Body of Missing Springbreaker Riley Strain, 22, Found in Nashville River as 2-Week Search Comes to a Fatal End: Police Report

A frantic two-week search for University of Missouri student Riley Strain has come to a devastating ending.

The 22-year-old's body was sorrowfully found in the Cumberland River on Friday morning, March 22, according to a statement from Metropolitan Nashville Police.

"The body of Riley Strain was recovered from the Cumberland River in West Nashville this morning, approximately 8 miles from downtown," the announcement posted to X (formerly named Twitter) read. "No foul play-related trauma was observed. An autopsy is pending."

Law enforcement's message came after officers received a call around 7:28 a.m. from an employee working at a nearby business, reporting their discovery of Strain's body after removing an object from the river, Metropolitan Nashville Police Chief John Drake revealed during a press conference Friday morning.

Upon arriving at the scene, the city’s fire department pulled Strain’s body from the water. The medical examiner’s office later confirmed his identity.

Strain was still wearing the shirt he was last seen in when leaving Luke Bryan’s bar in Nashville the day he went missing on Friday, March 8. Other identifiable objects also remained on his body, according to the police chief.

The college student’s family was notified of the horrible news.

"I want to say to the family, my heart and prayers go out to you all for this very unfortunate and tragic incident," Drake expressed during the press conference. "I also want to say thank you to the Nashville community and the outpouring community of the outpouring support from the community in trying to help us locate Mr. Strain."

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The timeline of Strain’s body being discovered aligns with when police expected his body to surface if he was, in fact, in Cumberland River, due to his height of 6 feet, 5 inches tall and weight of 160 pounds.

"This is the 14th day so we were really expecting anytime soon to find him," Drake explained.

The search for Strain comes to an end two weeks after he disappeared while on a trip with Delta Chi fraternity for spring formal.

The young adult ventured off alone after he was asked to leave Luke's 32 Bridge Food + Drink. He reportedly told friends he would return to the hotel, however, he never made it back to the room.

Bryan’s bar said in a Friday, March 15, statement that they served one alcoholic drink and two waters to Strain before security escorted him out around 9:35 p.m. "based on our conduct standards."

In the moments to follow, Strain could be seen across several security camera tapes stumbling around the streets of downtown Nashville and appearing visibly intoxicated.