Investigation Report Reveals Riley Strain Had 12 -15 Drinks In Hours Before His Death
on Aug 09, 2024
An investigative report obtained by WSMV shares new insight into the death of University of Missouri student, Riley Strain, who died in March while in Nashville with his fraternity.
The case of 22-year-old Riley Strain became one of the most highly-publicized and criticized missing person cases of the year. The case garnered attention due to the student’s connection to a number of downtown Nashville, Tennessee, bars owned by country stars and the fact that he vanished after being kicked out of Luke Bryan’s Luke’s 32 Bridge bar the night of March 8.
For two weeks, authorities, volunteers, and his family searched the city in hopes of finding Strain alive. But on March 22, Riley’s body was discovered in the Cumberland River 8 miles from downtown. His death was ruled an accidental drowning. He had a blood alcohol content of .228 at the time of his death – that is three times the legal driving limit.
A great deal of mystery has swirled around Riley Strain’s death, with many suspecting foul play despite two extensive autopsy reports that concluded his death was accidental. In the months since his disappearance and subsequent discovery, information about the hours leading up to Riley’s disappearance has slowly come to light.
There was initial suspicion that Strain had been overserved while visiting the bars, including Miranda Lambert’s Casa Rosa, Garth Brooks’ Low Places, Kid Rock’s Honky Tonk and Luke Bryan’s 32 Bridge. However, an investigation by the TABC (The Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission) showed that none of the establishments had served him an excessive amount of alcohol.
It was at Luke Bryan’s that Riley was asked to leave due to “violating conduct standards” and escorted out of the premises twice. Security footage obtained from the bar and other downtown businesses showed Riley making his way through the streets, clearly off balance and struggling to walk.
So how did Riley manage to have such a high blood alcohol level if he hadn’t been overserved? A newly obtained report reveals why.
Nashville television station WSM4 shared Thursday that it had obtained the police investigative file from the case. In the report were details about interviews police conducted with Strain’s Delta Chi fraternity brothers following his death. According to the investigation, four buses of Delta Chi members traveled from Missouri to Nashville for an annual formal trip.
Two fraternity brothers said that there was a strict no-alcohol rule on the bus, but that the group was drinking anyway. One testified that Strain had consumed “at least five drinks, including two vodka shots and three IPAs,” WSM4 shared.
David Easlick, an attorney whose expertise includes lawsuits against fraternities following the death or injuries of students, said that this information could be crucial in Riley Strain’s case and indicated that the fraternity could be held responsible.
Delta Chi, a national fraternity, has strict guidelines regarding alcohol served to its members. Their website states that drinks with more than 15% alcohol cannot be served at a fraternity event unless they are served by a licensed third party.
The 15% rule was implemented in 2019 to “enhance the health and safety of our undergraduate members,” which total more than 380,000 nationwide.
What took place on the Delta Chi busses was a clear violation of that policy, leading to “basically an out-of-control party situation,” Easlick said.
According to the investigative report, the students arrived in Nashville around 4:30 p.m. March 8. Riley Strain was seen in surveillance footage drinking a margarita at Miranda Lambert’s Casa Rosa by 4:55 p.m.
RELATED: NEWLY-RELEASED FOOTAGE SHOWS MOMENTS PRIOR TO RILEY STRAIN’S DISAPPEARANCE
“I was amazed to find out he was basically comatose and had been served an amazing amount of alcohol,” Easlick told WSM4, but didn’t put full responsibility on the fraternities or the establishments that served Riley Strain the night of March 8.
“Riley was 22 years old, a grown man by many standards. Nobody wanted this to happen to this young man. But how much personal responsibility is here, versus the responsibility the fraternity has?” WSMV4 asked Easlick. He replied, “It’s the lifestyle of the Greek world. I’m sure (Strain) has some responsibility because he was 22.”
