Police investigation has revealed that tragic student Riley Strain consumed as many as 15 alcoholic drinks on the night of his disappearance.
A new report into the March drowning death of 22-year-old Strain in Nashville’s Cumberland River began while he was drinking on a bus headed to Nashville bars with his Delta Chi fraternity brothers.
He did this despite the fact that the driver had warned the University of Missouri students that alcohol consumption was prohibited.
One of Strain’s fraternity brothers said he had at least two shots of vodka and three IPA beers on the bus, WSMV reported.
When Strain arrived in Nashville at 4:30 p.m. on March 8, he was caught drinking a margarita within 30 minutes.
Days after Nashville teen Riley Strain was discovered to have died of alcohol poisoning and drowning, investigators were able to trace the final hours of his life in a new report
An examination of footage from bars in downtown Nashville revealed that Strain was served alcohol three more times throughout the evening.
That puts the deceased student at about nine drinks. Nashville Metropolitan Police won’t say where they believe the other three drinks were consumed.
Strain’s disappearance became a major story, and his body was found in the river two weeks later. Grisly footage showed him walking unimpeded on his final journey, with the drowning ruled an accident.
In June, autopsy reports showed that Strain died of alcohol poisoning and drowning. Are His blood alcohol level was 0.228, which is three times the legal limit.
The student’s body also contained traces of Delta 9, a form of THC that is legal and readily available in Tennessee.
Video footage recorded earlier that night shows him able to stand and talk comfortably again.
But around 8:40 p.m., he began stumbling repeatedly and started showing signs of intoxication.
At approximately 9:28 p.m., staff members at Luke 32’s escorted Bridge Strain out of their bar after he got into a fight and began walking drunk down the street
At approximately 9:28 p.m., Strain was escorted out of their bar by staff members at Luke 32’s Bridge after getting into an argument.
The bar had previously stated that they had only sold Strain one alcoholic drink before asking him to leave.
According to investigators with the Tennessee Alcohol Beverage Commission, the fraternity members continued to party despite the teen being ejected from the bar.
One of the fraternity brothers later told police that he had tried to reach Strain by phone at 9:47 a.m., but all he could hear was the deceased speaking in slurred speech.
During the phone call, the now completely drunk Strain indicated that he was on his way back to the hotel.
One of the fraternity brothers later told police that he had contacted Strain by phone at 9:47 a.m., but that all he heard was the deceased speaking with slurred speech.
But around 1 a.m., his fellow fraternity members discovered that he was not in his room and was not answering the phone.
According to 911 records, the group didn’t report him missing to police until 1:46 p.m., more than 12 hours after they discovered he was missing.
Chilling footage collected by police at Downtown Smoke & Vape Shop on Church Street showed Strain near the intersection of 2nd Avenue and Church Street.
The apparently drunk student, wearing a two-tone black/brown shirt and blue jeans, fell, but quickly got up and continued walking down the street.
Another camera captured him stumbling through the streets with his head down just before 10 p.m. near the intersection of Gay Street and 1st Avenue North.
The student reportedly spoke to his mother Michelle Whiteid via FaceTime that evening, and she said nothing seemed unusual.
The student reportedly spoke with his mother Michelle Whiteid via FaceTime that evening, and she said nothing appeared unusual.
A spokesperson for the University of Missouri said WMSV that the formal fraternity party was a private Delta Chi event and that the fraternity has no outstanding student/organizational conduct violations.
David Easlick, an attorney who sues fraternities after student deaths or injuries, said, “For the school to sit there and say they’re in good shape is morally offensive. After what happened to that kid?
“All this stuff about parents, how they do risk management, how they condemn alcohol abuse, it’s all nonsense,” Easlick said.