Police: Riley Strain had 12-15 alcoholic drinks before his death

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - The University of Missouri student who died in March by drowning in the Cumberland River after a night out in downtown Nashville consumed between 12 to 15 alcoholic drinks before his death, a Metro Nashville police investigation found.

Strain’s cause of death was drowning and ethanol intoxication. He was found to have a blood alcohol level of .228.

Following Strain’s death, the Tennessee Alcohol Beverage Commission determined that the 22-year-old hadn’t been overserved the evening of March 8 in downtown bars.

To understand how the TABC investigator could determine that Strain hadn’t been overserved but still had a blood alcohol level three times the amount allowed to drive a vehicle, WSMV4 Investigates obtained the police investigative file.

It shows the first revelations into what happened in the hours before Strain’s death.

Investigators with MNPD conducted interviews with Strain’s Delta Chi fraternity members, who had traveled by four buses from the University of Missouri to Nashville for a fraternity formal.

Two of Strain’s fraternity brothers said while Strain’s bus driver was strictly enforcing no alcohol on the bus, that “the group was drinking.” A fraternity brother said Strain had at least five drinks, including two vodka shots and three IPAs.

The level of alcohol in those drinks could become important, according to David Easlick, an attorney who operated a national fraternity for 29 years and now sues fraternities after the death or injuries of students.

WSMV4 Investigates shared the police findings with Easlick, who said the amount of alcohol in those drinks violates the chapter’s own rules.

A webinar for parents on Delta Chi’s national fraternity website states that no drink with more than 15 percent alcohol can be served at a fraternity function unless it is served by a licensed third party.

In the online seminar, Davis Millard, associate executive director of Delta Chi, can be heard saying violating the guideline will lead to punishment.

“If a chapter doesn’t comply with these, they will be placed on a corrective action or probation status,” said Millard.

Easlick said the 15 percent rule was developed by fraternities for risk management.

“Obviously a vodka shot has way more alcohol than 15 percent,” said WSMV4 Investigates.

“This is basically an out-of-control party situation,” Easlick said.

There is no mention in the investigative file of who else on the buses was drinking or if a licensed third party was serving drinks.

According to a fraternity brother, the groups arrived in Nashville at 4:30 in the afternoon on March 8. By 4:55, a video at Casa Rosa in downtown Nashville shows Strain drinking a margarita, according to TABC investigators.

Those same TABC investigators reviewed footage from all the bars Strain visited that night and found he was served alcohol three times.

The footage, according to a TABC spokesman, showed no indication that Strain was visibly drunk when he was served. It is unclear how and where Strain consumed all the 12-15 alcoholic drinks estimated by MNPD.

“I was amazed to find out he was basically comatose and had been served an amazing amount of alcohol,” Easlick said.

WSMV4 Investigates asked Easlick about the responsibility of all those involved.

“Riley was 22 years old, a grown man by many standards. Nobody wanted this to happen to this young man. But how much personal responsibility is here, versus the responsibility the fraternity has?” asked WSMV4 Investigates.

“It’s the lifestyle of the Greek world. I’m sure (Strain) has some responsibility because he was 22,” Easlick said.

While video of Strain, recorded earlier in the night, shows him able to stand and carry on conversations, investigators’ notes show by 8:40, he began to stumble repeatedly.

After an argument with staff, investigators’ notes show he was escorted out of Luke 32′s Bridge at 9:38.

According to TABC investigators, fraternity members continued on with the party.

One of Strain’s fraternity brothers told police he reached Strain by phone at 9:47, describing that Strain was speaking with a slurred speech and indicated he was on his way back to the hotel.

The next morning after 1:00 a.m., fraternity members discovered that Strain was not in his room or answering his phone.

911 call records show fraternity members did not report him missing to police until 1:46 p.m. that afternoon. WSMV4 Investigates took police findings to both the national chapter of Delta Chi and to the University of Missouri.

A Delta Chi spokesman would not agree to an interview, only referring to a statement previously posted about the fraternity’s sadness about Strain’s death.

A spokesman for the University of Missouri also denied our request, stating in an email that the fraternity formal was a private Delta Chi event and confirmed that the fraternity has no outstanding student/organization conduct violations. “For the school to sit there and say they’re in good standing, that’s morally offensive. After what happened to that kid?” Easlick said.

“A lot of parents of college students will see this story. What do we learn from this?” asked WSMV4 Investigates.

“All (fraternities) stuff for parents, how they have risk management, they condemn alcohol abuse, it’s baloney,” Easlick said.

For two weeks, WSMV4 Investigates shared our findings with Strain’s family, in an effort to let them see police findings before they were broadcast.

The family said they have forwarded our findings to their attorney for review.

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