Lawyer breaks down wrongful death lawsuit filed by Riley Strain's family
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Roughly one year after 22-year-old Riley Strain's body was found in the Cumberland River in Nashville, his family filed a wrongful death lawsuit in the state of Missouri. In this week's Ask Isaacs, 6 News' Lori Tucker and Attorney Greg Isaacs discuss the case.
On March 8, 2024, University of Missouri student Riley Strain disappeared while on a fraternity trip in Nashville. Reports at the time said he was escorted out of Luke's 32 Bridge, a bar, after being served only one drink around 9:30 p.m. Later, video showed Strain walking nearby and appearing to lose his balance. His body was recovered from the Cumberland River on March 22, 2024, two weeks after he disappeared.
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An autopsy listed Strain's cause of death as 'drowning and ethanol intoxication' and said his death was accidental. His blood alcohol level was .228 and he also had Delta 9 in his system, but the report said there was no foul play-related trauma.
The lawsuit filed by Strain's family names the Delta Chi national fraternity, BCC Missouri, LLC, which owns the Delta Chi fraternity house at the University of Missouri, chapter advisors for the University of Missouri Delta Chi chapter, and individual fraternity officers and members. The lawsuit also makes multiple allegations of what may have happened before Strain's disappearance.
The lawsuit claims that Strain did not plan on attending the formal event, but agreed to after he was pressured by his fraternity brothers. Then, after he got on the chartered bus for the trip on Friday, March 8 2024, it was revealed that there was beer and pre-made 'Jello shots' that contained vodka, the lawsuit claims.
The lawsuit also claims that several hours after the group arrived in Nashville, Strain was observed acting unusual, but his fraternity brothers allowed him to continue drinking and even purchased drinks for him.
According to the lawsuit, Delta Chi had policies to prevent alcohol misuse and even had a PowerPoint presentation and online materials assuring parents that the organization would 'keep their children safe,' and specifically highlighted 'Delta Chi's stern stance on alcohol.'
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In addition to the claims of negligence and vicarious liability, the lawsuit also states that Strain's body was discovered in the Cumberland River, which was a four-minute walk from the bar Strain was escorted out from, but the hotel he was staying at was a 12-minute walk from the bar in another direction. The lawsuit also claims that Strain's parents were not contacted until approximately noon the following day and then Nashville Police were contacted.
In Tennessee, the statute of limitations for wrongful death claims is generally one year from the date of the injury that resulted in a person's death, according to the Isaacs Law Firm, but that limitation can be two years if there are criminal charges against a person who is alleged to have caused or contributed to a person's death.
If you have a legal question, send it to AskIsaacs@wate.com. To watch full episodes of Ask Isaacs, click here.
WATE's Lori Tucker and Attorney Greg Isaacs answer your legal questions from the WATE Alert Desk on Wednesdays at 2:30 p.m. and on WATE Channel 6 at 5:30 p.m.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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