The grieving family of Riley Strain has completed a second private autopsy of their son as new details about his shocking discovery cast a shadow over his mysterious disappearance and death. .
The 22-year-old University of Missouri student died on March 8 after being kicked out of country star Luke Bryan’s honky-tonk bar in Nashville, according to a Metro Nashville Police Department preliminary autopsy report. It was determined that he had died due to a certain cause.
Strain’s body pulled from the Cumberland River two weeks after he disappeared, about eight miles from downtown Nashville.
Strain’s cowboy boots, pants and wallet were missing when he was found, and while police don’t suspect foul play, his loved ones don’t fully believe it.
“As the police state in their report, all they found with him was his watch and his shirt,” said family friend Chris Dingman. he told NewsNation.
The family analyzed photos taken of Riley and her friends the night she disappeared, and they found that Riley had a wallet in her front pocket and was wearing Justin square-nosed cowboy boots. Looks like it’s clear.
Dingman, who also serves as a family spokesman, said the additional autopsy was to answer questions the family had after Strain’s death.
“The family actually underwent a second autopsy in Tennessee, following the Metro Nashville autopsy, from a private, independent autopsy company,” Dingman told the outlet.
“The initial autopsy results were exactly the same as their (Metro Nashville) autopsy, with no obvious signs of trauma, such as a weapon, gun, or knife.”
The second autopsy focused on “further examination of certain matters”.
“What was confusing to the family was that the coroner was recording with the Nashville press about the lack of water in his lungs,” Dingman said.
He was found with no water in his lungs, which is usually part of the evidence found in drowning victims.
“Usually, having water in your lungs means your lungs were alive when you entered the water,” he added.
What you need to know about Riley Strain’s mysterious disappearance and death
Dingman said additional autopsies could answer additional questions the family still has.
“The family deserves more answers than we do.”
Detectives have not finished their investigation because there are still people who need to be questioned, including residents of a homeless camp near where Strain’s body was pulled from the river, the newspaper said.
Police initially had a person they wanted to talk to, but Dingman said police were no longer looking for that person and were instead interested in another person.
“We know from the homeless people who live there that that’s probably the person who was on the road when Riley fell into the bushes or something.”
Dingman said he believes someone had information about Strain before he disappeared.
“I think there are people out there who know what actually happened that night,” Dingman concluded.
