Officials confirm Riley Strain's body found in Cumberland River in Tennessee

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Following an extensive search that stretched on for nearly two weeks, officials found missing Missouri student Riley Strain's body Friday in the Cumberland River in Tennessee.

Authorities received a report of a body found in the river in the Nations neighborhood of West Nashville on Friday morning. The Metro Nashville Police Department later confirmed it was the missing 22-year-old.

In a news conference, Nashville Police Chief John Drake said the call came from a worker at a nearby business. Businesses in the area had reportedly been routinely checking the water for signs of Strain.

Police said they were able to identify the body based on multiple factors, including his shirt and watch. According to officials, “no foul play-related trauma was observed.” An autopsy was scheduled to be conducted Friday.

Drake also extended his condolences to Strain’s family, who were notified of the discovery Friday morning.

“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. “I also want to say thank you to the Nashville community (for) the outpouring of support from the community in trying to help us locate Mr. Strain.” 

Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell also took to social media Friday morning to comment on the discovery, saying in a post on X, “This is not the outcome that anyone hoped for.”

We learned the sad news this morning that crews located a body we believe to be missing Missouri student Riley Strain. The discovery was made near 61st Ave N in the river. This is not the outcome that anyone hoped for – especially his parents and everyone who loved him.

Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell

Strain disappeared while on a fraternity trip in Nashville on March 8. One of his friends called 911 the next morning after saying he had gone to the Central Police Precinct and called the sheriff’s office to file a missing person’s report.

After Strain's disappearance, investigators analyzed several bits of surveillance video from different bars and businesses showing his path through downtown Nashville.

One of the final pieces of footage of Strain that night was bodycam video from a Metro Nashville officer who interacted with him on Gay Street, located just south of the Woodland Street Bridge.

Strain’s last phone ping was near James Robertson Parkway and Gay Street, where the search was focused for several days. Then, on Wednesday, March 20, officials began focusing efforts at the Cheatham Lock and Dam near Ashland City.

In addition to law enforcement, Strain's family members and several volunteers were heavily involved in the search. It was two TikTok users who reportedly found Strain's bank card on the riverbank days after he disappeared.

Strain's family drove to Nashville immediately after his friends alerted them to his disappearance on March 9. In an interview on March 15, Strain's cousin, Jake Bradley, told Nexstar's WKRN that there was much more to him than this picture of a “college kid having fun.”

“That’s not — if you saw him outside of that, his love and his care and his kindness were of a 5-year-old boy that loved every toy he ever had, you know?" Bradley said.

The Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) has been investigating to determine whether Strain was overserved the night he disappeared.

In a statement released last week, 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.