Published March 25. 2024 11:57AM
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The death of Riley Strain, a University of Missouri student who went missing in Tennessee’s capital for nearly two weeks, appears to be accidental, police said.
Metro Nashville Police Department spokesperson Kris Mumford said a detective attended the autopsy examination and Strain’s death “continues to appear accidental,” The Tennessean reported Sunday. Mumford said toxicology results were pending, but there is no apparent foul play. A final autopsy won’t be complete until all testing is finished.
Police announced Friday that Strain had been found dead in the Cumberland River about 8 miles (12.8 kilometers) west of downtown and foul play was not suspected.
Police previously said Strain, 22, was last seen just before 10 p.m. on March 8 after drinking downtown. University of Missouri officials said in a statement that Strain was traveling to Nashville to attend a private event.
A massive search was launched, with just small clues available to help investigators trying to find him, including finding his bank card along a riverbank and using surveillance footage to track his final moments.
Kelly Granger, of Nashville, holds a candle while looking out at the Cumberland River during a vigil for Riley Strain on Gay Street in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, March 22, 2024. The body of the missing University of Missouri student was discovered early Friday in the Cumberland River. (Andrew Nelles/The Tennessean via AP)
This undated photo provided by Chris Whiteid show Riley Strain on Jan. 2, 2024. Police in Tennessee on Friday, March 22, announced that Riley Strain, a University of Missouri student who went missing in Nashville for nearly two weeks, has been found dead. Metro Nashville police officials confirmed that Strain's body had been recovered from the Cumberland River approximately eight miles (12.8 kilometers) west of downtown. (Chris Whiteid via AP)
Michelle Strain Whiteid, left, mother of Riley Strain, holds on to the arm of her husband, Chris Whiteid, during a news conference at the Metro Nashville Police Department headquarters in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, March 22, 2024. The body of missing University of Missouri student Riley Strain was discovered early Friday in the Cumberland River in Nashville. (Andrew Nelles/The Tennessean via AP)
People view photos on display during a vigil for Riley Strain, on Gay Street near the Cumberland River in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, March 22, 2024. The body of the missing University of Missouri student was discovered Friday morning in the Cumberland River. (Andrew Nelles/The Tennessean via AP)
People gather and look at pictures during a vigil for Riley Strain, on Gay Street near the Cumberland River in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, March 22, 2024. The body of the missing University of Missouri student was discovered Friday morning in the Cumberland River. (Andrew Nelles/The Tennessean via AP)