College student Riley Strain's death still appeared to be an accident following a preliminary autopsy exam conducted over the weekend, according to Nashville police. Earlier statements from authorities also indicated no signs of foul play as they scoured for Strain, the 22-year-old University of Missouri senior who had been missing for almost two weeks in Tennessee's capital before his body was discovered early Friday morning in the Cumberland River.
Metro Nashville Police Department representative Kris Mumford mentioned that a detective was present at the autopsy and confirmed that Strain's death "continues to appear accidental," as reported by The Tennessean stated on Sunday. Mumford added that toxicology results were still pending, but no foul play was evident. A final autopsy will not be finalized until all tests are completed.
On Friday, police disclosed that Strain had been found deceased in the Cumberland River approximately 8 miles west of downtown Nashville, with no suspicion of foul play.
Metropolitan Nashville Police Department Chief John Drake said at a news conference that Strain likely fell into the river, as "there is no other evidence that suggests anything other than" that scenario. Strain was found with his clothes, watch and other identifying items still on him, Drake said. Police said no foul play-related trauma was observed on the body.
University of Missouri officials later said in a message to the school's student body that Strain had traveled to Nashville to attend his fraternity's spring formal event.
A massive search was launched, with just small clues available to help investigators trying to find him, as searchers found his bank card along a riverbank and investigators combed through surveillance footage to track his final moments. The effort joined multiple law enforcement agencies with community volunteers, who in recent days had focused their search on waterways along the massive Cumberland River. But it was workers at a river company who discovered Strain's body before 7 a.m. on Friday morning.
While conducting a routine removal operation in the river, workers came across an object that caught their attention. Upon closer inspection, they discovered the body of Mr. Strain and immediately reported it," revealed Drake. The police chief went on to explain that officers had intended to search the specific section of the river where Strain's body was found on Friday. This decision was based on the belief that Strain's physical characteristics could lead his body to resurface in that particular area.
