Family of college student Riley Strain point fingers in lawsuit for his death a year after

The heartbroken family of Riley Strain, who died on a college trip to Nashville one year ago, have filed a lawsuit against his fraternity. 

Relatives of Strain have accused members of the Delta Chi fraternity at the University of Missouri of not following the rules when they left their intoxicated son alone on March 8, 2024. They believe this act directly led to his death.

The young man’s parents and step-parents – Michelle Whiteid, Christopher Whiteid, Robert Ryan Gilbert, and Melissa Gilbert – have brought forward allegations of negligence against the fraternity. They claim that the lack of proper safety measures during the Nashville trip is what ultimately led to the tragic outcome.

After being ejected from a bar in Nashville on March 8, Strain disappeared, sparking a widespread search effort. It wasn’t until 14 days later that he was discovered eight miles away, submerged in the Cumberland River.

A medical examiner concluded that Strain died as a result of drowning and intoxication in a tragedy which was deemed an accident. He had a blood alcohol content of .228 – almost three times the legal driving limit. 

The student’s family have filed their lawsuit in Boone County, Missouri, taking aim at 32 people, including fraternity chapter presidents, recruitment chairs and other members. 

They have requested a trial by jury while seeking compensation and damages for expenses incurred from Strain’s death. Their lawsuit recounts the harrowing details of the night he died, and what led up to it. 

According to the family, Strain was an ‘often-reserved young man who did not tend to go with the typical fraternity flow’ and he did not initially plan to attend the Nashville trip, known as their Spring formal. 

The heartbroken family of Riley Strain (pictured), who died on a college trip to Nashville one year ago, have filed a lawsuit against his fraternity

Strain’s relatives, including his mother Michelle Whiteid and her partner Christopher Whiteid (pictured together above) have accused University of Missouri Delta Chi members of failing to follow policy by leaving their intoxicated son ‘abandoned and alone’ on the night he died

But they say he was ‘pressured’ into attending by fraternity brothers, and he agreed to attend after their ‘continued cajoling’. 

On March 8, Strain boarded the charter bus from the fraternity house in Columbia, Missouri, to Nashville, Tennessee, which was loaded with pre-made vodka Jello shots. 

‘Although it was supposed to be prohibited, this type of conduct was typical for the Delta Chi formal. It would have disastrous results for Riley,’ the lawsuit reads.

When the group arrived in Nashville, ‘several fraternity members noticed that Riley was acting unusual’ according to the suit. ‘He began to have difficulty speaking, walking, and interacting with those around him.’

His parents said that by the time the group reached the final bar of the night, Strain was ‘virtually incoherent’. 

Describing Strain’s drunken demeanor as shown in surveillance footage of his final hours, they said ‘he was leaning against walls to stay upright, stumbling up and down steps, was completely unable to speak or communicate, and needed help’. 

They say that rather than ‘go with Riley, make sure he was safe and take care of him’, his fraternity brothers chose to ‘continue partying’. 

‘After being kicked out of the bar, Riley was lost,’ the lawsuit reads. 

‘Without help, he immediately began walking in the wrong direction and away from the hotel where the fraternity was staying and towards the Cumberland River.

‘He began stumbling and falling while walking on flat surfaces. Rather than having the support of his brothers, Riley was abandoned and alone.’

Pictured: Michelle Strain Whiteid, left, and her husband, Chris Whiteid, speak to the media during a press conference to update the public about the disappearance of Riley Strain

Strain disappeared just before 10pm on March 8, but his fraternity brothers ‘failed to notice’. 

‘By approximately 1:00 a.m. on March 9, 2024, most of the Delta Chi group returned to the hotel,’ the lawsuit reads.

‘Riley’s roommates for the night saw that Riley was not in the room and did nothing. 

‘There was no search, no panic, and no one called 9-1-1 to report that Riley had failed to make the twelve (12) minute walk back to the hotel in over three hours.

‘The fraternity brothers did not even think to call Riley’s parents, they simply got ready for bed and went to sleep.’

The parents said they were ‘eventually’ called, and Nashville Police were contacted at around noon on March 9. 

‘On March 22, 2024, Riley was found face down in the Cumberland River, the banks of which were a four-minute walk from the bar where Riley was deserted by his “brothers”,’ the lawsuit reads. 

The devastated family is pushing for compensation of an unspecified amount. 

Strain’s parents also previously said cops butchered the investigation into his disappearance, as more clues seemed to have come from the public than officers.

Their criticism came after TikTokers found a crucial piece of evidence that investigators failed to discover over a week after Strain went missing.

Riley Strain falls to the ground before stumbling off after being thrown out of Nashville bar 

Strain’s relatives said they staunchly believe the missing college student is still alive – and they want the FBI to step in and take over the investigation from the Nashville cops

Anna Clemdening and Brandy Baenen had been rummaging through trash along the riverbank when they located Strain’s bank card.

In May last year, his heartbroken parents also bravely walked onto stage at the University of Missouri and accepted Strain’s diploma from the Mizzou College of Arts and Science.

His mother wept and held his diploma up to the sky as students stood and cheered in a standing ovation in his honor.

Despite the family previously criticizing the police, Gilbert thanked the Metro Nashville Police Department for their efforts, as well as the volunteer United Cajun Navy.

‘It’s just unbelievable what they’ve done for us,’ Gilbert said.

Stepfather Chris thanked the entire Nashville community for their help in trying to find Riley.

‘To the people of Nashville, I can’t thank you enough for the support, the love, the encouragement that you’ve shown myself and my wife,’ Chris said.

‘It’s been an emotional rollercoaster. We’re quite thankful for everything that you’ve done for our family. The grace that you’ve given us, it means a lot, more than you’ll ever know.’