According to an investigation released by the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC), Missouri college student Riley Strain was not served alcohol the night he disappeared in Nashville despite being visibly intoxicated.
On March 8, 2024, Strain went on a sorority outing in downtown Nashville. The Delta Chi brothers visited celebrity bars in Music City’s popular Broadway district, including Miranda Lambert’s Casa Rosa and Garth Brooks’ Friends in Low Places Bar & Honky Tonk.
Strain’s body was found in the Cumberland River after an extensive search. A toxicology report released earlier this month listed the cause of death as drowning and ethanol poisoning. The same report released by the Tennessee Chief Medical Examiner also ruled Strain’s death accidental.
Riley Strain’s cause of death announced: Drowning, ethanol poisoning kills college student during night out
The TABC released a report this week after a “comprehensive investigation” that found no wrongdoing at the bar involved the night Strain disappeared.
“While the circumstances of Mr. Strain’s death are tragic, TABC’s investigation into whether he was served alcohol while visibly intoxicated on the evening of March 8, 2024, did not yield any concrete evidence, such as witness testimony or video evidence of any violations,” according to a TABC report obtained by Fox News Digital.
A report released by TABC found that a Nashville bar hadn’t committed any wrongdoing after college student Riley Strain disappeared the night of March 8. (Getty Images, Associated Press)
“While the evidence, including toxicology reports, indicates that Mr Strain became intoxicated during the course of the evening, there is no clear evidence that he was served alcoholic beverages on licensed premises while clearly intoxicated.”
On the night of March 8, surveillance footage shows Strain visiting at least four bars in the area, including Casa Rosa, Friends in Low Places Bar & Honky Tonk, Kid Rock’s Big A–Honky Tonk & Steakhouse and Luke’s 32 Bridge Bar.
Riley Strain Found: Nashville police find body of college student who went missing after night out
The sorority boys had visited Luke Bryan twice that night, once before and once after their bar crawl at Kid Rock’s Honky Tonk, and Strain had consumed at least seven alcoholic drinks before starting with a margarita “at approximately 4:30 p.m.”, according to the investigation.
According to witness testimony collected during the TABC investigation, Luke Bryan’s “[a Delta Chi brother] Riley began slurring his speech so they gave him two glasses of water. … The bartender heard Riley slurring his speech so they told the bouncer to remove Riley from the rooftop bar.”
A neon sign above the entrance to Luke’s 32 Bridge, a restaurant, bar and live music venue in Nashville’s Entertainment District. (Robert Alexander/Getty Images)
The report detailed the events of that night, adding that “at approximately 10 p.m., Mr. Strain was ejected from Luke’s 32 Bridge Bar, located at 301 Broadway in Nashville.” Surveillance footage showed Mr. Strain leaving the bar alone, but his whereabouts after that are unknown.
Following Strain’s death, TABC said:[s] All establishments that serve alcohol must provide frequent retraining to employees on safe alcohol handling. This mandatory training, required prior to obtaining a TABC Server Permit, covers the behavioral effects of alcohol on the body and factors that influence alcohol absorption.”
“Our deepest condolences go out to Mr. Strain’s family during this difficult time,” Aaron Ramage, TABC’s director of legislative, policy and communications, added in an email to Fox News Digital.
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The bar Strain visited the night he disappeared did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
