REMAINS OF STUDENT ARE FOUND IN RIVER

Cops do not suspect foul play

A body pulled from a river in west Nashville is that of Riley Strain, a University of Missouri student who disappeared after being booted from country music star Luke Bryan’s bar earlier this month, police confirmed.

Metro Nashville Police Chief John Drake told reporters Friday that authorities were alerted to the remains by a worker for a company based along the Cumberland River just before 7:30 a.m. The employee was carrying out a routine task, pulling random items that had popped up in the water, when he spotted Strain’s body and called 911.

Authorities were immediately able to identify Strain, who was still wearing his Apple Watch as well as the same blackand-white shirt he had on at the time of his disappearance two weeks ago.

While his official cause of death is not yet clear, Drake said that “there is no other evidence that suggests anything other than” Strain falling into the river. He also noted that no “foul play-related trauma was observed” and that an autopsy will likely be carried out before the day’s end.

“To the family: my heart and prayers go out to you all for this very unfortunate and tragic incident,” Drake added.

Strain, 22, went missing during a trip to Tennessee earlier this month with his fraternity brothers for spring formal. His disappearance sparked an intense, weeks-long search effort, which ultimately garnered national interest.

Drake said his office fielded some 200 tips among their efforts to locate the missing Mizzou student, who was last seen alive on surveillance video on March 8, shortly after getting kicked out of Luke’s 32 Bridge on Broadway.

Strain told friends he planned on returning to Tempo Hotel, where they’d been staying. But his stepfather, Chris Whiteid, in a previous interview on “Top Story with Tom Llamas” said Strain never made it back to the hotel.

Police said his phone last pinged near Gay Street, part of which borders the Cumberland River. In surveillance video released by authorities, he could be seen crossing 1st Avenue North to Gay Street at 9:47 p.m., nearly a mile from Luke’s 32 Bridge and in the opposite direction of his hotel.

In recent days, the search for Strain haf focused on waterways after his debit card was found along the Cumberland River. Those efforts included helicopters, boats and ground crews.