A homeless man living near Nashville's Cumberland River provided chilling details of encountering Riley Strain, a missing college student, on the night of March 8.
Recalling the incident in an interview with Fox17 aired on Sunday, the man, who wished to remain anonymous, described Strain as "very, very intoxicated," recounting how the young man nearly stumbled into the river's edge after being ejected from a local bar.
MISSING, PLEASE #SHARE 🚨 Riley Strain's friends told police they lost sight of him after he was told to leave Luke Bryan's bar Friday night. https://t.co/U8AhWFsUpQ
— FoxNashville (@FOXNashville) March 11, 2024
According to the homeless man, he heard a commotion that night and observed Strain stumbling dangerously close to the water's edge. "He almost fell over the edge right there. The last bush right there caught him," he recounted.
He promptly alerted someone closer to the street to check on Strain, but they dismissed his concerns, attributing Strain's state to intoxication.
Strain, a towering 6-foot-7 finance major from the University of Missouri, had been in Nashville with his fraternity brothers for an annual event.
After being kicked out of Luke Bryan's honky-tonk bar, Luke's 32 Bridge, due to intoxication, he went missing. Despite informing his companions that he would return to their hotel, Strain wandered off in the opposite direction, eventually reaching an area near the James Robertson Bridge, where transient individuals reside.
Although surveillance footage captured Strain near the Cumberland River, extensive search efforts along the riverfront yielded no substantial leads regarding his whereabouts.
During a search on Sunday, police found Strain's bank card on the embankment between Gay St. and the Cumberland River, renewing hopes of finding him.
Strain's parents expressed anguish, alleging that a bartender had "overserved" their son, who was attempting to settle his tab when he was ejected from the bar.
The establishment refuted this claim, stating that Strain had been served only one alcoholic beverage and two glasses of water.
The discovery of Strain's bank card prompted renewed efforts to locate him, with his parents and authorities fervently hoping for his safe return.
The homeless man's eyewitness account also provided a glimpse into the troubling circumstances surrounding Strain's disappearance, further underscoring the urgency of the search efforts.
As the investigation continues and the search for Strain intensifies, the Nashville community remains united in its determination to find answers and bring closure to his distraught family.
