In a tragic turn of events, Riley Strain, a 22-year-old college student, was found dead in the Cumberland River in Nashville.
The police have disclosed that Strain had consumed a significant amount of alcohol prior to his untimely demise.
As reported by One America News, the young man, whose body was discovered on March 22, had been heavily indulging in alcohol before he mysteriously disappeared. The police, after conducting interviews with Strain's fraternity brothers from Delta Chi, concluded that he had consumed between 12 to 15 drinks before his death. The fraternity brothers also revealed that despite a "no alcohol on the bus" rule imposed by the bus driver, the group had been drinking during their journey to Nashville for a fraternity formal.
One fraternity member recounted that Strain had consumed at least five drinks, two vodka shots, and three IPAs. David Easlick, an attorney known for suing fraternities for student deaths or injuries, pointed out that the amount of alcohol in those drinks contravenes Delta Chi's own rules. This revelation comes in the wake of a webinar for parents on the Delta Chi national fraternity's website, which stated, "No drink with more than 15% alcohol content can be served at a fraternity function unless a licensed third party serves it."
On the day of the incident, the fraternity group arrived in Nashville around 4:30 p.m. Surveillance footage showed Strain sipping a margarita less than 30 minutes later. Despite his multiple bar visits that evening, he was served alcohol three times without any apparent signs of intoxication. By 8:40 p.m., he was observed stumbling several times.
At approximately 9:38 p.m., Strain was last seen being escorted out of Luke Bryans bar following a dispute with the staff. The bar, in a statement issued on March 15th, said, "At 9:35 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. He was followed down the stairs with one member of his party. The individual with Riley did not exit and returned upstairs."
A fraternity brother reported to the police that he had a phone conversation with Strain at 9:47 p.m., during which Strain's speech was slurred and he mentioned he was heading to their hotel. A homeless man later informed the police that he saw a "very, very intoxicated" young man nearly stumble over the edge of a trail into the Cumberland River.
The following day, Strain was reported missing. His body was found two weeks later, eight miles downstream from where he was last seen. Although the family initially suspected foul play, the autopsy report revealed that the cause of death was "drowning and ethanol intoxication," with a blood alcohol content of .228.
A spokesperson for the University of Missouri stated that the fraternity's formal was a private event and the group had no current conduct violations. As this tragic incident unfolds, it serves as a stark reminder of the potential dangers of excessive alcohol consumption, particularly among young adults.
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