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New audio has revealed the frantic 911 call the friends of University of Missouri student Riley Strain made as they called police to report him missing, nearly 16 hours after he was seen on surveillance video walking alone in downtown Nashville.
For more than a week, investigators have searched for Mr Strain, who vanished on 8 March.
The 22-year-old, who had been partying with his fraternity brothers in Nashville, was kicked out of a bar and became separated from his friends.
His friends said they tried to call him repeatedly on Friday night and on Saturday morning, but the calls kept going to voicemail.
They said they first went to Central Precinct on Korean Veterans Boulevard to report him missing, but when they couldn’t get into the lobby, they called 911.
The audio that KSHB obtained from Metropolitan Nashville Police reveals the call was made to police around 1.46pm on Saturday 9 March.
With each question the 911 operator asked, Mr Strain’s friend Brayden Baltz, appeared to become more panicked.
The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department released video footage last week, showing Mr Strain wearing a two-tone shirt, crossing First Avenue North to Gay Street near the Cumberland River at around 9.45pm on Friday. That spot is just over half a mile from Luke Bryan’s 32 Bridge bar, where his friends last saw him.
In the videos, Mr Strain appears to be stumbling.
Although officials with the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission confirmed they are investigating whether the college senior had been overserved, the bar owners later said he was only served one alcoholic drink and two waters before he was kicked out, telling his friends he would return to his hotel. However, he never made it back.
Police have found no evidence of foul play in Mr Strain’s disappearance. Ground and air search efforts are ongoing.
A police helicopter searched the immediate area around downtown Nashville, including the river bank. Investigators using boats on the Cumberland River have found no trace of Mr Strain.
Mr Strain’s parents have joined his friends and police in Nashville to search for the young man.
“This is definitely the worst nightmare,” Mr Strain’s stepfather, Chris Whiteild, told News 2. “For him to go this long without talking is not normal by any means.”
On 17 March, after days with little updates, his bank card was found near the river.
FAQs
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — “My company works on the river. I have just found a dead body—I believe it to be Riley.” That's how a worker called in the discovery of Riley Strain's body along the Cumberland River on the morning of Friday, March 22.
Have they found Riley Strains' phone? ›
10:15 p.m. — Whiteid pings Strain's phone. It shows it is located in the opposite direction of the hotel near James Robertson Parkway and Gay Street. Detectives claim the last phone conversation Strain had was with one of his friends was also around this time.
Why is Riley's strain missing? ›
Investigators have found the body of Riley Strain, a 22-year-old University of Missouri student who disappeared on March 8 after drinking with his fraternity brothers in the city's downtown. Throughout the investigation, Metro Nashville Police Department released several videos that show Strain walking alone.
Is there an update on Riley Strain? ›
While toxicology results are pending, the autopsy performed March 23 found no evidence of foul play-related trauma, a police spokesperson told E! News, and Riley's death "continues to appear accidental." Still, the term "accidental" is a manner of death, not an explanation as to how Riley ended up in the river.
Has Riley Strain's body been found? ›
Strain's body was found on Friday, March 22, eight miles downriver from where he was last seen, and still had on the black and white shirt he was wearing when he went missing on March 8 after getting kicked out of Luke's 32 Bridge in downtown Nashville, police said.
Did they ever find Riley? ›
No foul play suspected after college student Riley Strain's body is found in a Nashville river, police say. The body of a University of Missouri student who went missing after leaving a downtown Nashville bar two weeks ago was found Friday in the Cumberland River, police said. There were no signs of foul play.
Where did Riley Strain hit his head? ›
Surveillance video from the night he disappeared shows him running, crashing into a pole off and hitting his head in a Church Street parking lot. Bodycam video from Metro Police also shows a brief encounter with an officer on Gay Street the night he disappeared.
Why is Riley Strain a big deal? ›
Strain, a University of Missouri student, went missing on March 8 after traveling to Nashville for a "private event." Family members reported Strain had gone out with fraternity members that night but was separated and hadn't been seen since.
Why was Riley Strain asked to leave? ›
While Dingman didn't go into further detail, he affirmed that Strain "was asked to leave not because of a fight, or any type of altercation." In their own statement, the bar said they asked Strain to leave "based on our conduct standards." They also claimed to only serve Strain one alcoholic drink and two waters.
Is Riley still missing? ›
Riley Strain was found dead two weeks after he disappeared. The University of Missouri student went missing after he was asked to leave Luke Bryan's bar in Nashville on March 8. The 22-year-old was last seen by his friends at Luke's 32 Bridge Food + Drink, according to the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department.
TIMELINE: The disappearance of Missouri student Riley Strain
After an exhaustive search by authorities and volunteers, Riley's body was recovered today in Nashville, Tenn., where he had traveled to attend his fraternity's spring formal event.
Why didn't Riley Strain's friends leave the bar with him? ›
“No members of Riley's party were required to stay inside the venue to close any open tabs, and no one from Luke's 32 Bridge team prevented anyone from Riley's party from leaving the venue with him,” said TC Restaurant Group in an email to Investigative Reporter Lauren Barnas.
What's the strongest strain right now? ›
- Most Potent Strain Overall: Godfather OG.
- Relaxing and Euphoric Highs: Gorilla Glue #4.
- Potential Pain Relief: Cake Bomb.
- Powerful Energizing Effects: Bruce Banner.
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'No sign he was the victim of a crime': Riley Strain autopsy indicates accidental drowning. It's been more than two months since Riley Strain disappeared in downtown Nashville and his body was pulled from the river two weeks later. Details from the autopsy indicate accidental drowning. NASHVILLE, Tenn.
Did Riley strain have a girlfriend? ›
(NewsNation) — Missing Mizzou student Riley Strain's last communication was an unclear text message he sent to a new girl he was seeing.
When did Riley Strains' friends call 911? ›
The audio that KSHB obtained from Metropolitan Nashville Police reveals the call was made to police around 1.46pm on Saturday 9 March. With each question the 911 operator asked, Mr Strain's friend Brayden Baltz, appeared to become more panicked.
Why was Riley strain kicked out of bar? ›
In a statement from last month, TC Restaurant Group, which owns and operates Luke's 32 Bridge, said records show Strain purchased and was served one alcoholic drink and two waters before he was kicked out of the bar. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc.
What were the results of the autopsy for Riley strain? ›
NewsChannel 5 has learned toxicology is now back and to go with the completed autopsy all indications are what happened was an accidental death and drowning. No evidence of trauma or that Strain had been drugged and no sign he the was victim of a crime.
