Authorities discovered a clue in the case of missing University of Missouri college student Riley Strain, Sunday, who vanished while visiting Nashville earlier this month.
Nashville Police announced Strain’s bank card was found Sunday on the embankment between Gay Street and the Cumberland River, near Riverfront Park, in a post on X (formally known as Twitter). “The search for him continues,” Nashville PD added.
Strain was visiting Nashville on Friday, March 8, when he went missing after being kicked out of a bar on Gay Street in the city’s Broadway area, Nashville police said.
The 22-year-old was last seen by friends at 9:52 p.m. after he was kicked out of Luke Bryan’s bar, Luke’s 32 Bridge, police said.
Strain and his Delta Chi fraternity brothers were in Nashville for a formal, according to Strain’s parents.
“He was excited ’cause he was out, and he was sending me pictures at the different bars they were going to. And he was having fun with his fraternity brothers,” his mom, Michelle Whiteid, told ABC News.
Surveillance video from a nearby business showed the 22-year-old walking alone as he stumbled down a street at 9:46 p.m. An additional angle showed Strain running and falling down.
There’s no indication of foul play and no indication Strain was in a fight or argument with anyone that night, Nashville Police Sgt. Robert Nielsen said at a March 14 news conference.
The last known surveillance video footage of Strain showed him walking north between James Robertson Bridge and Woodland Street Bridge, Nielsen said, adding that no one else was around him.
Authorities are searching by foot, by drone and by boat, including using boats with sonar equipment, Nielsen said.
“He’s a good kid. He was down here looking forward to a fun weekend,” Strain’s dad, Ryan Gilbert, told ABC News. “We want to bring him back home safe.”
Strain’s parents and stepparents have been in Nashville for days helping with the search.
The Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission said it is investigating whether Strain was overserved before his disappearance.
“There are no specific rules or statutes that governs escorting out intoxicated patrons from their businesses or providing assistance in getting someone home,” the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission said in a statement. “However, state law prohibits serving alcoholic beverages to someone who is visibly intoxicated. A violation is a class A misdemeanor. The TABC has opened an investigation into this matter to see if any violations have occurred.”
TC Restaurant Group, operator and owner of Luke’s 32 Bridge, said earlier this week that it’s working with police “to provide security camera footage and any other potentially helpful information to aid in the search for Riley Strain. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones for his safe return.”
Strain is a senior majoring in business and interdisciplinary studies, according to the University of Missouri.
“Our thoughts are with Riley’s family as the search continues,” Angela King Taylor, interim vice chancellor for Student Affairs at the University of Missouri, said in a March 11 statement.
“The Delta Chi Fraternity is deeply concerned for the safety of Riley Strain, a valued member of our Missouri Chapter,” the fraternity said in a March 11 statement. “Our thoughts and hopes are with Riley’s family and our Missouri Chapter during this challenging time.”
Anyone with information is asked to call Nashville Crime Stoppers at 615-742-7463.
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