As the search for a college student missing in Nashville continues into its second week, authorities are sharing new clues with the hope of learning more about what may have happened to 22-year-old Riley Strain the night he disappeared.
First, his debit card was found Sunday on an embankment of the Cumberland River, which runs through the downtown area where he was last seen on Friday, March 8. Then, on Monday, Nashville police shared body camera footage taken by an officer who briefly interacted with Strain that night, in the same general area.
Strain's bank card was found Sunday afternoon along a section of the embankment between Gay Street and the river, Nashville police said in an update posted to social media. Strain had previously been seen in surveillance footage crossing an intersection from 1st Avenue onto Gay Street around 9:50 p.m. ET on the night of his disappearance, after being ordered to leave a bar several blocks from there some 15 minutes earlier.
Authorities have been scouring the area, including the riverbank, for nearly two weeks in search of Strain and his belongings. Despite not finding any signs of him initially, the discovery of his bank card has provided a new lead. Additionally, a recently released video clip appears to confirm that he was present in that location on the night in question.
According to Nashville police, body camera footage captured Strain walking alone along a section of Gay Street near the Cumberland River. The video, recorded by officer Reginald Young during a burglary call, shows Young interacting with Strain as he passes by. The police department has highlighted that there is no footage of Strain elsewhere after 9:52 p.m.
In the video, Strain initiates a brief greeting with Young, who responds by asking how he is doing. The exchange is quick, with Strain not turning back to engage further before continuing on his way.
Nashville authorities have not discovered any signs of foul play in Strain's disappearance. His parents journeyed from Springfield, Missouri, to Nashville after he went missing and were briefed on the ongoing search efforts during a meeting with detectives on Sunday evening.
Originally from Missouri, Strain is a student at Mizzou, the state university in Columbia. Currently in his senior year, he had traveled to Nashville for the weekend with some of his fraternity brothers and had reserved a downtown hotel near the bar where he was last seen drinking before he vanished.
The bar, Luke's 32 Bridge, is owned by the country music star Luke Bryan. Following an announcement by the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission about investigating whether Strain had been "overserved" at the bar, the management company released a statement with Bryan over the weekend, indicating that their records indicate the college student had only purchased one alcoholic drink and two waters during his visit. Security at Luke's 32 Bridge escorted Strain out of the bar at 9:35 p.m., with the statement referring to this action as "a decision based on our conduct standards."
Authorities are currently searching for a missing individual named Strain, who is described as being 6 feet 5 inches tall, with blue eyes and light brown hair. The police, along with his friends, family, and the community, are actively involved in the search efforts. Various photos of Strain, as well as detailed descriptions, have been shared to aid in the search. Surveillance footage from the night of March 8 captured Strain wearing denim pants, a brown button-up shirt with dark short sleeves, and a matching dark front pocket.
