Per WSMV, Riley Strain's family has hired the Morgan & Morgan personal injury law firm following a completed toxicology report. According to the Davidson County Medical Examiner's Office, the report "will be released along with the complete autopsy report when it is made public."
Strain, a 22-year-old man, went missing in Nashville, Tennessee. He was last seen alive on March 8, 2024, in downtown Nashville, where he'd been bar-hopping with some friends. The group ended up at Luke's 32 Bridge, a restaurant where Strain had been kicked out and began walking alone. Two weeks later, his body was pulled out of the Cumberland River.
During an initial autopsy, it was revealed the cause of death continued to appear accidental, with no signs of foul play-related trauma. Strain's family hired a private company to perform a second, independent autopsy to further detail what exactly had happened.
A friend of the Strains, Chris Dingman, spoke to NewsNation about the tragic death. "The original autopsy came out just like theirs did with, you know, no obvious signs of trauma, as in weapons, guns or knives or etc.," Dingman said. "But they were able to do a little bit more testing on specific items."
A police report stated that Riley didn't have his jeans or boots on, and his wallet wasn't recovered.
What Happened To Riley Strain?
Chris Dingman offered further clarification into the ongoing case. "The coroner [went] on record with a news person in Nashville stating about the lack of water in his lungs. It raises more questions, you know? I'm not a crime drama person by no means, but usually, water in the lungs means that, you know, they were alive when they went into the water."
Riley Strain's family demands answers. Per NewsNation, the family suspects that there's more to Strain's death than what was presented on the surface. Strain's stepfather, Chris Whiteid, believes there's some form of foul play present. "If he truly fell in the water, and you can prove that to me, show me," he said.
"I'll accept it. But I can tell you from all the stuff that we've done as far as searching, looking, taking pictures — I don't feel like it's really possible to happen. He may have fallen. Somebody helped him in the water."
