Investigators in Nashville are still searching for Riley Strain, a 22-year-old University of Missouri student who disappeared on March 8 after drinking with his fraternity brothers in the city's downtown. The Metro Nashville Police Department has released several videos that show Strain walking alone. Here is a timeline of events the night Strain disappeared.
9:35 p.m. Luke's 32 Bridge
Strain and his friends were in the city for the weekend and staying at a downtown hotel. On March 8, they went to Luke's 32 Bridge, a bar owned by music artist Luke Bryan.
Strain was escorted out of the bar at 9:35 p.m. according to a joint statement from the bar's management company and Bryan. They said the decision to ask Strain to leave was made "based on our conduct standards."
The Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission announced it was going to investigate claims that Strain was overserved at the bar. The bar's records show he ordered one alcoholic drink and ordered two waters, according to the statement.
9:47 p.m. Gay Street
Nashville police released a video showing Strain crossing Gay Street at around 9:47 p.m. after leaving the bar. According to Google Maps, the street is about a 16-minute walk from Luke's 32 Bridge.
Bodycam footage captures Strain's presence on Gay Street
Officer Reginald Young was on Gay Street in response to a vehicle burglary call when his body-worn camera recorded Strain walking down the sidewalk. In the footage, Strain appears calm and exchanges a brief greeting with Young.
Strain can be seen in the bodycam video at the 14-second mark, while Young remained on the street for approximately 45 minutes.
Last sighting on Gay Street at 9:52 p.m.
Strain was last spotted on Gay Street at 9:52 p.m. The police department stated on social media, "No video evidence has been found showing Riley away from Gay St. after the 9:52 p.m. timeframe."
Despite ground detectives and the police helicopter searching the vicinity, there have been no further sightings of Strain.
Approximately 1:35 a.m.
A friend from the outing, known only by the first name Brayden, informed CBS affiliate WTVF that he attempted to locate Strain after he left the bar on March 8. Brayden also mentioned using Snapchat's location feature to track Strain, but to no avail.
Following Strain's disappearance, calls to his cellphone went unanswered, and investigators revealed that Strain's phone last pinged near a cell tower less than two miles from Luke's 32 Bridge.
Repercussions of Strain's Vanishing Act
Upon learning of their son's disappearance, Strain's parents undertook a journey from Springfield, Missouri, to Nashville. Michelle Whiteid, his mother, expressed her distress, stating that she and her son typically converse daily.
"I am desperate to ascertain my son's whereabouts," Whiteid disclosed to WTVF. "We communicate every day, sometimes multiple times a day, and this is the longest period I have gone without hearing from him. It's heart-wrenching — all I crave is to locate him and embrace him."
The Nashville police department initiated the dissemination of updates regarding their inquiry, including the circulation of footage capturing Strain crossing the street on Tuesday, March 12.
Subsequently, Strain's debit card was discovered on Sunday, March 17, resting on a slope by the Cumberland River, close to the spot where he was last sighted over a week earlier. This information, along with Young's bodycam recording, was disclosed by Nashville police on Monday, March 18.
