The disappearance of Riley Strain, a University of Missouri student, on March 8 in Nashville has sparked a massive search, marked by a cryptic last message and crucial police footage. As the community rallies, Riley’s mother has made a heartfelt plea for his return, adding urgency to a case filled with more questions than answers. Join us as we piece together the events leading up to and following that fateful night of March 8, in a story that combines despair, determination, and the relentless pursuit of truth.
Missing college student Riley Strain in a photo shared on social media after his disappearance in March 2024 | Source:
Riley Ray Strain, a 22-year-old University of Missouri student, vanished over a week ago after an evening out with friends in Nashville. The disappearance has sparked a massive search operation, gripping the city and Strain’s hometown.
His heartbroken mother, Michelle Whiteid, has now made a public plea as the search intensifies, with the only clue being his bank card found near a river bank. The mystery deepened after the release of a baffling message from Strain’s phone sent on the night he disappeared.
Missing college student Riley Strain in a photo shared on social media after his disappearance in March 2024 | Source:
March 8: The Night of the Disappearance
On the night of March 8, Strain, a senior from the University of Missouri, disappeared after an evening out in Nashville. Known for his dynamic presence and standing at 6-foot-5, had visited Luke Bryan’s bar, Luke’s 32 Bridge, located on Nashville’s vibrant Broadway.
The evening took a turn at approximately 9:35 p.m., when Strain was escorted out of the bar by the establishment’s security, managed by the TC Restaurant Group, due to unspecified violations of conduct standards.
Missing college student Riley Strain in a photo shared on social media after his disappearance in March 2024 | Source:
Surveillance footage later showed Strain crossing the street at 1st Ave N and Gay Street at 9:47 p.m., appearing to have a specific destination in mind. However, just five minutes later, another camera caught him looking disoriented and stumbling in the wrong direction, which would be the last known sighting of him.
March 9: Missing Person Report
The alarm over Strain’s disappearance rose the following morning, March 9, when his fraternity brothers noted his absence from their accommodation at the Tempo Hotel on Rosa Parks Boulevard.
Riley Strain in a photo shared on social media following his disappearance
The group was in Nashville for their annual spring formal. After Strain failed to return, his peers immediately began efforts to locate him, first attempting to track his location via Snapchat.
When this proved futile and repeated phone calls to Strain went unanswered, escalating concern led to his fraternity brothers reporting him missing to the police.
