A toxicology report has revealed how much alcohol Riley Strain had in his system when he passed away, with the bar he was last seen at providing a statement.
The body of Riley Strain, a University of Missouri student, was recovered from the Cumberland River in West Nashville on Friday, March 22, according to the Metropolitan Nashville Police.
Strain had been missing since March 8, following an incident at a local honky-tonk bar.
The police confirmed the discovery via social media, stating: "The body of Riley Strain was recovered from the Cumberland River in West Nashville this morning, approximately 8 miles from downtown."
Strain, a finance major, was last seen around 10:00PM on March 8 after being asked to leave Luke Bryan’s 32 Bridge Food and Drink, where he subsequently became separated from his friends.
Surveillance footage later captured him wandering the city streets alone.
In the weeks following his disappearance, extensive search efforts yielded little information. Only his bank card was found near the Cumberland River more than a week later.
An autopsy report from the Davidson County Medical Examiner, shared by ABC affiliate KMIZ, indicated that Strain died from accidental drowning and ethanol intoxication, with a blood alcohol content of .228, nearly three times the legal driving limit.
Additionally, caffeine, nicotine, and THC were detected in his system.
The Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) is investigating whether Strain was overserved.
The TC Restaurant Group, which manages 32 Bridge, stated that Strain was served one alcoholic drink and two waters before being escorted out at 9:35PM “based on our conduct standards,” per PEOPLE.
The company added: “He was followed down the stairs with one member of his party. The individual with Riley did not exit and returned upstairs."
In an interview with NewsNation, Michelle Whiteid, Strain's mother, shared details of their last communications.
She revealed that her 22-year-old son sent her troubling texts about his drinks that night.
"He ordered a rum and coke, but it 'didn’t taste good'," she recounted. "I go, 'Well that sounds awful'," she recalled, to which he replied: "Well, it sounds good, but it’s not."
These messages have left Whiteid with lingering concerns. "Maybe there was something in it that shouldn’t have been," she said.
Eyewitnesses and surveillance footage show Strain "very, very intoxicated" as he stumbled around after being ejected from the bar.
Despite the investigators ruling out foul play, the grieving family remains skeptical. Strain's stepfather, Chris Whiteid, expressed doubts about the circumstances of his death.
"If he fell and truly fell in the water, and you can prove that to me, show me. I’ll accept it," he stated.
"But I can tell you from all the stuff that we’ve done... I don’t feel like it’s really possible that happened. He may have fallen, but someone helped him in the water."
