A Boone County judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by the family of Riley Strain, a University of Missouri student who was found dead in the Cumberland River in March 2024. Strain's family had alleged that the Delta Chi Fraternity and its members were negligent in his death.
The lawsuit, filed in March 2025, claimed that Strain was pressured by fraternity brothers to attend a 'spring formal' event where he consumed excessive alcohol. Court documents stated that Strain initially declined to attend but agreed after being pressured by peers. The filing also alleged that fraternity brothers failed to follow their own policies, which limit alcohol consumption to 15 percent alcohol by volume, and that they left Strain alone when he was visibly intoxicated.
Strain, 22, went missing on March 8, 2024, after a fraternity bar crawl in Nashville. Surveillance footage showed him being escorted out of Luke’s 32 Bridge Bar and later stumbling toward his hotel. He was reported missing by a friend the following day and his body was discovered in the Cumberland River two weeks later. An autopsy report indicated that Strain died from accidental alcohol poisoning and drowning, with a blood alcohol level of .228, which is nearly three times the legal limit.
Investigators found that Strain began drinking on a bus en route to Nashville, despite the driver's warning against it. He consumed at least two vodka shots and three IPA beers on the bus, according to a fraternity brother. After arriving in Nashville, he was observed drinking a Margarita within 30 minutes and was served alcohol multiple times throughout the evening. The police investigation also found traces of THC in his system.
During the night, a fraternity brother attempted to contact Strain by phone and heard him speaking with slurred speech, indicating he was on his way back to the hotel. However, fraternity members discovered he was not in his room or answering his phone around 1 a.m. They did not report him missing for approximately 12 hours.
This recent dismissal follows a partial dismissal of the case in December 2025. At that time, the judge expressed sympathy but noted that Strain's death resulted from his alcohol consumption and that there was no recognized "special relationship" that would create a duty of care between adult fraternity members. The family sought damages for funeral, medical, and burial expenses, as well as compensation for Strain's pain and suffering.