Following the release of Riley Strain’s official autopsy report, the Metro Nashville Police Department has released a statement.
Riley Strain went missing on March 8 after being kicked out of a Nashville bar.
Strain was a student at the University of Missouri and was in Nashville with his fraternity brothers for their Springs Formal event. They were bar hopping in. Downtown Nashville, but after being served one drink at Luke’s 32 Bridge Food + Drink, he was kicked out for violating conduct standards.
Strain told one of his fraternity brothers that he would return to their hotel but never returned. The next morning, his friends reported him missing, and the search for him began.
Thanks to security cameras from other establishments, as well as CCTV and body cam footage from police, the MNPD was able to spot him stumbling through the street, looking quite intoxicated. Strain’s friends confirmed he’d been drinking before they went to Luke’s 32 Bridge.
Strain’s body was found on March 22 about 8 miles south of downtown Nashville.
A man working on the river found Strain’s body and immediately called police to identify him. He was still wearing his Apple Watch and clothing from the bar, so any speculation that he was robbed was put to rest.
The very next day, a preliminary autopsy was released indicating there were no signs of foul play, despite public opinion and Strain’s parents’ speculation that he was drugged.
A full toxicology report was still in the works, which would confirm his family’s suspicions.
On June 18, the official autopsy and toxicology results were released.
Nearly three months after Riley Strain’s body was found in the Cumberland River, the full autopsy was completed, confirming that his death was “being classified as accidental.”
The official cause of death was drowning an ethanol intoxication, which is more commonly known as alcohol poisoning.
FOX 17 News reports, “A large amount of fluid was detected in his lungs. However, there was no significant trauma or broken bones detected. Strain’s blood alcohol content registered 0.228, which indicates a level of intoxication where someone would be disoriented, needing help walking or standing, and very impaired sensory functions. Small amounts of nicotine and THC were also present.”
Following the official autopsy release, the Metro Nashville Police Department released their own statement.
The press release reads:
“The Riley Strain autopsy report released today by the Medical Examiner, which found that the 22-year-old died as the result of accidental drowning and ethyl alcohol intoxication, corroborates the findings of the investigation conducted by MNPD missing person detectives. The police department is now officially classifying Strain’s death as accidental.”
“The MNPD’s investigation found that Strain consumed multiple alcoholic drinks at different establishments after arriving in Nashville with friends on March 8. The investigation found that he had become separated from his friends and was noticeably impaired as he walked onto Gay Street adjacent to the Cumberland River on the night of March 8. Detectives have concluded that Strain, who was unfamiliar with Gay Street and the steep embankment leading to the river, did not realize the terrain conditions in the darkness as he stepped toward the overgrown area and fell down the embankment into the water. Due to recent rain, the river was very high that night with a swift current. Strain’s body was found in the river in West Nashville on the morning of March 22 several miles from Gay Street.”
The MNPD concluded the statement by saying it “continues to extend its heartfelt condolences to Riley Strain’s family and friends.”