Police Locate Body of College Student Missing Since March 8

The remains of Riley Strain, a college student who vanished on March 8, have been discovered in the Cumberland River near Nashville.

Strain, who attended the University of Missouri, was located approximately eight miles from downtown Nashville, the last area he was seen on video footage before being reported missing following an evening out with his fraternity brothers.

The discovery was made early Friday morning at around 7:30 a.m., The Tennesseean reports, quoting Police Chief John Drake.

The clothing Strain was last seen wearing in video recordings on the day of his disappearance was still on his body when found.

Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell expressed his condolences in a statement on X, saying, “This is not the outcome that anyone hoped for — especially his parents and everyone who loved him.”

The discovery was made by barge workers who were clearing an obstruction from the river and spotted what seemed to be Strain's body, WSMV-TV reported, citing Drake.

Drake conveyed that upon retrieval, the medical examiner's office examined the body and confirmed it to be that of Riley Strain.

Officials had anticipated, based on previous patterns, that Strain’s body might emerge from the river within 14 to 20 days of his disappearance, NBC reported. "This is the 14th day so we were really expecting anytime soon to find him," stated Drake.

Speculation around Strain’s disappearance grew, particularly on social media, after a TikTok user found his bank card near the riverbank, WSMV shared.

Despite the speculation, Drake indicated that there was no evidence to suggest any scenario other than Strain accidentally falling into the river.

On the night he went missing, 22-year-old Strain was expelled from Luke’s 32 Bridge, a bar owned by country music artist Luke Bryan, for reasons not detailed. The establishment later mentioned that Strain had consumed two glasses of water and one alcoholic beverage before his ejection, as per NBC.