After a two week search, officials have located and recovered MU senior Riley Strain’s body from the Cumberland River in Nashville, Tennessee. During a press conference on March 22, John Drake, Metro Nashville Police Department Chief, announced that a worker of a company near the river made the initial discovery and reported it to the authorities. 

“I want to say to the family my heart and prayers go out to you all for this very unfortunate and tragic incident,” Drake said during the press conference. 

Drake added that Strain was found wearing the same shirt and watch as the night he disappeared, and that there was no evidence of foul play. He also gave thanks for the near 200 tips that the Metro Nashville Police Department received during the investigation.

MU President Mun Choi sent a mass email informing the campus community of the police department’s discovery and offering support through the MU Counseling Center and Employee Assistance Program.

“As the Mizzou community mourns Riley, we are keeping his family in our thoughts and offering support,” Choi wrote in the email.

The international level of Strain’s fraternity, Delta Chi, posted a press release on Instagram and their website saying that they were deeply saddened by Strain’s passing. They also stated that they will be providing their members with 24/7 access to resources and professional support as they navigate the loss.

“We ask for respect and privacy for Riley’s family and our Fraternity brothers during this incredibly difficult time,” Delta Chi wrote in the press release.

Strain’s family spoke at a press conference on the afternoon of March 22 in Nashville. They gave thanks to everyone who contributed to the search.

“I just ask that you mamas out there hug your babies tight tonight, please,” said Michelle Whiteid, Strain’s mother.

Strain’s initial disappearance took place on March 8 in Nashville, Tennessee. Strain was visiting the city with other members of MU’s Delta Chi Fraternity for the chapter’s formal, according to reports from Strain’s parents. 

A combination of security and police body camera footage posted on Metro Nashville Police Department’s X account shows Strain walking alone through downtown Nashville after being removed from a bar to where he was last seen on Gay Street, near the Cumberland River.

Christian Basi, the director of MU System Public Affairs, said that the Delta Chi Fraternity formal was a private event not affiliated with the university and that while MU did what it could to support the search, it had no supervision over the formal itself.

“The university is always concerned about the safety of our students, whether they’re here on campus or traveling off campus,” Basi said.

Angela King Taylor, interim vice chancellor for student affairs, had previously sent out a news release on March 11. 

“We will be offering any support to [Strain’s parents] that we can, and we encourage anyone who needs help to reach out to our counseling resources,” King Taylor said.

Edited by Sam Barrett and Sophia Anderson | sbarrett@themaneater.com sanderson@themaneater.com 

Copy edited by Sterling Sewell and Briana Iordan | ssewell@themaneater.com biordan@themaneater.com

Edited by Genevieve Smith | gsmith@themaneater.com