Drama Unfolds Surrounding Riley Strain’s Autopsy Report

The University of Missouri student Riley Strain disappeared on March 8. His body was discovered in the Cumberland River two weeks later.

As The Blast previously reported, the 22-year-old was last seen visiting bars in downtown Nashville with his fraternity brothers. He was reportedly kicked out of Luke Bryan’s establishment around 9:35 p.m. His fraternity brothers did not leave with him and allegedly planned to meet him back at the hotel. However, Riley was nowhere to be found when they returned.

After a two-week-long search, his body was found in a river nearby. Preliminary results from both the toxicology and autopsy showed that Strain died from an accidental drowning and that there were no signs of foul play.

Following the results of the toxicology and autopsy, Riley Strain’s family hired a private investigator, who has cast doubts on the results.

After 14 days of searching, the body of Riley Strain was discovered in Nashville’s Cumberland River. Several personal belongings and clothing items, including his phone, pants, belt, wallet, and boots, were not retrieved.

”We’ve had a lot of questions as far as pants, belt, wallet, boots, and none of those items have been found,” Ryan Gilbert, Riley’s father, said at the time, per KY3. “We’re pretty certain that he would have been wearing a belt at the time.”

However, his wallet was found near the river a few days prior.

“They removed something from the river, and as they moved it, they noticed Mr. Strain and called it in,” Metropolitan Nashville Police Department Chief John Drake said after finding his body.

After seeing the results of the first autopsy, which claims he died from an accidental drowning, the Strain Family ordered a second autopsy.

According to Taste Of Country, Strain’s family investigator, Steve Fischer, is questioning the certainty of reports indicating that Riley Strain’s toxicology and autopsy reports have been finalized. According to Fischer, the family is awaiting the official results to be disclosed.

An investigator hired by Riley Strain’s family claims that the autopsy and toxicology findings that circulated last weekend are “lies.”

The toxicology report was said to have been completed a month ago but was delayed until the full autopsy was finalized. On Thursday, June 6, News Channel 5 in Nashville reported that all findings had concluded, and all signs indicated an accidental death and drowning.

Days later, another private investigator, Jennifer Coffindaffer, took to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, claiming, “The full autopsy has been released and there are no signs of foul play. There were no drugs in his system and no signs of trauma.”

Strain’s private investigator clapped back, stating, “The tweet from Coffindaffer is completely wrong. As of 1 PM Nashville time on June 10, 2024, the autopsy of Riley Strain is still pending.”

He later attacked Coffindaffer’s credentials, claiming she “is literally the joke amongst law enforcement.” The post has since been deleted.

“As usual, her findings are wrong,” he said in another post. “Out of respect to the family, I’m not going to comment on the tox report any further until it’s officially released. I will only comment if I get a statement from Dr. Li at the Medical Examiner’s Office. I contacted him about @CoffindafferFBI lies and asked him to provide a statement. If he does, I will post it, otherwise I will comment after it’s released. Trust me, Jennifer is lying. That’s all I have to say about it.”

Riley Strain reportedly told his mother that the rum and coke he had ordered at Luke Bryan’s 32 Bridge bar didn’t taste good. She said she advised her son that he probably shouldn’t have been drinking it and should order a new one. However, it’s unclear whether he actually drank it or not.

“Perhaps there was something in the drink that shouldn’t have been there,” she mentioned to NewsNation.

As previously reported by The Blast, the bar stated that Riley was served only one drink along with two glasses of water.

Questions should be answered soon as the full autopsy is expected to be released in the coming weeks.