Body of missing student Riley Strain recovered from Cumberland River in Nashville: Latest updates

At one point, a debit card on a river embankment was the only major clue in the disappearance of University of Missouri student Riley Strain – and it was discovered by two TikTokkers.

Read more from The Independent’s Andrea Cavallier:

Country music star Carly Pearce dedicated a song to Riley Strain while performing in Missouri, the state where the 22-year-old attended school.

“I do not feel like I can live in Nashville and be in the state of Missouri tonight and not say that we love you Riley Strain,” Ms Pearce said from the stage Friday night. “I just want to say that I’m thinking of his family and I’m thinking of his friends and anybody that knows him in this room that knows him. And I want to dedicate this to them.”

Ms Pearce posted about Strain earlier this week, just two days before his body was found.

Riley Strain was thrown out of a restaurant and bar owned by musician Luke Bryan just minutes before surveillance footage captured him alive for the last time.

Luke’s 32 Bridge Food + Drink, owned by Mr Bryan, issued a statement to CNN explaining why staff removed Strain from the premises.

“At 9:38 p.m., our security team made a decision based on our conduct standards to escort him from the venue through our Broadway exit at the front of our building.” The restaurant also told the outlet staff served Strain two waters and one alcoholic drink before he left.

In total, Nashville, Tennessee authorities received more than 200 tips in connection to the disappearance of Riley Strain since he vanished on 8 March.

Now that rescue crews have recovered his body from the Cumberland River, the Nashville community has again come together to mourn the 22-year-old.

Riley Strain’s parents and relatives gave an emotional statement on Friday evening, all wearing green — the student’s favourite colour.

Riley’s mother, Michelle Whiteid, gave an emotional address to members of the media after her son’s body was recovered from the Cumberland River.

“I just want to reiterate how thankful we are for everyone, how much we appreciate everyone’s support,” Ms Whiteid said.

“I just ask that you mamas out there hug your babies tight tonight, please, for me,” she continued.

In a press briefing, Nashville police said that a worker spotted a body in the river around 7.28am that morning. The worker was removing an object from the river, when the body surfaced.

The Nashville Fire Department was called in to the scene and recovered the body from the water.

Before authorities recovered his body from the Cumberland River, Riley Strain was last seen via surveillance footage after being asked to leave a bar earlier this month.

To honour Strain, his family and Nashville community members held a candlelight vigil on the same street shown in the footage.

Riley Strain, the 22-year-old University of Missouri student whose body was recovered from the Cumberland River on Friday, was missing for two weeks.

From The Independent, a timeline of Strain’s disappearance, including the last moments he was seen alive:

Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell urged residents and visitors to be cautious and to be mindful of each other in the city in the wake of Riley Strain’s death.

“I think this is an important reminder to everyone to also look out for one another,” Mr O’Connell said during a Friday morning meeting. “You know, I think some of this is just about how we as a city look after each other as neighbors and as people interacting in the entertainment district.”