After traveling to Tennessee for a conference with his Delta Chi fraternity group, 22-year-old Riley Strain was officially declared missing on March 9.
Strain, a student at the University of Missouri, stumbled into country-singer Luke Bryan’s bar and was later escorted out. The staff at TC Restaurant Group sent him outside after serving “one drink and two waters to Strain,” according to News Nation.
Strain’s stepfather Chris Whiteid said that one of his friends walked him down the stairs but did not leave the bar. His friend turned around and went back.
He had been on many trips like this with his fraternity brothers and talked to his family frequently. When his mother didn’t receive a call from him that night, she immediately knew something was wrong.
“I feel terrible for the parents,” junior Collin Wallace said. “No parent should have to go through the loss of a child.”
The search for Strain continues into its second week, yet the family has not lost hope. The United Cajun Navy has joined forces with Strain’s family and friends in the search for the soon-to-be graduate. At this time, there is no evidence, according to MNPD Sgt. Robert Nielsen.
To kick off the search, police acquired surveillance footage from Downtown Smoke & Vape Shop on Church Street, which caught Strain stumbling and falling in a nearby parking lot the night he was kicked out of the bar.
Last Sunday, Strain’s bank card was discovered on the embankment of the Cumberland River, according to a statement from Metro Nashville police.
On the following Tuesday afternoon, the family held a news conference to provide an update on the search for Strain.
During the news conference, Strain’s mom, Michelle Whiteid announced that his fellow fraternity brothers were in as much despair.
“The boys, I mean, they’re heartbroken also. I mean, he’s their best friend. And we love these boys like our own. And it’s just as hard on them as it is on us,” Michelle Whiteid said.
