A Tennessee bar that kicked out a man last week allegedly prevented him from waiting outside for his friends before his disappearance.
A family friend told the Kansas City Star that a bouncer at Luke Bryan’s bar in Nashville would not allow Riley Strain, 22, to wait outside as his friends closed their tabs. Strain, who was reportedly ousted from the bar via a side door, was missing by the time his friends left.
“The last contact with his friends was after he left Luke Bryan’s,” Metro Nashville Police Cold Case Sgt. Bob Nielsen told WSMV. “I believe one of them tried to reach out to him. I don’t remember if it was by phone or by text. I think he said…it sounded like he was outside. He could hear a lot of loud noise outside but couldn’t get any more information because he wasn’t able to actually speak to him.”
Reports indicated that Strain was kicked out because staff believed he had too much to drink. The Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission is investigating whether the bar overserved him the night of his March 8 disappearance.
This week, Nashville police released surveillance footage apparently showing Strain walking across the street shortly before his disappearance. Additionally, a local smoke shop provided WZTV with possible footage of Strain running and falling after leaving Luke Bryan’s bar.
Detectives today continue to pursue tips & investigative leads concerning missing person Riley Strain, 22. Strain, wearing a 2-tone shirt, is seen in this video crossing 1st Ave N to Gay St (right to left), at 9:47 p.m. Fri. Have info about him? Plz 📞 615-742-7463. pic.twitter.com/fE86dlqeOC
— Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) March 12, 2024
A follow-up 911 call suggests that the initial call to 911 was placed on Saturday afternoon, 16 hours after Strain was last seen. At some point, Strain’s friends tried to report him missing at a police precinct and to Davidson County police.
Strain, a University of Missouri student, was in Nashville for a fraternity conference at the time of his disappearance. His family claimed they last tracked his phone to a location less than a mile from the bar he was ousted from. Strain’s location was unavailable on Snapchat and his phone eventually went straight to voicemail.
Strain was described as being 6 feet, 5 inches tall, weighing 160 pounds, and having blue eyes and blonde hair. He was last seen wearing a brown button-up shirt with a black chest pocket, blue jeans, brown boots, and a black Apple watch.
Police are reportedly obtaining information from Strain’s phone and Apple Watch, which remains unaccounted for.
For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast.
[Feature Photo: Riley Strain/Facebook]
