University of Missouri student missing in Nashville, family desperate for information

(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) — The family of a University of Missouri student is desperate for information after the 22-year-old went missing while visiting Nashville, according to authorities.

Riley Strain was last seen by friends at 9:52 p.m. Friday after drinking downtown at a bar on Gay Street in the city’s Broadway area, Nashville police said.

“He was excited ’cause he was out, and he was sending me pictures at the different bars they were going to. And he was having fun with his fraternity brothers,” his mom, Michelle Whiteid, told ABC News.

“Riley is a very fun-loving, charismatic kid,” she said.

“We know the timeframe between when he left the bar and when his last phone ping was,” his stepfather, Chris Whiteid, told Nashville ABC affiliate WKRN.

Detectives have combed the ground, and a Nashville police helicopter on Monday searched the downtown area, including the riverbank, police said.

The University of Missouri said Strain was in Nashville “to attend a private event.”

“The university has been in touch with the family and authorities in Nashville who are working to find Strain,” the university said in a statement on Monday.

“The safety of our community is our highest priority,” Angela King Taylor, interim vice chancellor for Student Affairs, added. “Our thoughts are with Riley’s family as the search continues. We will be offering any support to them that we can, and we encourage anyone who needs help to reach out to our counseling resources.”

Strain is 6 feet, 5 inches tall and has blue eyes and light brown hair, police said. Anyone who sees him is asked to call Nashville police at 615-862-8600.

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