Tennessee’s chief medical examiner released a full toxicology report on Riley Strain, a 22-year-old University of Missouri senior whose body was found in the Cumberland River in March after a fraternity outing in Nashville. According to the report, Strain had a blood alcohol level of .228, more than twice the legal limit, at the time of his death. The report also revealed the presence of Delta 9, caffeine, nicotine, and marijuana in his system. Additionally, evidence of pleural effusion and pulmonary edema was found during the autopsy. The causes of death were listed as drowning and ethanol intoxication, with the manner of death deemed accidental.
Strain was last seen on a spring formal fraternity trip in downtown Nashville on March 8. He had been drinking with friends at Luke Bryan’s bar, Luke’s 32, before his disappearance. Despite his family’s claims that the bar overserved him, the establishment stated they had only served him one alcoholic drink.
After a weekslong search, Strain’s body was discovered in the Cumberland River by people working along the river in West Nashville on March 22. Prior to the discovery, investigators had been analyzing surveillance footage from various bars and businesses in Nashville, while Strain’s family used social media to spread awareness of his disappearance.
The search initially focused on James Robertson Parkway and Gay Streets, where Strain’s phone had last pinged. However, it was redirected to the Cheatham Lock and Dam near Ashland City on March 20, with volunteers and family members joining in the search efforts. Two individuals who had learned about Strain’s disappearance through TikTok found his credit card on the banks of the Cumberland River.
Although the Metro Nashville Police Department had initially classified Strain’s death as accidental, his family’s concerns were raised when his pants and wallet were missing when his body was recovered. As a result, they arranged for a second autopsy to be conducted to further investigate the circumstances surrounding his death.
