s family says they are still searching for answers on what happened to him in Nashville​

“It’s not over.” Riley Strain’s family says they are still searching for answers on what happened to him in Nashville

It’s been two weeks since the body of Springfield native Riley Strain was found in a river in Nashville, and now his parents are still searching for answers.

www.ky3.com

 

[MassGuy]

This is sad.

(NewsNation) — Two weeks since searchers found the body of Riley Strain in the Cumberland River near Nashville, his family is still looking for answers — and for some people to step up.

“We haven’t really heard much from them,” Riley’s father, Ryan Gilbert, says of his son’s fraternity brothers. “There’s a lot of things we’d like to find out from them.”

The University of Missouri student was in Nashville to party with fraternity brothers, but left them when he was ejected from a bar.

Riley Strain’s family says belt should have secured pants
“If I was in their situation, I’d be beating down those parents’ doors to tell them everything I could and be helpful in any way that I could,” Gilbert said.

That shocks private investigator Steve Fischer, who’s been working with the family.

“This family needs peace of mind … to know if this is an accident or if something else happened. I would think everybody would be coming forward.”

Riley Strain’s family waiting for tests, video, fraternity brothers

As Riley Strain’s family waits for test results, they also want to hear from fraternity brothers.

www.newsnationnow.com

 

[NCWatcher]

This is sad.

(NewsNation) — Two weeks since searchers found the body of Riley Strain in the Cumberland River near Nashville, his family is still looking for answers — and for some people to step up.

“We haven’t really heard much from them,” Riley’s father, Ryan Gilbert, says of his son’s fraternity brothers. “There’s a lot of things we’d like to find out from them.”

The University of Missouri student was in Nashville to party with fraternity brothers, but left them when he was ejected from a bar.

Riley Strain’s family says belt should have secured pants
“If I was in their situation, I’d be beating down those parents’ doors to tell them everything I could and be helpful in any way that I could,” Gilbert said.

That shocks private investigator Steve Fischer, who’s been working with the family.

“This family needs peace of mind … to know if this is an accident or if something else happened. I would think everybody would be coming forward.”

Riley Strain’s family waiting for tests, video, fraternity brothers

As Riley Strain’s family waits for test results, they also want to hear from fraternity brothers.

www.newsnationnow.com

It is sad. And up until I saw the above post, I agreed with the multiple posts saying the way the family was going about questioning Riley's death was fine and probably necessary for them to work through their grief. And it still may be fine. (I've learned to take most reports from NewsNation with a grain of salt! And I'm not sure Steve Fischer always speaks for the entire family.)

In some other high-profile cases that are currently being discussed on WS or have been discussed in the past, the actions of grieving families aren't so innocuous IMO. For example, in the Kohberger case (brutal murder of 4 university students at an off-campus house) some of the dead students' families have been very vocal in sharing their view LE was incompetent during the investigation even though the arrest of a likely perp was made less than two months after the crime. And the families seem to think Kohberger probably did it so I'm not sure what's driving continued public comments disparaging the entire legal process. However, some family members may still sue LE and the town, as well as two different universities. See, for example,
Idaho college murders: 2 slain students' families reserve right to sue Moscow, documents say

Or in the case of three 30-something Kansas City Chiefs fans found dead in a backyard with fentanyl in their systems after a party, some family members have accused a 4th man (by name) of "murder," opinions have been expressed that the men weren't "drug addicts" and so they wouldn't have taken drugs willingly (as if only addicts take drugs), and one family member has publicly said the 4th man likely drugged the 3 men and then dragged them outside to die in the cold. Mentions have been made of hiring private investigators but that's been mentioned in an entirely different way than in Riley's case. See, for example,
Cousin of Chiefs fan found frozen to death in pal’s yard claims homeowner Jordan Willis was dubbed ‘the chemist,’ may have ‘f–ked up’ drugs

And in the Gabby Petito murder case, people have wildly differing ideas about the moral acceptability of some actions her grieving parents have taken. I won't say more because I think discussion of the case is no longer allowed on WS. But it's very different than Riley's case.

IF accusations start to fly blaming others for Riley's death in the absence of any evidence to support that view, while I'll still feel sympathy for the family's loss, I'll definitely change my mind about the family's actions. Failure to prevent a normal competent adult from making decisions that eventually lead to a fatal accident hardly means others are responsible for the adult's death.

Based on things said when Riley was still missing as well as when he was first found, I definitely got the impression the family HAD talked to the fraternity brothers, at least Riley's mother had. I also got the impression the brothers HAD talked to LE. The above post seems to say at least some family members (e.g., Riley's father) may feel they need more. But the other men were drinking that night too. Honestly, they may not HAVE any more useful information to give to the family. Also the men may not know what to say about Riley's death. They ARE young and they may not have ever experienced the death of a peer. And even people much older sometimes avoid speaking to bereaved family members for fear of saying something "wrong." Finally, it may hurt for the family to know the other young men are back at school, and some are preparing to graduate next month as Riley should have been doing. It may seem the world should have stopped when their loved one died, but it keeps spinning away.
MOO

 

[SMK777]

This is sad.

(NewsNation) — Two weeks since searchers found the body of Riley Strain in the Cumberland River near Nashville, his family is still looking for answers — and for some people to step up.

“We haven’t really heard much from them,” Riley’s father, Ryan Gilbert, says of his son’s fraternity brothers. “There’s a lot of things we’d like to find out from them.”

The University of Missouri student was in Nashville to party with fraternity brothers, but left them when he was ejected from a bar.

Riley Strain’s family says belt should have secured pants
“If I was in their situation, I’d be beating down those parents’ doors to tell them everything I could and be helpful in any way that I could,” Gilbert said.

That shocks private investigator Steve Fischer, who’s been working with the family.

“This family needs peace of mind … to know if this is an accident or if something else happened. I would think everybody would be coming forward.”

Riley Strain’s family waiting for tests, video, fraternity brothers

As Riley Strain’s family waits for test results, they also want to hear from fraternity brothers.

www.newsnationnow.com

I think it’s very hard for them to accept the simple accident scenario, because it’s a part of the grieving process to feel doubt and anger. Even though all indications point to drowning from intoxication, it might be worth it to investigate further to give them closure and to help them feel they’ve left no stone unturned for Riley?

 

[moonrise]

I can totally understand the family's feelings about wanting to know every little detail about what happened.

Hubby and I lost our lifelong best friend in a car wreck a little over 2 years ago. He hit a patch of black ice, spun out, hit a culvert, was thrown across the vehicle (no seatbelt), and partially ejected through the windshield. Even though it was an obvious accident, I still had so many questions about EXACTLY what happened. In my mind, there had to be a reason he hit the ice. Could he have swerved to miss another vehicle or an animal? Did someone run him off the road? Had he dozed off? Worst of all, there were discrepancies in the time the accident happened. It could have been as long as 12 hours before he was found. That sent me into an awful spiral of worrying how long he'd laid there in the cold, partially ejected through the windshield, suffering. I needed answers to those questions before I could even begin to process that he was gone. It took a long time for me to finally accept that I'd never have all of those answers, but at least I got the answer to my biggest worry: he'd passed away instantly due to a broken neck, and thankfully hadn't suffered.

Anyway, I completely understand Riley's family for needing answers. I hope they find all of those answers. If not, I hope they can eventually come to peace with any questions that just aren't answerable. <3

 

[SMK777]

I can totally understand the family's feelings about wanting to know every little detail about what happened.

Hubby and I lost our lifelong best friend in a car wreck a little over 2 years ago. He hit a patch of black ice, spun out, hit a culvert, was thrown across the vehicle (no seatbelt), and partially ejected through the windshield. Even though it was an obvious accident, I still had so many questions about EXACTLY what happened. In my mind, there had to be a reason he hit the ice. Could he have swerved to miss another vehicle or an animal? Did someone run him off the road? Had he dozed off? Worst of all, there were discrepancies in the time the accident happened. It could have been as long as 12 hours before he was found. That sent me into an awful spiral of worrying how long he'd laid there in the cold, partially ejected through the windshield, suffering. I needed answers to those questions before I could even begin to process that he was gone. It took a long time for me to finally accept that I'd never have all of those answers, but at least I got the answer to my biggest worry: he'd passed away instantly due to a broken neck, and thankfully hadn't suffered.

Anyway, I completely understand Riley's family for needing answers. I hope they find all of those answers. If not, I hope they can eventually come to peace with any questions that just aren't answerable. <3

Thank you for sharing your own painful experience. The grieving process includes denial, anger, blame, wanting to know every detail and have every question answered. It’s part of the terrible struggle and process of letting go of a loved one.

 

[Sundog]

The fraternity brothers may have been spoken to Riley's family early on but now have been advised by their families and/or attorneys not to do so. They are also trying to come to terms with the loss of Riley and everything that happened that night. Perhaps the attorneys and families fear civil lawsuits and just want them to concentrate on their studies and graduate next month while dealing with their grief and confusion.

I also don't know if all of Riley's family members feel the same way about the frat brothers at this point in time. Riley's mother, stepfather and biological father and stepmother may be at different places in the grieving process even though working together to find out more details of what happened to Riley that night.

 

[ttjo]

I can totally understand the family's feelings about wanting to know every little detail about what happened.

I'm sorry for your loss.

 

[ttjo]

many times people get confusing info and so the default is to blame the investigation or perceive a lack thereof. For Riley, you can't really blame people for wondering how his pants came off if they were belted so I completely understand their search for understanding.
Social media has focused on how this is not possible so there must be foul play, instead of searching out how it is possible. I don't know if it is or isn't but it seems like when THE PUBLIC ( not the family) need's understanding they equate it with a lack of investigation.
As for his friends, you have to see through their eyes. College kids on a frat trip. They're all drinking, and judgments are not at 100% I don't know what happened if they went back in to pay a tab ( so many different stories) but I don't believe any of them didn't care about their friend. They likely didn't think this was a possibility, to point fingers at what they should have done is putting the accountability/ responsibility on them. I don't know if that's fair.
it's that extra info that makes people question things, like calling the home owner the chemist in the Kansas city case .
The same thing happened to me, someone gave me information that was not accurate nor did it make sense and it caused me to stress out for an entire year ( question everything I knew to be true) over death until I got an autopsy report and tox back that read zero. ( whew relief) People have fast mouths, and are quick to judge or want to be " in the know" idk what they want but its this type of stuff that makes people question everything. STOP. words are literally like weapons.
As for the laundries actions, values are non-negotiable to most people so whether people like it or not... judging does nothing but more harm and it won't change anything anyway.
I always wonder why some people get so invested in things that have no impact on their own lives or give a spin on something that will hugely impact another's life.
Social media likes to get things twisted,( allegedly lol) they can be quick to blame when the reality is sometimes they are (their words ) the ones holding the match.
PS Im not talking about anyone here, in fact this fact based forum is why I came . .

 

[arielilane]

@burtstaggsnews

It tells me that the fraternity expects a lawsuit. In exchange for representation, they have instructed them not make statements. An "I'm sorry" can be construed as an admission of guilt. This gives credence to the report that they were drinking heavy in Route to Nville & hotel

https://twitter.com/x/status/1776413841582076153

 

[tezi]

I understand Riley's family wanting answers to their questions. Some questions, however, are just never answered. I hope they find the answers they are seeking. Most of all I wish them peace and healing.

 

[SMK777]

I understand Riley's family wanting answers to their questions. Some questions, however, are just never answered. I hope they find the answers they are seeking. Most of all I wish them peace and healing.

I guess they’re probably feeling at this point, “Why him? And none of the others?” That’s a feeling with any accident, why did this have to happen?

Even if it could be proven or admitted that heavy drinking occurred among the fraternity members earlier before the bars, it was true of many if not most of them, I’m sure. It’s not unusual and it just seems a terrible stroke of misfortune that Riley’s night had to go the way it did, with such a horrible ending. I would hate to be in his mother’s shoes now; it’s the worst pain a parent can endure.

 

[rescuemom]

@burtstaggsnews

It tells me that the fraternity expects a lawsuit. In exchange for representation, they have instructed them not make statements. An "I'm sorry" can be construed as an admission of guilt. This gives credence to the report that they were drinking heavy in Route to Nville & hotel

https://twitter.com/x/status/1776413841582076153

If the fraternity was assured the family would not take legal action against them, then maybe they would talk. If these guys were as close as the mother says they were, they would talk. Their son was an adult. I can certainly understand both sides of this sad situation.

 

[MassGuy]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1777850854072111554

 

[branmuffin]

It is sad. And up until I saw the above post, I agreed with the multiple posts saying the way the family was going about questioning Riley's death was fine and probably necessary for them to work through their grief. And it still may be fine. (I've learned to take most reports from NewsNation with a grain of salt! And I'm not sure Steve Fischer always speaks for the entire family.)

In some other high-profile cases that are currently being discussed on WS or have been discussed in the past, the actions of grieving families aren't so innocuous IMO. For example, in the Kohberger case (brutal murder of 4 university students at an off-campus house) some of the dead students' families have been very vocal in sharing their view LE was incompetent during the investigation even though the arrest of a likely perp was made less than two months after the crime. And the families seem to think Kohberger probably did it so I'm not sure what's driving continued public comments disparaging the entire legal process. However, some family members may still sue LE and the town, as well as two different universities. See, for example,
Idaho college murders: 2 slain students' families reserve right to sue Moscow, documents say

Or in the case of three 30-something Kansas City Chiefs fans found dead in a backyard with fentanyl in their systems after a party, some family members have accused a 4th man (by name) of "murder," opinions have been expressed that the men weren't "drug addicts" and so they wouldn't have taken drugs willingly (as if only addicts take drugs), and one family member has publicly said the 4th man likely drugged the 3 men and then dragged them outside to die in the cold. Mentions have been made of hiring private investigators but that's been mentioned in an entirely different way than in Riley's case. See, for example,
Cousin of Chiefs fan found frozen to death in pal’s yard claims homeowner Jordan Willis was dubbed ‘the chemist,’ may have ‘f–ked up’ drugs

And in the Gabby Petito murder case, people have wildly differing ideas about the moral acceptability of some actions her grieving parents have taken. I won't say more because I think discussion of the case is no longer allowed on WS. But it's very different than Riley's case.

IF accusations start to fly blaming others for Riley's death in the absence of any evidence to support that view, while I'll still feel sympathy for the family's loss, I'll definitely change my mind about the family's actions. Failure to prevent a normal competent adult from making decisions that eventually lead to a fatal accident hardly means others are responsible for the adult's death.

Based on things said when Riley was still missing as well as when he was first found, I definitely got the impression the family HAD talked to the fraternity brothers, at least Riley's mother had. I also got the impression the brothers HAD talked to LE. The above post seems to say at least some family members (e.g., Riley's father) may feel they need more. But the other men were drinking that night too. Honestly, they may not HAVE any more useful information to give to the family. Also the men may not know what to say about Riley's death. They ARE young and they may not have ever experienced the death of a peer. And even people much older sometimes avoid speaking to bereaved family members for fear of saying something "wrong." Finally, it may hurt for the family to know the other young men are back at school, and some are preparing to graduate next month as Riley should have been doing. It may seem the world should have stopped when their loved one died, but it keeps spinning away.
MOO

Also reminds me of the Jelani Day case where his mom continued to lambast LE because they weren't actively involved in investigating the murder of her son, even though there was no evidence to point them in that direction. There were so many red flags in JD's case that included not taking classes and taking drugs when he knew that he'd be tested as a possible match as a kidney transplant for his father.

 

[TDoc72]

The fraternity brothers may have been spoken to Riley's family early on but now have been advised by their families and/or attorneys not to do so. They are also trying to come to terms with the loss of Riley and everything that happened that night. Perhaps the attorneys and families fear civil lawsuits and just want them to concentrate on their studies and graduate next month while dealing with their grief and confusion.

I also don't know if all of Riley's family members feel the same way about the frat brothers at this point in time. Riley's mother, stepfather and biological father and stepmother may be at different places in the grieving process even though working together to find out more details of what happened to Riley that night.

I understand the family wants answers (that they’ll probably never get) but I don’t even think the frat bros could even tell them about his death. They don’t know anymore than we do. They could only speak to the before time—how much pre-gaming and stuff.

 

[Ressler]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1777850854072111554

Do you still think this was an accidental drowning or you leaning towards something nefarious happened?

Edited for grammar