Found Deceased TN - Riley Strain, 22, missing after leaving bar, Nashville, 8 March 2024 #2

[berberry08]

I don’t know. What makes you ask? They would appear to be focused on the river banks, river, and dam.

I’m not sure. Just thinking aloud I guess. What if he is somewhere else but phone etc in river..?

 

[Scarlett55407]

I think he was walking away from the city skyline, then sort of parallel to it on Gay st. Nissan Stadium would have been prominent just across the river on his right. I think it is probably always illuminated in the evening, but could be wrong.
My theory (without the benefit of a detailed timeline or associated locations): I believe he was mistakenly heading to the Your Tempo studio using his phone's GPS. When he encountered the LE officer on Gay, while the officer's back was turned, he may have decided to go into the bushes to avoid arrest. Very shortly thereafter he may have slipped and fell into the water or heavy foliage. (JMO)
This is such a very very sad scenario. There were so many little decisions that if any one of them had been different, we probably wouldn't even know RS. We had a saying at work that seven things had to go wrong for something really bad to happen (basically condemning the whole organization if something did). This is almost like that.

So agree with you. It is agonizingly sad I have a son just a few years younger. If any one thing had changed slightly that night, Riley might well have made it safely to the hotel or at least another landmark to wait it out or to Uber out. When I was that age, I just absolutely loved alcohol and had no idea how many dangerous situations I was in.only with the benefit of age and wisdom do I see the chaos. Tragic that Riley appears to not have been granted that same luck to grow and learn and enjoy the journey

 

[chimpface]

It's mightily sad, whatever happened. I got battered with my keys, car, wallet and phone stolen walking through a car park on Sunday Evening, and I'm someone who'd say is quite "switched on". It can happen to anyone. I haven't gone back to work yet as I think I'm in massive shock plus the 100+ calls i've had to make to insurance companies, police etc in the last 3 days has taken 12 hours of my day up. I'm not young, and I'm not vulnerable but if it happens it does.

 

[jking]

Going along with the falling in the river scenario, how did the homeless person get Riley's shirt? We have a report from volunteers that say they saw a homeless man in Riley's Garth Brooks style shirt. They said it looked clean still.

It could just be a coincidence. The shirt could have been donated (to Goodwill or a homeless charity group) and the homeless person ended up with it.

 

[Van Helsing]

So agree with you. It is agonizingly sad I have a son just a few years younger. If any one thing had changed slightly that night, Riley might well have made it safely to the hotel or at least another landmark to wait it out or to Uber out. When I was that age, I just absolutely loved alcohol and had no idea how many dangerous situations I was in.only with the benefit of age and wisdom do I see the chaos. Tragic that Riley appears to not have been granted that same luck to grow and learn and enjoy the journey

I barely missed death on several occasions when was young. It seems like every time I tried to let go and do what I thought everyone else was doing, I could have easily died if not for divine intervention. I'm very risk averse these days.
[edited to replace interference with intervention ]

 

[sunflowermomma]

It could just be a coincidence. The shirt could have been donated (to Goodwill or a homeless charity group) and the homeless person ended up with it.

Or he could have taken it off and left it on the sidewalk or a bench, or it fell off his lanky shoulders as he was stumbling along, he could have had a t shirt on underneath.

I have lost more items of outer clothing than I care to admit while drunk in college, lol - it is just not a priority when you're that drunk.

 

[SMK777]

I’m not sure. Just thinking aloud I guess. What if he is somewhere else but phone etc in river..?

It’s possible, yes.

 

[Scarlett55407]

I barely missed death on several occasions when was young. It seems like every time I tried to let go and do what I thought everyone else was doing, I could have easily died if not for divine interference. I'm very risk averse these days.

I am very glad you’re still here! I remember the insanity in our friend group trying to make sure we had everyone at the end of the night—people wanting to peel off, dead phones, crowded clubs, everyone hammered, just so many safety obstacles I’m definitely in the camp that thinks that Riley got some form of head injury with the fall and things got much more dramatically precarious at that moment. I don’t think he had any idea how badly he was hurt, he shook it off, and then rapidly became more disoriented I absolutely agree with the skyline-to-orient theory. I’ve done the same, and it’s completely misleading to the senses if you’re struggling with balance (for any reason).

 

[caradana]

It's mightily sad, whatever happened. I got battered with my keys, car, wallet and phone stolen walking through a car park on Sunday Evening, and I'm someone who'd say is quite "switched on". It can happen to anyone. I haven't gone back to work yet as I think I'm in massive shock plus the 100+ calls i've had to make to insurance companies, police etc in the last 3 days has taken 12 hours of my day up. I'm not young, and I'm not vulnerable but if it happens it does.

@chimpface so terribly sorry to read that you were assaulted, how awful! I empathize on the way it takes over life afterwards (the calls, the cancelling cards, the medical needs, EVERYTHING). All my warmest thoughts and prayers to you in this recovery.

 

[Megnut]

Nothing found during search for Riley Strain at Cheatham Dam

While a new search effort is underway at the dam, search crews continue to search the banks of the Cumberland in Nashville.

www.wsmv.com

Nothing found.

Per article: No other search efforts are planned in the area at this time. The focus of this search was concentrated on the dam and crews found nothing connected to Riley.

 

[acutename]

It just seems like everything went wrong that night and contributed to what happened. It seems so eerily predestined. There was so many ways it could have been prevented but no one felt called to action. Not even he took a moment to stop, look at the Maps app on his phone, figured out he was going the wrong way, and turned around.

or even if he just stayed outside the bar from which he was ejected- if he went no where

 

[Mimimom]

Going along with the falling in the river scenario, how did the homeless person get Riley's shirt? We have a report from volunteers that say they saw a homeless man in Riley's Garth Brooks style shirt. They said it looked clean still.

The family has said no clothing has been found

 

[Megnut]

Anyone here familiar with that dam configuration?

Is it possible he could be farther down the river, beyond the dam? Or is that physically impossible?

 

[bkgregg5]

I wonder if his parents have more info than has been released to the public? It's interesting that no one from the frat trip has commented or shared info

I’m a bit behind because (only since this am). I wouldn’t be surprised if some of those boys haven’t lawyered up.

 

[SleutherGirl]

Anyone here familiar with that dam configuration?

Is it possible he could be farther down the river, beyond the dam? Or is that physically impossible?

I found some pictures of the dam. It looks pretty sturdy to me. Edit: I found a news story. Somebody cleaning up the dam of debris and found a body not ten months ago. Apparently the heavy branches etc. in the water form something of a barrier. The body couldn't go any farther and basically got stuck.

Second edit: Source Nashville District > Locations > Lakes > Cheatham Lake

 

[SMK777]

It’s striking what a quick 10 minute walk he had between bar and hotel, and then how staggeringly in the opposite direction he wound up.

I’m wondering if he maybe didn’t feel like returning to the hotel after the second bar turned him away?

It’s possible to not be lost, to be killing time, and then still have a sudden mishap near the river because you had to answer the call of nature.

It’s all very sad.

 

[SMK777]

I’m a bit behind because (only since this am). I wouldn’t be surprised if some of those boys haven’t lawyered up.

Well, when Meredith Kercher was murdered her 2 other housemates immediately lawyered up, even though they’d been away for the weekend at the time.

 

[grannygates]

I did notice on the google maps that there are barges in the river. I don’t know how active this river is? I hope that the people who work at these docks are made aware of this search.

If he did go into the river, it could be possible that he is caught up on on one of the barges. My husband works in our river and sadly there are a lot of bridge jumpers. often it’s not until a barge or log boom is moved that they are found underneath.

 

[acutename]

If my rough math is correct, and he was in the main current being measured, the water could've traveled about 433 miles. So the dam is not as far we might think. MOO (and dependent upon work-distracted computations...)

not convinced that a body travels 4 ft per second (approx speed of the current). It is probably pretty complicated- his weight, eddies in the river, submerged stuff to go around. I do wonder if the damn is a usual "stopping spot" for bodies or whatever might travel.... am also suspecting that the LE has some experience with this and maybe waited awhile because they thought that would be wise. IMO. This is making me think of Nicola Bulley.

 

[Korbs]

Im new here but Im curious if anyone has discussed this possibly being connected to the smiley face killer? It seems like this is exactly the m.o. of that killer or killers. Drunk college student dissappears after leaving the bar alone. If they find this boy a month later in the water with ghb in his blood and his body having been in the water for only a day or two, its his/her m.o. exactly.