In the ongoing quest for answers surrounding the disappearance of University of Missouri student Riley Strain, a recent Nashville bar dispute has injected a new sense of urgency into the search efforts.
The circumstances surrounding Strain's vanishing act have left investigators and loved ones alike grappling for clues in a complex puzzle of events.
Riley Strain Disappearance: Nashville Bar Dispute Intensifies Search
The University of Missouri student who disappeared following his removal from a Nashville bar had only consumed one alcoholic beverage before being asked to leave Luke Bryan's bar, according to the bar's owners.
Luke's 32 Bridge + Drink, owned by TC Restaurant Group, released a statement indicating that Riley Strain, aged 22, had been served one alcoholic drink and two glasses of water during his visit to the downtown Nashville bar while on a trip with his fraternity for a spring formal event.
Security footage shows Strain's last appearance just before 10 p.m. on March 8, where he can be seen swaying and performing a full 360-degree turn before continuing his walk.
According to Luke's 32 Bridge + Drink, Strain was escorted out by security at 9:35 p.m., as per their conduct standards. However, the statement did not elaborate on Strain's behavior that led to his removal.
The bar mentioned that Strain was escorted out through the Broadway exit at the front of the building, with a friend accompanying him down the stairs before returning upstairs to the bar.
Aaron Rummage, the communications director for the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission, stated earlier in the week that they were investigating whether Strain had been served alcohol while visibly intoxicated.
Luke's 32 Bridge + Drink stated that they have been actively communicating with the TABC and are willing to provide any necessary records to aid in the investigation.
The bar also mentioned their cooperation with the Nashville Metro Police Department, providing them with security camera footage, photos of Strain at their establishment with timestamps, transaction records, and staff testimonies in their efforts to locate the missing individual.
Chris Whiteid, Strain's stepfather, revealed in an interview that Strain had informed his friends about returning to his hotel when he left the bar. However, he never made it back to the hotel, raising concerns about his whereabouts.
University of Missouri Missing Student
Riley Strain, is a senior, was last spotted on Friday night at a popular bar in Nashville's lively Broadway area, part of a trip with his fraternity brothers for their spring formal event, according to reports from the St. Louis-Post Dispatch.
However, Strain got separated from his friends after being asked to leave Luke Bryan's bar, Luke's 32 Bridge Food + Drink.
His friends noticed his absence when they returned to Tempo Hotel, prompting concerns as his phone was found dead and his room key left behind.
His family, including Whiteid and Michelle Whiteid, journeyed from Springfield, Missouri, to Nashville to aid in the search efforts.
Security footage from the MNPD captured Strain heading in an unexpected direction, crossing 1st Avenue North to Gay Street and later seen walking north between James Robertson Parkway and Woodland Street Bridge.
Nashville police, led by Sergeant Robert Neilsen, have launched an extensive search operation utilizing ground, air, and riverbank searches near Strain's last known whereabouts. They are also awaiting data from Strain's cell phone and Apple Watch to piece together his movements.
