Riley Strain's Body Is Recovered & The Public Still Has Burning Questions

The body of 22-year-old Riley Strain, who went missing during a visit to Nashville, has been found, police confirmed. "The body of Riley Strain was recovered from the Cumberland River in West Nashville this morning, approximately 8 miles from downtown. No foul play-related trauma was observed. An autopsy is pending," the Nashville Police Department announced in a March 22 statement shared on X (formerly known as Twitter).

Strain, who was visiting Nashville for a fraternity conference, went missing on March 8 after he was ejected from Luke Bryan's bar Luke's 32 Bridge. With surveillance camera capturing Strain's movement after leaving the bar, police released several videos, confirming that the college student was last seen on Gay Street at 9:52pm. Some hours later, Strain was reported missing by a friend who had been unable to reach him. 

Following the report, authorities sent out a search party to revisit places he'd been seen. On March 17 — after some Tiktok users joined the search for Strain — his debit card was found near a Nashville river, forcing authorities to double down on their search. "Riley Strain's bank card was discovered this afternoon on the embankment between Gay St. And the Cumberland River. The search for him continues," the Nashville Police Department tweeted at the time.

Despite the tragic discovery of Strain's body, though, the public still has a lot of burning questions about the mystery.

In the wake of Riley Strain's tragic death, followers of the story have taken to social media to pay tribute to the late college student. "My heartfelt condolences to family and friends! We all hoped for a miracle. RIP #RileyStrain," one person wrote on X. "They officially found Riley Strain's body in the river & my heart breaks for his family & friends. I couldn't even imagine your kid leaving for spring break & never coming back home. rest in peace," another user tweeted. But while the public continues to grapple with Strain's death, some others continue to question the circumstances surrounding his mysterious disappearance.

Sharing her thoughts, a Twitter user with the username @ZoyeW cast doubts on Riley's disappearance story, noting that the timeline did not add up. "Could he have been drugged? All he ordered was one alcoholic drink and two waters. And if you're with your frat brothers why didn't the one who led you down the stairs go with you[?]" she questioned. 

Several other social media users shared similar sentiments, with many seemingly wondering why his fraternity brothers let him leave the bar alone. "Have they ever explained WHY #RileyStrain was the ONLY member of his party escorted out that night?! I've seen no statements from the fraternity or school even, also," a concerned user queried.