In brief but tearful comments, the parents of missing University of Missouri student Riley Strain, who went missing after a night out in Downtown Nashville, Tennessee, on March 8, pleaded with the public for help in finding their 22-year-old son.
On the banks of the Cumberland River near where Mr. Strain was last seen on surveillance video released by the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, the parents were joined by representatives from MNPD and the United Cajun Navy (UC Navy) to provide an update and announce the organization of a search party.
“With the boys, they’re heartbroken also, he’s their best friend and we love these boys like our own,” Riley’s mother, Michelle Strain Whiteid, said of the friends who were accompanying him on the night out.
“It’s just as hard on them as it is on us,” she continued before breaking down in tears and her husband joining in to say their focus right now is to bring their son home.
UC Navy Assisting
The UC Navy, an organization founded in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana, responds to natural disasters and other incidents of significance such as missing persons investigations around the United States.“We’ve been reached out to and we’ve spoken with Dave with the United Cajun Navy,” Chris Whiteid, Strain’s stepfather, said Tuesday. “We feel that we need the extra resources to come in and help us as we try to get more organized for our family, and see if we can’t bring some more clues to light.”
UC Navy National Director of Operations David “Dave” Flagg, a retired Pennsylvania State Trooper, said he was currently the only boots-on-the-ground representative in Nashville, but that “would change shortly.”
The organization is all volunteers, so he said the number of people on the scene to assist with the ground search could fluctuate from two to 200. He added that they were going to get as many people as they could associated with their organization to assist.
The organization is also bringing two boats to perform water searches but added the terrain around the river would make for a “very difficult” ground search for both people and tracking dogs.
Mr. Flagg also urged those posting on social media about the disappearance of Mr. Strain to avoid posting things they would not like to see about their own loved one if they were in such a situation.
“There has been a lot of chatter on social media about the police not handling this investigation properly,” Mr. Flagg said. “If you’re not a trained police officer, your speculation is just that—speculation…Think real hard about what you’re going to post before you post it, and that goes as well for posts about the family and about this investigation. The family doesn’t really need to see posts on social media that say, well maybe there was a serial killer out there and that’s where he jumped him in the water. That’s not cool.”
He added they would search more than just the area where Mr. Strain was last seen on video, including canvassing some homeless encampments to see if they could gather any additional information.
Police Provide Update
Detective Anthony Chandler and Sergeant Bob Nelson from MNPD’s homicide cold case unit discussed the ongoing investigation and confirmed there has been no evidence to suggest foul play in Riley’s disappearance. MNPD has searched both on land and in the river for him, but to no avail thus far.Mr. Strain was in Nashville for a fraternity trip and was last seen on surveillance video after being kicked out of country music star Luke Brian’s bar on Nashville’s Lower Broadway, a hub in the city for various bars and entertainment options.
Police have released some video of Mr. Strain that showed him walking from the bar in the direction of the Cumberland River, at one point stumbling to the ground before getting back up.
On Monday, after releasing various other videos in the days immediately following Mr. Strain’s disappearance, the police released a previously unseen video of the young man briefly interacting with an officer on the night of his disappearance.
Despite earlier released videos showing him stumbling, authorities said in Tuesday’s press conference he did not seem to be in distress or injured when police encountered him.
The department is actively following up on a large volume of leads and information, prioritizing the actual tips people had called in from other well-meaning but less helpful calls of people offering theories on what happened. A debit card was found by two volunteer searchers belonging to Mr. Strain on the banks of the river, but police have thus far said it has offered no significant leads.
The men also highlighted the challenge posed by the terrain in the search area and the efforts to ensure the safety of search teams, noting the use of the Urban Search and Rescue team, which has experience with the terrain, to ensure safety while searching, just as the UC Navy has similar experience and safety protocols as opposed to everyday private citizens.
They reassured the community that the search for Riley remains a top priority and that they are utilizing all available resources to locate him. The officials also addressed some concerns and questions from the media, emphasizing the importance of maintaining the integrity of the investigation and respecting the family’s privacy during this difficult time.
