The autopsy report has been released for Riley Strain, the University of Missouri student who went missing from downtown Nashville in early March and was later found in the Cumberland River approximately 8 miles from downtown. Metro Police say workers were removing an object from the river when Riley’s body appeared at the surface.
The autopsy report released Tuesday by the Medical Examiner, which found that the 22-year-old died as the result of accidental drowning and ethyl alcohol intoxication, corroborates the findings of the investigation conducted by MNPD missing person detectives. The police department is now officially classifying Strain’s death as accidental.
Riley went missing on Friday, March 8 after being kicked out of Luke Bryan’s Bar on Broadway, Luke’s 32 Bridge. TTC Restaurant Group said Riley was escorted from the venue that night at 9:35 p.m.
MNPD investigation found that he had become separated from his friends and was noticeably impaired as he walked onto Gay Street adjacent to the Cumberland River. Detectives have concluded that Strain, who was unfamiliar with Gay Street and the steep embankment leading to the river, did not realize the terrain conditions in the darkness as he stepped toward the overgrown area and fell down the embankment into the water. Due to recent rain, the river was very high that night with a swift current.
The report also states Strain’s blood alcohol level was .228, which is more than twice the legal limit, WSMV reported.
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