Riley Strain’s parents broke down in tears as they received his diploma from the University of Missouri two months after his mysterious death.
Strain, 22, disappeared on March 8 during a bar crawl with his friends in Nashville and was found dead in a river two weeks later after a massive manhunt.
Police said they did not suspect foul play but his family are still searching for answers about how he died after chilling images emerged of the student staggering through the city hours before his death.
On Saturday, his heartbroken parents bravely walked onto the stage at the University of Missouri and accepted Strain’s diploma from the Mizzou College of Arts and Science.
His mother cried and held his diploma skyward as the students cheered in his honor with a standing ovation.
Riley Strain, 22, disappeared while on a bar crawl with his friends in Nashville and was found dead two weeks later. His parents accepted his diploma from the University of Missouri in his honor
Riley’s name was the first read during the ceremony.
When his parents and their partners received the diploma on his behalf, they received strong applause from fellow students, employees and attendees.
His mother, Michelle, wiped away tears and held up the diploma in tribute to her son.
The crowd of students and parents then stood and applauded and cheered as the family consoled each other on stage.
Riley studied business and financial planning before his death.
The Delta Chi fraternity member went missing in Nashville while traveling for his fraternity’s annual spring dance when he was kicked out of Luke’s Bridge Food + Drink just after 9:30 p.m.
Strain had told his friends that he would meet them at their hotelbut was nowhere to be seen when the group returned from their night out.
His friends tried to contact him but received no response and they reported Strain as missing because they could not locate him through his Snapchat location.
A two-week search for Strain ended when workers found his body in the Cumberland River, eight miles from where he disappeared
Surveillance footage police later collected from Downtown Smoke & Vape Shop on Church Street showed Strain near the intersection of 2nd Avenue and Church Street.
The apparently intoxicated student tumbled, then quickly got back up and continued walking down the street.
Another was captured near the intersection of Gay Street and 1st Avenue North just before 10 p.m. taking long strides with his head down as he stumbled through the streets.
A massive search operation was launched with police and residents scouring miles of the city, river and countryside.
The two-week search ended when workers found his body in the Cumberland River, eight miles from where he disappeared.
An autopsy concluded that his death was “accidental” and that there was no evidence of foul play.
It is not yet clear what the exact cause of his death was, or why Strain was in the river.
The student reportedly FaceTimed his mother Michelle Whiteid that evening and she said nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
His parents previously said police had called off the investigation into his disappearance because more clues seemed to be coming from the public than from officers.
The parents’ criticism of police comes after TikTokers found a crucial piece of evidence that investigators failed to uncover a week after Strain’s disappearance.
Anna Clemdening and Brandy Baenen had been searching through trash along the riverbank when they found Strain’s bank card.
“My stomach dropped,” Clendening said, describing the moment she turned the card over and revealed Strain’s name. “My innate reaction was, ‘Let’s keep looking.’
Strain’s family, who traveled from Missouri to Nashville for the search, shared the news that he had been found.
His mother, Michelle, said: “I’m asking all you mamas out there to hug your babies tight tonight, please.”
Michelle Strain Whiteid, the heartbroken mother of Riley Strain, broke her silence at a news conference just hours after her 22-year-old son was found dead in a river eight miles from where he disappeared in Nashville
She echoed the words of her husband Chris, Riley’s stepfather, and the 22-year-old’s father, Ryan Gilbert, about how much they appreciated the support from across the country.
Although the family had previously criticized police, Gilbert thanked the Metro Nashville Police Department for their efforts, as well as the volunteer United Cajun Navy.
“It’s just incredible what they’ve done for us,” Gilbert said.
Stepfather Chris thanked the entire Nashville community for helping him find Riley.
‘It was an emotional rollercoaster. We are very grateful for everything you have done for our family. The grace you have given us means much, more than you will ever know.”
“To the people of Nashville, I cannot thank you enough for the support, love and encouragement you have shown myself and my wife,” Chris said.