Riley Strain's parents believe someone 'helped him in to the water' and are ... trends now
Riley Strain's parents believe that someone helped the 22-year-old get into the water where he was found dead 14 days after vanishing as they slam his frat brothers for partying during the search.
In a new interview, Strain's family told NewsNation's Brian Entin that they are yet to see convincing evidence that Strain fell into the river where his body was discovered by accident.
'If he truly fell in the water, and you can prove that to me, show me,' his stepfather, Chris Whiteid, said.
'I'll accept it. But I can tell you from all the stuff that we've done as far as searching, looking, taking pictures - I don't feel like it's really possible to happen. He may have fallen. Somebody helped him in the water,' Whiteid said.
The 22-year-old University of Missouri student's body was recovered on March 22 in the Cumberland River in Nashville - where he had been visiting with his fraternity brothers before disappearing.
Riley, 22, had been partying in Nashville with his Delta Chi fraternity for their annual spring formal trip, before he was kicked out of a bar around 10pm. He was found 14 days later in the Cumberland River
'If he truly fell in the water, and you can prove that to me, show me,' his stepfather, Chris Whiteid, said
Strain, 22, was found half-naked in the Cumberland River. Although an autopsy ruled out foul play, his family say they are not convinced
A preliminary autopsy found that his death was 'accidental' with no trauma to suggest foul play.
The medical examiner said there was no water in Strain's lungs - a detail which, along with the uphill terrain and lack of cuts and bruises, made it difficult for investigators to piece together his mysterious death.
Strain's stepfather believes that if Strain had fallen into the water, he would have hit his head or had other injuries. 'No cuts or scrapes or anything serious like that,' Whiteid said.
Strain's family recently slammed members of his fraternity for continuing to party the night after he went missing, despite the frantic search party.
'Why wouldn't they have called the police when they got back at 3:15 in the morning and didn't see him then?' she said to NewsNation, adding that the teens didn't go to the police until after midday the next day.
Michelle Whiteid, Strain's mother, said she has been left confused at the actions taken by his friends in the day after he vanished, including failing to join the search after they drove to Nashville.
On the night Strain went missing, he had been partying in Nashville with his Delta Chi fraternity for their annual spring formal trip, before he was kicked out of a bar around 10pm.
Surveillance footage showed him stumbling around the streets of Nashville in the hours after he was kicked out, and his fraternity brothers reportedly failed to locate him through Snapchat when they couldn't find him.
Although an exhaustive search was launched the day after Strain vanished, his mother, father, stepfather and stepmother family told NewsNation that his fraternity brothers acted in an 'appalling' way soon after.
Whiteid (center, with his father Ryan Gilbert left, stepmother left center and
