March 19, 2024 • 38 mins
Riley Strain and his fraternity brothers at Delta Chi take a break from studies at the University of Missouri to attend the fraternity's annual spring formal in Nashville.
Strain and the group arrive in Nashville on Friday, March 8, check into the Tempo Hotel, then head out for a night on the town. Riley Strain does a Facetime call with his mom at 7:30 p.m., then heads out.
Just over two hours later at 9:35 p.m., Riley Strain is escorted out of Luke Bryan's bar on Broadway. Telling his fraternity brothers he will meet them at the hotel, he heads out into the night, alone.
Riley Strain never makes it to the hotel.
Joining Nancy Grace Today:
Chris Dingman - Close family friend and spokesperson for the family; GoFundme: @RileyStrain; Venmo: @Prayers-for-Riley-Strain
Ben Powers - Attorney with Legal Powers PLLC, IG: legal powers, Facebook: Legal Powers PLLC
Steve Fischer - Missing Persons Private Investigator, Search & Rescue Specialist, & Owner of Search Investigations; X: @SF_Investigates (helping in the search for Riley)
Dr. Bethany Marshall – Psychoanalyst (Beverly Hills); X: @DrBethanyLive/ Instagram & TikTok: drbethanymarshall; Appearing in “Paris in Love” on Peacock
Dryden Quigley - Reporter for WSMV 4 in Nashville; IG: @drydenreports/FB: @Dryden Quigley WSMV4/ X: @drydenquigley
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
At this hour, the mystery deepens in the search for
missing Riley Strain.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
I mean you see, Grace, this is Crime Stories.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
Thank you for being with us here at Crime Stories
and on Serious XM one eleven.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
How can you turn a deaf ear to this? Listen,
play and talk to my boy for over.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
A week.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
And his art.
Speaker 4 (00:35):
Excited somebody that gives up a part of their life
to help you find your life. It's amazing.
Speaker 5 (00:43):
Thank you for getting the word out and keeping the
word out. And please keep don't stop sharing. Don't stop
sharing until we bring rightly home. Please just continue.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
I've got such a bad feeling. Where is Riley? This
kid scrubbed in sunshine? This is the boy every mom
wants their boy to be like, Okay, the apple of
his family's You were hearing his mother begging and pleading, crying,
(01:19):
trying to speak through tears, asking us to help Tip
line six one five eight six y two eighty six
hundred repeat six five eight six two eighty six hundred.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Now is the.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
Time for us to act in the search for Riley Strange.
And I've got to tell you one hundred a thousand
times mothers would come to me at trial and even
now begging for help. But at trial you have to
keep a clear head, unclouded with emotion, and look at
(01:56):
the facts in order to help the family. I want
you to hear the original nine to one one call.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
Listen, who is it that you're wanting to report is missing?
Speaker 6 (02:07):
It's we're here on a fraternity formal trip. It's it's
one of my good buddies.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
Okay. What is his name?
Speaker 6 (02:14):
His name is Riley Straine, Riley r I L E
Y Straane.
Speaker 5 (02:19):
S T R A I N.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
Okay? Is he white? Black? Hispanic Asian?
Speaker 6 (02:25):
He's white. He's white, twenty two year old, six five blonde.
Speaker 3 (02:32):
Okay.
Speaker 6 (02:34):
And what was he last man wearing outside of Luke
Brian's bar last night at like ten and then the
last time his location on his phone was by the
Sheriff's office like eleven pm.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
Okay? What color clothing was he last man wearing.
Speaker 6 (02:52):
He's wearing jeans, boots and a half black shirt, half brown,
light brown.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
You're hearing a good of Riley's trains calling nine one one.
And how ironic is that one of his last pings,
the location on the phone was at the Sheriff's office
in front of near around the Sheriff's office, no network
or phone service since nine fifty three p m.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
Where is Riley?
Speaker 1 (03:21):
Joining me in all star panel to make sense of
what we know right now, I'm going to play you
more of the nine to one one call because I
have learned with working with so many many juries as
a felony prosecutor. That takes you to the moment and
you can learn so much about probative facts, facts that
proves something that help you find the person. But first
(03:43):
I want to go to a special guest joining us,
Chris Dingman, a very dear family friend of the Strains,
and you can find them on to go fund me
at Riley's Strain. Chris, thank you for being with us.
What is the frame of mind of the family right
now in the search for their son.
Speaker 7 (04:03):
The family's completely devastated, you know, we're ten eleven days
into this. Really rightly just disappeared in thin air, and
we try to keep faith, We keep hope. The ironic
part of not having clues means we have hope he's
still there lost. Somebody may know where he is, but
(04:24):
it is truly devastating on the family.
Speaker 1 (04:26):
And shortly, speaking of clues, we are going to be
joined by the woman who may have found the single
most important clue as of right now. Back to you,
Chris Dingman, a very dear friend and spokesman for Riley's family.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
How did this whole thing unfold?
Speaker 1 (04:44):
When did Riley's parents discover he's missing? I mean, it's
every parent's worst nightmare, you know, Chris. I work every day,
sometimes holding down two sometimes three jobs because I want
to make a college fund for my children to get
through high school. You know, give them tutors if they needed,
(05:04):
get them to college, give them every opportunity that a
lot of people, including myself, never had to make it
easier for them. So Riley gets to college. He's doing great,
He makes friends in his fraternity. I think it was
Delta Kai. Everything's going fine. He goes on their formal,
(05:25):
which all the college kids do, and all of a sudden,
Mom gets a call He's gone.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
How does that happen?
Speaker 1 (05:34):
You put all your love, all your energy, all your money,
everything into helping your children. You think going to college
is the thing to do, and bam, he's gone.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
What happened?
Speaker 8 (05:46):
Yeah?
Speaker 7 (05:46):
The family was actually notified at about ten thirty Saturday
morning by his fraternity brothers wanting to know if they
had heard from Riley, because as we all know now,
he did not come back to his hotel room. The
family instantly told the boy, please contacted the police, go
down to the police station. They started packing a few
clothes together, constantly reaching out for Riley, hopped in a
(06:09):
car and started hitting that way. This process of reporting
Riley missing started actually at ten thirty Saturday morning, and
an official report that we have been shown didn't take
place till one sometime in that area.
Speaker 6 (06:24):
That's how long it.
Speaker 7 (06:24):
Took for the boys to actually get somebody to follow
an official report, with a lot of confusion on why
that took that, but yeah, the family was actually notified
about ten thirty Saturday morning.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
Okay, guys, you're hearing Chris Dingman joining us a very
dear friend of the Riley Strain family. Guys, I want
to hear more of that nine one one call. They
were hitting straight out to Dryden Quigley, WSMV four investigative
reporter for the very latest.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
But let's hear the nine to one one call. Listen,
and you.
Speaker 3 (06:57):
Said it last show outside the Sheriff's department like around
that area by the river by the Sheriff's department over there. Okay,
does he have any life sustaining medications or disabilities? No,
you said he has a phone. So it's a cell phone, right, yeah?
Speaker 6 (07:14):
Did iPhone fifteen promax?
Speaker 3 (07:17):
What is the number?
Speaker 6 (07:18):
But it's hold on all. Are you ready?
Speaker 4 (07:23):
Yes?
Speaker 3 (07:23):
Go ahead? You said the last four. We're forty one
ninety eight.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (07:32):
Okay. Are you going to be waiting at the at
the door of the precinct or are you going to
be waiting in your car?
Speaker 6 (07:40):
I mean yeah, we're at the front door of the precinct.
Speaker 3 (07:43):
Okay, I've got to call sent there at the Central
Precinct six o one Korea Veterans Bullivoard and downtown right
across the Music City Center. We'll get an ulcer out
to you as soon as we can. Please tell us
back if something changes before they arrive.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
So when you look back, when you look back on
every thing that happens, in every case, you think would have,
could have, should have.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
They should have done the report earlier.
Speaker 1 (08:05):
We should have this, we should have had bottom line,
Riley Strain is missing his parents, asking us for their
help again. Tip line six one five eight six two
eighty six hundred. So, Chris Dingman, you're telling me that
the mom and or dad get a message the following
(08:26):
morning at ten ish a m. They ask the fraternity brother, quick, quick,
go report him missing right now, and they head to
the area.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
Is that correct? Yes?
Speaker 7 (08:40):
Yes, they were in Springfield, Missouri, where you know, Riley
was born and raised, and that's where we are. And uh, Instantly,
when a parent gets that message, you know, you're mortified.
What's going on, you know, especially when you're six or
seven hours away from your kid, you know. And they
they helped in a vehicle through some clothes together, was
constantly trying to reach out to Riley on their journey
(09:02):
there with the unfortunately no response.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
Oh cool, you know what that's reminding me of, Chris Dingman.
I'm in New York where we lived with the children
at that time. They're about, oh gosh, eight nine years old,
had just gotten them to bed and get a call.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
My dad is on life support.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
I get one sentence off to him, Daddy, I'm on
the way, and within fifteen minutes we were out on
the street in pajamas trying to hell a cab all right,
and the whole way trying to get back home to
make in Georgia just in fits tied up in knots.
I can only imagine what Riley's parents were going through
(09:49):
as they drove all the way to where he goes
missing and speaking off straight out to Dryden Quigley, investigative
reporter WSMV four, thank you for being with us. First
of all, describe the area where we believe Riley went missing. Guys,
I'm about to go to the woman who has found
what could be the single most important physical clue yet.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
Go ahead, Dryden.
Speaker 9 (10:14):
So, the last place that he was spotted on the
video camera is kind of up a street and it's
going along the Cumberland River where there's a pretty steep
drop off down there. Different areas have steeper than other parts,
but you can last see him crossing this street and
kind of heading up towards under these two bridges where
he's last seen.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
You know, I'm very curious, is it true, Dryden Quigley
WSMV four that Riley was headed toward a homeless encampment.
Speaker 9 (10:44):
So along that drop off between the Gay Street and
Cumberland River, there's this bank and it is where a
lot of people spend the night and sleep along there
and then under the two bridges as well.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
Yes, what people? What people?
Speaker 7 (10:58):
What?
Speaker 1 (10:58):
Boy scout campers? Who it's staying out there under bridges?
Speaker 10 (11:02):
People?
Speaker 9 (11:02):
Yeah, who don't have it anywhere else to go. You know,
there's a lot of trash down there too, and so
that comes into play later when looking for Riley's possessions too.
Speaker 1 (11:10):
Is it true that drugs are used in that area
by the homeless people?
Speaker 9 (11:16):
I can't say that for sure. I haven't seen it myself,
but I would believe it's possible.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
Yeah, So did he realize he's headed for an encampment
of homeless people where drugs apparently are used openly, as
we have seen now developing across the country.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
Time Stories with Nancy Grace.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
Guys, we've been playing the nine to one one call.
We're telling you the very latest of what you know.
But now I want you to hear from a volunteer
searchy searcher, Brandy Baynan, who lives in Nashville and possibly
has found the single most important physical clue yet. I'm
(12:18):
so grateful Brandy could speak to us. First of all,
listen to what she tells us regarding what she was
looking for when she found the clue.
Speaker 11 (12:30):
We were looking for either his boots, shirt, he has
a bright blue wallet, any of those indications. But we
went down the and we went down to the embankment
and walked along the river until we got to underneath
the bridge, which is one of the last known vicinities
that he was in, and we started just digging around,
(12:52):
rummaging as much as we can, and about I want
to say, we were there into that part for maybe
twenty or thirty minutes, and there's about three ledges and
the third bottom ledge, which it's very hard to explain,
so I'm sorry if that is hard to imagine. And
I saw a card right there and flipped it over
(13:13):
to look at the backside because it was just like
the bank on the front, and saw his name, and
she goes, oh my god, we found his card and
I was like, no, we didn't. And right there we
were both instantly shocked. Our stomachs dropped, and then we
were both like, we have to keep going, Like this
means we have to keep going.
Speaker 1 (13:31):
I can't imagine what went through everyone's minds when they
realize they have found evidence. Liz, we actually have sound
of that discovery.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
Everybody listen.
Speaker 12 (13:43):
I don't think they do right here, or at least
for that guy's tendons, because you're talking about.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
How cold what.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
You want?
Speaker 2 (13:52):
His credit card?
Speaker 3 (13:53):
We found his credit card.
Speaker 11 (13:54):
We gonna hang out, We gotta hang up the phone.
Speaker 1 (13:55):
Oh my god, guys, I'm just trying to take in
that moment where they find the piece of evidence. And
I want to make something very very clear, Chris Dingman,
This young boy, Riley Strain, has no history at all
ever of drug use, never has been thrown out of school,
(14:19):
never has been in treatment, not even a disorderly conduct
crossing the street, jaywalking, nothing.
Speaker 2 (14:27):
Isn't that true? Chris Dingman?
Speaker 7 (14:29):
One hundred percent? Yeah, Riley was this straightforward kid. You know,
we've had a lot of people be you know, question
us and go, I can't believe he's that good of
a kid. And all you have to do is ever
be just a little bit of his life, just a
blimp meeting anywhere, and you instantly knew that the pictures
that everybody's been sharing with him smiling, that truly was
(14:49):
that kid. He was an awesome boy, and we want
him back and he is an awesome boy.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
You know, you just brought me to tears.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
Because it reminds me so much of my son John David.
And people are always saying, how can one kid be
so good natured and so joyful.
Speaker 2 (15:07):
I mean, you know what his.
Speaker 1 (15:08):
Nickname is here at the house, Awesome. His nickname is Awesome,
And just thinking about him completely innocent. I mean doctor
Bethany Marshall joining me, high profile psycho analyst joining us
out of la and you can find her at doctor
Bethany Marshall dot com.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
Doctor Bethany.
Speaker 1 (15:28):
When I talk about this homeless encampment and how drugs
allegedly are being openly sold and used, this is not
about Riley going down to get drugs.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
He has no history of that at all. Zero.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
He was out with his friends on the fraternity formal weekend.
He get wanders off alone and this is where his
bank card is found. It's like a lamb being led
to the slaughter, doctor Bethany.
Speaker 8 (16:05):
Exactly, Nancy. It sounds to me like Riley was extremely disoriented.
He thought he was going back to his hotel room.
He no longer had his friends with him, and he
was simply walking the wrong direction and he walked right
into the jaws of danger.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
And now, I mean, what happens.
Speaker 8 (16:20):
In these homeless encampments is that they are communities. Nancy,
and everybody in the homeless encampment tends to know each other.
They watch out after each other, They sometimes exchange food,
they look after each other's kids. They're like little tiny cities.
Speaker 1 (16:36):
What and that?
Speaker 2 (16:36):
Hey are you talking about woman? I mean, doctor Bethany.
Speaker 1 (16:41):
This is not a commune where they're raising organic food
and singing kumbe bay ya every night there. God bless
them for their misfortune. But there are drugs being openly sold,
hard drugs, needle drugs.
Speaker 2 (16:59):
Bethy. I don't know what world you're coming from.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
But you send a kid straight out of high school
down there. But that's the last thing I'm going to
do is send John, David and Lucy under a bridge.
Speaker 8 (17:11):
Absolutely absolutely well. What I was going to say was
that the fact that he was not a part of
this group and he walked in made him extremely vulnerable.
It was a very precarious situation, walking into a group
of desperate people. And this is like a child, like
a little lamb, being led to the slaughter. He did
not know what he was getting into.
Speaker 2 (17:31):
Guys.
Speaker 1 (17:31):
I want to circle back to what we know again,
a volunteer searcher who spends her own valuable private time
helping in the search for Riley has found a very
significant piece of physical evidence. It's Brandy Bane, and volunteer searcher,
and I want you to hear what she has to
(17:53):
say about why Brandy is searching for Riley.
Speaker 11 (17:58):
I personally started going out Tuesday night. I went on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday.
I was do some TikTok lives with a friend while
I was searching, because I was kind of going on
my own, and Anna happened to see one of those
TikTok lives and she messaged me and asked us she
could come join the next day, and she did, and
(18:18):
that gave me. That gave me the ability to be
able to go all the way down to the embankment,
because I couldn't just do it with myself. In case
something were to happen, no one would know, or my
friend on TikTok wouldn't really be able to help me.
So Anna was brave enough to go down with that
with me, and so we went searching and we happened
to find something.
Speaker 1 (18:38):
There is no way in Chi double l No way
in chi double l that Riley's trying to hear what
she just said. That she didn't know if she was
brave enough to go down down the slope into that area.
She was afraid. And that is in broad daylight. And
(19:00):
here walks in Riley into this area late late at night.
What happened to him? Where is he? I need to
get a clearer picture about exactly where the bank card
was found.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
Let's listen to Brandy Baynen.
Speaker 11 (19:17):
It was an embankment. So there was like a there's
a brick wall because there is a so we're underneath
the bridge. So then if you're up on the sidewalk,
there's a fence and there's a brick wall that comes
down if you're under the embankment. Then and then that
brick wall kind of turns into some mud and rocks, trees,
and then that goes into another ledge similar ledge, which
(19:39):
goes into another one which then goes into rocks, which
then turns into the river. So it was in that
third little ledge of mud dirt, and then you have
to and right now in Nashville, it is full of
garbage there. So we were actually rummaging through trash, absolute trash,
(20:00):
everything that you can imagine, including things that were dangerous
to us, like we saw some needles and things like that.
Speaker 1 (20:05):
Yeah, Bethany, the peace loving people down under that bridge
and their hypodermic needles. It'd be a cold day in
hell before I would let my children go down there.
And here's Riley's strain. I mean, he's basically straight out
of high school. I'm just trying to get an understanding
about what Brandy Bainen is saying, because from what she's describing,
(20:25):
there is no way that that bank card of Riley's
trains could have fallen in that location. Let me understand, no,
listen what Brandy Baynen says about the card's location.
Speaker 11 (20:40):
I personally do not think that that card could have
landed there from just like stumbling and losing your card
out of your hand, because it would have had to
go down a few ludges. Now, it has been some
time that's passed since the eighth and then we did
have rain on the exact week after that Friday, so
(21:05):
I don't know what that would do at all, if
that would affect it at all. But when we found
the card, it wasn't actually covered up that much. There
was some leaves and she saw the blue in it.
Speaker 1 (21:22):
Guys, we're trying to determine the significance of the location
of Riley Strain's bank card.
Speaker 2 (21:32):
And I have a reason for doing this.
Speaker 1 (21:35):
I remember in one murder case and the guy was
a serial killer, but I could get him.
Speaker 2 (21:39):
On one case, it was.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
Jane Doe, and I found one of her earrings in
a particular location, and the fact that it was there
proved volumes to me. I learned that that was a
tertiary crime scene, which led me then to the secondary
and the primary crime scene because of that one earring. Now,
(22:02):
let's think what this bank card means.
Speaker 12 (22:05):
I don't think they do right here, or at least
for that guy's tentons, because you're talking about how.
Speaker 2 (22:11):
Cold what.
Speaker 12 (22:14):
You want?
Speaker 2 (22:14):
His credit card?
Speaker 3 (22:15):
We find his credit card.
Speaker 11 (22:16):
We gotta hang out, we gotta hang.
Speaker 3 (22:17):
Up the phone.
Speaker 1 (22:17):
Oh my god, Riley Strain was not going on a
leisurely stroll.
Speaker 2 (22:23):
Amongst these rocks down by the river.
Speaker 1 (22:27):
That did not happen and back to Dryden quickly joining
US investigative reporter WSMV Fort Nashville. I understand that one
of the homeless gentlemen that was there claims that he
heard a quote commotion around the time we believe Riley
Strain may have been there. What can you tell me
(22:50):
about that, Dryden?
Speaker 9 (22:51):
So, I didn't speak with that homeless person myself, but
it has been reported that, yes, he was he during
around that time. He heard a commotion after he saw
Riley walk through there. That's all he said about it,
or was reported about it. But I didn't speak with
him myself.
Speaker 1 (23:07):
Also emerging in the search for Riley's Strain is surveillance video.
But first I want to ask Chris Dingman, Chris a
very dear family friend of the Strain and speaking for them, Chris,
what is the reaction from the parents regarding the discovery
that Brayden made of the bank card.
Speaker 7 (23:28):
I'm extremely happy you're asking me that. I actually had
friends of the family that was very close to the
young ladies when they found it. I got a phone
call Sunday afternoon. They were super excited. They go, we
found his card, and I said, can you go to them?
They were within about one hundred yards of each other,
(23:48):
and she said yeah, And I said, do me a favor.
I said, I know the bank that Riley uses. Unfortunately,
and you've dealt with this a lot. There are a
lot of people that will do fake cards, fake ID
and throw them in crime scenes just to be cruel.
And I wanted to make sure before this went at least,
(24:09):
you know, went wild, that I notified the family. The
young ladies instantly took a picture of the card sent
to me. I knew at that moment that's Riley's card.
I contacted the family, said, hey, this is the pinpoint.
They've dropped me a pin one of the young ladies,
I asked her, I said, please.
Speaker 2 (24:27):
Down nine one one.
Speaker 7 (24:29):
I'm going to get a hold of the family. The
other person that contacted me, she was actually in a
close proximity of some police that were actually there with
canines and had been searching the area a little bit
farther away. I told her, I said, please go get
the police. Take them directly to those young ladies. We
(24:50):
need to secure that area. And the young girls, as
you've kind of heard in their voices, they were just
as static, they were nervous, they were scared. And I
told her, I said, I need you to do something
for me, please. I said, you're about to be bombarded
with one hundred plus people. You guys, we live on TikTok.
Everybody kind of has a ballpark. I do where you are.
(25:11):
I need that crime scene secured. Please, if people come
up there, tell them to stand back till the police
get here so we can do a formal investigation in
that exact area. One thing that struck out to me.
I don't know if you have physically seen the picture
of the card, and I'm glad the young lady brought
that up and we discussed this. That card is not dirty.
(25:33):
It's not filthy for a car that had been laying
on the ground for nine days, not in the water
or even remotely close to the water. In essence to
the storms that they had. There's constant moisture down there,
there's constant windflow down there, and there was no visible
signs of you know, the frisbee. The kids leave the
frisbee out in the yard. Two days later, you go out,
(25:55):
it's covered in dew and and little dirt particles. That's
seem to me to be very very strange. So I
would love to see your take on that.
Speaker 1 (26:04):
You know, I find that very interesting, the point that
you're bringing out that the card was not weathered at all.
Joining me is Steve Fisher, missing person's private investigator, search
and rescue specialist, owner of Search Investigations. Find that at
Searchinvestigations dot Org. Steve Fisher, thank you for being with us.
What does that tell you? I find it very primitive.
Speaker 10 (26:25):
I think one thing that's important to realize is that
the river levels on the at ten pm night he
went missing.
Speaker 2 (26:33):
We're seven feet.
Speaker 10 (26:34):
Higher than when the women found the card, So the
water level was significantly higher, which is why you see
the different color, the darker rocks.
Speaker 2 (26:43):
So it's a controlled river.
Speaker 10 (26:45):
They had let a lot of you know, outflow out
of it, so that could have been submerged in simply
the water level coming down, and that would account for
why the card is so clean.
Speaker 2 (26:56):
Hold on, Steve Fisher.
Speaker 1 (26:57):
What about the fact, as we just heard from Braden,
that it was wedged and it didn't get there innocently.
Speaker 10 (27:06):
From what I understood, I did watch the video of
when they uncovered it. I think it was under some
a little bit of debris, and you know, we'll never
know for certain, but in search and rescue, you know,
we're looking for a last known position and it's the
same spot that the cell phone last ping dat on
(27:27):
life three sixty. You know, originally told it was fifty
to one hundred feet on the south side of that bridge,
which is right where this card ended up. Also, so
I think, you know, there's a likelihood that it just
could be the waterflow is the reason that it was
found on the embankment.
Speaker 1 (27:46):
Ben Powers is joining us high profile lawyer out of Nashville,
and you can find him at legalpowers dot com. Ben Powers,
thank you so much for being with us. What can
you tell us about your knowledge of the case and
your insight into what's happening right now?
Speaker 4 (28:01):
Well, so, right now, it sounds like the investigation has
locked in a really narrow timeline of how that evening went,
you know, from being removed from the bar, to the
various surveillance footage, to the ping from the cell phone,
all the way to the debit card down at the
river bank. The debit card at the river bank is
curious because it's not with his wallet, there's no other
(28:23):
possessions with him, and it was found amongst what we
might call trash. But since it is a homeless encampment,
that could be personal possessions of someone that lives down there.
Maybe they were trying to discard the debit card, or
maybe there's no foul play at all. It's a little
too early to try to make a determination one where
the other as to that type of conclusion. But the
(28:43):
investigation has been very thorough. They've used canines, they've used sonar,
they've used helicopters, they've used drones, volunteers as the volunteers
that found the debit card, So it is a very thorough,
extensive investigation. It's just that this narrow time frame is
so curious because they have him on video going down
(29:04):
Gay Street, but they don't have him on video at
the courthouse, which is just at the other end of
the Gay Street where the video last saw him. And
they have an officer that was on scene investigating a
claim of vehicle burglary. He didn't hear or see anything
out of the ordinary.
Speaker 2 (29:21):
And they do have.
Speaker 4 (29:22):
One of the benefits of that homeless encampment is, as
are been stated, there's at least one witness that hurt
some commotion, but that's a relatively large community down there,
so I suspect that there's other witnesses that just haven't
come forward yet with what may have happened that evening.
Speaker 6 (29:53):
Time.
Speaker 2 (29:53):
Stories with Nancy Grace.
Speaker 1 (29:58):
Luckily in this case, we also have gramy surveillance video
that is emerging.
Speaker 4 (30:19):
How you doing, sir, I'm good.
Speaker 2 (30:21):
How are you good? Guys?
Speaker 1 (30:28):
This is the most recent video surveillance that we have
obtained to Dryden Quigley WSMV four.
Speaker 9 (30:38):
So we're looking right now at Metro Police's bodyguard camera,
body warn camera. He's out there responding to I believe
it was a burglary call, and he runs into Riley.
He greet said, and he says hi. Now. Riley keeps
walking down that street and just a few feet away
you can actually see the bridge in the video. That's
where Riley's phone last pinged. Was there for another forty
(31:01):
five minutes, and he says he didn't hear anything out
of the ordinary. That bridge over there is the last
spot not Riley's phone went off. But it took until
today or yesterday to have this video come out.
Speaker 1 (31:12):
Riley, he's coherent, everything's fine. He's speaking to the officer.
The officer looks like he's doing a safety check in
a parking lot, just poking around late at night. He's
walking normally. He's not drunk, he's not on drugs. He's
wearing the clothes that was described that were described by
his friends.
Speaker 2 (31:32):
Is he walking toward or away from the bridge? Dryden? Quickly?
Speaker 9 (31:36):
He is walking towards it. He kind of turns around,
so it's hard to see bs. Riley's on his way
towards that first bridge.
Speaker 1 (31:42):
Okay, what would be on the other side of the
bridge Dryden?
Speaker 9 (31:46):
So there are two bridges actually, but between them and
down the side there are usually people either sleeping under
the bridge or down the side again of the embankment,
very close to where his credit card was found.
Speaker 1 (31:59):
So you're telling me that the homeless encampment was down
the side of that bridge toward which he is headed.
Speaker 2 (32:08):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (32:09):
Have there ever been ambushes there of people crossing the
bridge or approaching the bridge at night that we know of?
Speaker 2 (32:17):
No, not that I know.
Speaker 1 (32:19):
To Chris Dingman, what if anything, do we know where
was he headed?
Speaker 7 (32:25):
And I can help you out with a lot of
your questions. Unfortunately, unfortunately the way the videos released us
that day is kind of the way that you have
laid him out just then. What we do know is
the one video where Riley is running through the parking
lot and falls down. That is the first video of
those three, there was an altercation in that intersection. There
(32:48):
was an altercation with two gentlemen in that intersection. We
think Riley was walking up to it, saw the altercation,
and decided to go around the back of the food truck.
And that's why he was at a little bit of
you know, a faster gallop per se. The family we
have personally been to that food truck and look at
their footage.
Speaker 4 (33:06):
That's how we know.
Speaker 7 (33:08):
You know, initially people were thinking Riley was attacked in
that intersection. He was not. We think the reason Riley
started to run a little bit. We think the reason
Riley started to run a little bit is one of
the people in the altercation started running. We think one
of the people that was in altercation took off running
behind the food truck towards the fire truck. And that's
(33:30):
why Riley just microseconds, wow, I need to move.
Speaker 4 (33:35):
That's why he.
Speaker 7 (33:35):
Started running behind the truck. The second video is where
he's walking along the wall. It's kind of a dark area.
You'll notice he keeps reaching up towards the back of
his body. The first video, unfortunately, when Riley goes down,
there's a concrete pole for that parking lot and Riley
went into it aggressively. He went shoulders and then hit
(33:57):
his head into that as he was going down. You'll
in that video he's there for you know, one, two, three,
four seconds before he gets himself and his bearings back up.
The video too that, you know, that's why we thank it.
At first we thought maybe he was trying to take
his phone to his ear, but after putting the pieces
together in order, Riley you know, was probably rubbing his
(34:18):
neck and shoulders from hitting the concrete barricade. The next video,
where he is crossing the street where the construction barricade is,
he walks right along the construction barricade. Whatever happened with
you know, him hitting his shoulders and neck as he's
coming through here, I think he kind of comes out
of the ether as we say, you know when you
when you have an abrupt movement against your body, because
(34:41):
his body motions go back towards more normal. The fourth
video and the last video that we have of anything
seeing Riley, will be the police video. So I just
wanted to help you guys with that and put it
in progression so people would understand the timeline, the wild
part and the young lady from Nashville with the media.
I think, I think this is all within about a
(35:01):
five minute window and very close proximity of each other
of these videos as they go by.
Speaker 1 (35:08):
From what I know right now Steve Fisher joining us
from Searchinvestigations dot Org, there has been no additional cell
phone activity or bank card credit card activity since Riley
went missing.
Speaker 2 (35:25):
What does that tell.
Speaker 10 (35:26):
You, Well, I mean tell me that everything stopped right there.
And you know, as we're looking at the surveillance is
what literally every case comes down to. And one thing
I think is important in this and you know, like Chris,
the know is you know, right across the river is
thoroughly covered. You got the Tennessee Titans Stadium, and then
you've got a Marathon oil facility. And I've been dealing
(35:49):
with the Titans. They did not capture anything. However, the
Marathon facility, you know, has I talked to the head
of security there on Sunday. They have not been contacted
by law enforcement. Their barges are literally right across from
where that debit card was found, and they have a
lot of surveillance because they got to protect that facility
against people coming in from the water. So I was
(36:12):
in touch with with her. They were going to pull
all the footage on Monday morning. I let the detective know.
He didn't get back to me, but then communications stop,
so I think there was a halt put to that.
But I would just, you know, want Chris to know that.
I think there is significant surveillance available right across the river.
Speaker 2 (36:30):
So we need that barge video pronto. Yes, yes, I
was supposed to have it. I was supposed to get
that Monday.
Speaker 1 (36:37):
Doctor Bethany Marshall joining us a psychoanalyst out of LA
Doctor Bethany Marshall dot com Doctor Bethany. So often citizen
investigations tips are discounted, but if it weren't for citizen sleuths,
we would never have found Gabby Potito.
Speaker 2 (36:57):
That would never have happened.
Speaker 1 (36:58):
She was out in the middle of no we're literally
dispersed camping. In this case, A private citizen finds the
bank card, and I believe there are more people that
can tell us where is Riley.
Speaker 2 (37:13):
I believe that, So why is that not happening?
Speaker 8 (37:16):
You know, Nancy, I was just thinking about Gabby Patito.
It was people who were influencers, who were crowdsourcing information.
In some ways, Nancy, they were more motivated to solve
the crime than the police. Where the police see so
much they can become jaded, overwhelmed. Maybe they're understaffed.
Speaker 2 (37:35):
I don't know. I can't speak to that.
Speaker 8 (37:37):
But in terms of crowdsourcing information, people care about Riley Strain.
They see this blonde, good looking young man, educated from
a family who loves him, and they want to know
what happened. So I'm wondering, are the police plumbing this
very rich source. Are they're asking other people what happened?
(37:59):
Because this is where a lot of clues could be found.
Speaker 1 (38:02):
Again, the tip line is six one five eight six
two eighty six hundred. If you know or think you
know anything about the disappearance of this young man literally
scrubbed in sunshine, please call six one five eighty six
two eighty six hundred. All of our efforts, thoughts and
(38:26):
prayers with Raleigh Strain and his family.
Speaker 2 (38:30):
Now goodbye, friend.
At this hour, the mystery deepens in the search for
missing Riley Strain.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
I mean you see, Grace, this is Crime Stories.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
Thank you for being with us here at Crime Stories
and on Serious XM one eleven.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
How can you turn a deaf ear to this? Listen,
play and talk to my boy for over.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
A week.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
And his art.
Speaker 4 (00:35):
Excited somebody that gives up a part of their life
to help you find your life. It's amazing.
Speaker 5 (00:43):
Thank you for getting the word out and keeping the
word out. And please keep don't stop sharing. Don't stop
sharing until we bring rightly home. Please just continue.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
I've got such a bad feeling. Where is Riley? This
kid scrubbed in sunshine? This is the boy every mom
wants their boy to be like, Okay, the apple of
his family's You were hearing his mother begging and pleading, crying,
(01:19):
trying to speak through tears, asking us to help Tip
line six one five eight six y two eighty six
hundred repeat six five eight six two eighty six hundred.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Now is the.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
Time for us to act in the search for Riley Strange.
And I've got to tell you one hundred a thousand
times mothers would come to me at trial and even
now begging for help. But at trial you have to
keep a clear head, unclouded with emotion, and look at
(01:56):
the facts in order to help the family. I want
you to hear the original nine to one one call.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
Listen, who is it that you're wanting to report is missing?
Speaker 6 (02:07):
It's we're here on a fraternity formal trip. It's it's
one of my good buddies.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
Okay. What is his name?
Speaker 6 (02:14):
His name is Riley Straine, Riley r I L E
Y Straane.
Speaker 5 (02:19):
S T R A I N.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
Okay? Is he white? Black? Hispanic Asian?
Speaker 6 (02:25):
He's white. He's white, twenty two year old, six five blonde.
Speaker 3 (02:32):
Okay.
Speaker 6 (02:34):
And what was he last man wearing outside of Luke
Brian's bar last night at like ten and then the
last time his location on his phone was by the
Sheriff's office like eleven pm.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
Okay? What color clothing was he last man wearing.
Speaker 6 (02:52):
He's wearing jeans, boots and a half black shirt, half brown,
light brown.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
You're hearing a good of Riley's trains calling nine one one.
And how ironic is that one of his last pings,
the location on the phone was at the Sheriff's office
in front of near around the Sheriff's office, no network
or phone service since nine fifty three p m.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
Where is Riley?
Speaker 1 (03:21):
Joining me in all star panel to make sense of
what we know right now, I'm going to play you
more of the nine to one one call because I
have learned with working with so many many juries as
a felony prosecutor. That takes you to the moment and
you can learn so much about probative facts, facts that
proves something that help you find the person. But first
(03:43):
I want to go to a special guest joining us,
Chris Dingman, a very dear family friend of the Strains,
and you can find them on to go fund me
at Riley's Strain. Chris, thank you for being with us.
What is the frame of mind of the family right
now in the search for their son.
Speaker 7 (04:03):
The family's completely devastated, you know, we're ten eleven days
into this. Really rightly just disappeared in thin air, and
we try to keep faith, We keep hope. The ironic
part of not having clues means we have hope he's
still there lost. Somebody may know where he is, but
(04:24):
it is truly devastating on the family.
Speaker 1 (04:26):
And shortly, speaking of clues, we are going to be
joined by the woman who may have found the single
most important clue as of right now. Back to you,
Chris Dingman, a very dear friend and spokesman for Riley's family.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
How did this whole thing unfold?
Speaker 1 (04:44):
When did Riley's parents discover he's missing? I mean, it's
every parent's worst nightmare, you know, Chris. I work every day,
sometimes holding down two sometimes three jobs because I want
to make a college fund for my children to get
through high school. You know, give them tutors if they needed,
(05:04):
get them to college, give them every opportunity that a
lot of people, including myself, never had to make it
easier for them. So Riley gets to college. He's doing great,
He makes friends in his fraternity. I think it was
Delta Kai. Everything's going fine. He goes on their formal,
(05:25):
which all the college kids do, and all of a sudden,
Mom gets a call He's gone.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
How does that happen?
Speaker 1 (05:34):
You put all your love, all your energy, all your money,
everything into helping your children. You think going to college
is the thing to do, and bam, he's gone.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
What happened?
Speaker 8 (05:46):
Yeah?
Speaker 7 (05:46):
The family was actually notified at about ten thirty Saturday
morning by his fraternity brothers wanting to know if they
had heard from Riley, because as we all know now,
he did not come back to his hotel room. The
family instantly told the boy, please contacted the police, go
down to the police station. They started packing a few
clothes together, constantly reaching out for Riley, hopped in a
(06:09):
car and started hitting that way. This process of reporting
Riley missing started actually at ten thirty Saturday morning, and
an official report that we have been shown didn't take
place till one sometime in that area.
Speaker 6 (06:24):
That's how long it.
Speaker 7 (06:24):
Took for the boys to actually get somebody to follow
an official report, with a lot of confusion on why
that took that, but yeah, the family was actually notified
about ten thirty Saturday morning.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
Okay, guys, you're hearing Chris Dingman joining us a very
dear friend of the Riley Strain family. Guys, I want
to hear more of that nine one one call. They
were hitting straight out to Dryden Quigley, WSMV four investigative
reporter for the very latest.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
But let's hear the nine to one one call. Listen,
and you.
Speaker 3 (06:57):
Said it last show outside the Sheriff's department like around
that area by the river by the Sheriff's department over there. Okay,
does he have any life sustaining medications or disabilities? No,
you said he has a phone. So it's a cell phone, right, yeah?
Speaker 6 (07:14):
Did iPhone fifteen promax?
Speaker 3 (07:17):
What is the number?
Speaker 6 (07:18):
But it's hold on all. Are you ready?
Speaker 4 (07:23):
Yes?
Speaker 3 (07:23):
Go ahead? You said the last four. We're forty one
ninety eight.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (07:32):
Okay. Are you going to be waiting at the at
the door of the precinct or are you going to
be waiting in your car?
Speaker 6 (07:40):
I mean yeah, we're at the front door of the precinct.
Speaker 3 (07:43):
Okay, I've got to call sent there at the Central
Precinct six o one Korea Veterans Bullivoard and downtown right
across the Music City Center. We'll get an ulcer out
to you as soon as we can. Please tell us
back if something changes before they arrive.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
So when you look back, when you look back on
every thing that happens, in every case, you think would have,
could have, should have.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
They should have done the report earlier.
Speaker 1 (08:05):
We should have this, we should have had bottom line,
Riley Strain is missing his parents, asking us for their
help again. Tip line six one five eight six two
eighty six hundred. So, Chris Dingman, you're telling me that
the mom and or dad get a message the following
(08:26):
morning at ten ish a m. They ask the fraternity brother, quick, quick,
go report him missing right now, and they head to
the area.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
Is that correct? Yes?
Speaker 7 (08:40):
Yes, they were in Springfield, Missouri, where you know, Riley
was born and raised, and that's where we are. And uh, Instantly,
when a parent gets that message, you know, you're mortified.
What's going on, you know, especially when you're six or
seven hours away from your kid, you know. And they
they helped in a vehicle through some clothes together, was
constantly trying to reach out to Riley on their journey
(09:02):
there with the unfortunately no response.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
Oh cool, you know what that's reminding me of, Chris Dingman.
I'm in New York where we lived with the children
at that time. They're about, oh gosh, eight nine years old,
had just gotten them to bed and get a call.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
My dad is on life support.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
I get one sentence off to him, Daddy, I'm on
the way, and within fifteen minutes we were out on
the street in pajamas trying to hell a cab all right,
and the whole way trying to get back home to
make in Georgia just in fits tied up in knots.
I can only imagine what Riley's parents were going through
(09:49):
as they drove all the way to where he goes
missing and speaking off straight out to Dryden Quigley, investigative
reporter WSMV four, thank you for being with us. First
of all, describe the area where we believe Riley went missing. Guys,
I'm about to go to the woman who has found
what could be the single most important physical clue yet.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
Go ahead, Dryden.
Speaker 9 (10:14):
So, the last place that he was spotted on the
video camera is kind of up a street and it's
going along the Cumberland River where there's a pretty steep
drop off down there. Different areas have steeper than other parts,
but you can last see him crossing this street and
kind of heading up towards under these two bridges where
he's last seen.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
You know, I'm very curious, is it true, Dryden Quigley
WSMV four that Riley was headed toward a homeless encampment.
Speaker 9 (10:44):
So along that drop off between the Gay Street and
Cumberland River, there's this bank and it is where a
lot of people spend the night and sleep along there
and then under the two bridges as well.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
Yes, what people? What people?
Speaker 7 (10:58):
What?
Speaker 1 (10:58):
Boy scout campers? Who it's staying out there under bridges?
Speaker 10 (11:02):
People?
Speaker 9 (11:02):
Yeah, who don't have it anywhere else to go. You know,
there's a lot of trash down there too, and so
that comes into play later when looking for Riley's possessions too.
Speaker 1 (11:10):
Is it true that drugs are used in that area
by the homeless people?
Speaker 9 (11:16):
I can't say that for sure. I haven't seen it myself,
but I would believe it's possible.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
Yeah, So did he realize he's headed for an encampment
of homeless people where drugs apparently are used openly, as
we have seen now developing across the country.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
Time Stories with Nancy Grace.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
Guys, we've been playing the nine to one one call.
We're telling you the very latest of what you know.
But now I want you to hear from a volunteer
searchy searcher, Brandy Baynan, who lives in Nashville and possibly
has found the single most important physical clue yet. I'm
(12:18):
so grateful Brandy could speak to us. First of all,
listen to what she tells us regarding what she was
looking for when she found the clue.
Speaker 11 (12:30):
We were looking for either his boots, shirt, he has
a bright blue wallet, any of those indications. But we
went down the and we went down to the embankment
and walked along the river until we got to underneath
the bridge, which is one of the last known vicinities
that he was in, and we started just digging around,
(12:52):
rummaging as much as we can, and about I want
to say, we were there into that part for maybe
twenty or thirty minutes, and there's about three ledges and
the third bottom ledge, which it's very hard to explain,
so I'm sorry if that is hard to imagine. And
I saw a card right there and flipped it over
(13:13):
to look at the backside because it was just like
the bank on the front, and saw his name, and
she goes, oh my god, we found his card and
I was like, no, we didn't. And right there we
were both instantly shocked. Our stomachs dropped, and then we
were both like, we have to keep going, Like this
means we have to keep going.
Speaker 1 (13:31):
I can't imagine what went through everyone's minds when they
realize they have found evidence. Liz, we actually have sound
of that discovery.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
Everybody listen.
Speaker 12 (13:43):
I don't think they do right here, or at least
for that guy's tendons, because you're talking about.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
How cold what.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
You want?
Speaker 2 (13:52):
His credit card?
Speaker 3 (13:53):
We found his credit card.
Speaker 11 (13:54):
We gonna hang out, We gotta hang up the phone.
Speaker 1 (13:55):
Oh my god, guys, I'm just trying to take in
that moment where they find the piece of evidence. And
I want to make something very very clear, Chris Dingman,
This young boy, Riley Strain, has no history at all
ever of drug use, never has been thrown out of school,
(14:19):
never has been in treatment, not even a disorderly conduct
crossing the street, jaywalking, nothing.
Speaker 2 (14:27):
Isn't that true? Chris Dingman?
Speaker 7 (14:29):
One hundred percent? Yeah, Riley was this straightforward kid. You know,
we've had a lot of people be you know, question
us and go, I can't believe he's that good of
a kid. And all you have to do is ever
be just a little bit of his life, just a
blimp meeting anywhere, and you instantly knew that the pictures
that everybody's been sharing with him smiling, that truly was
(14:49):
that kid. He was an awesome boy, and we want
him back and he is an awesome boy.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
You know, you just brought me to tears.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
Because it reminds me so much of my son John David.
And people are always saying, how can one kid be
so good natured and so joyful.
Speaker 2 (15:07):
I mean, you know what his.
Speaker 1 (15:08):
Nickname is here at the house, Awesome. His nickname is Awesome,
And just thinking about him completely innocent. I mean doctor
Bethany Marshall joining me, high profile psycho analyst joining us
out of la and you can find her at doctor
Bethany Marshall dot com.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
Doctor Bethany.
Speaker 1 (15:28):
When I talk about this homeless encampment and how drugs
allegedly are being openly sold and used, this is not
about Riley going down to get drugs.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
He has no history of that at all. Zero.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
He was out with his friends on the fraternity formal weekend.
He get wanders off alone and this is where his
bank card is found. It's like a lamb being led
to the slaughter, doctor Bethany.
Speaker 8 (16:05):
Exactly, Nancy. It sounds to me like Riley was extremely disoriented.
He thought he was going back to his hotel room.
He no longer had his friends with him, and he
was simply walking the wrong direction and he walked right
into the jaws of danger.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
And now, I mean, what happens.
Speaker 8 (16:20):
In these homeless encampments is that they are communities. Nancy,
and everybody in the homeless encampment tends to know each other.
They watch out after each other, They sometimes exchange food,
they look after each other's kids. They're like little tiny cities.
Speaker 1 (16:36):
What and that?
Speaker 2 (16:36):
Hey are you talking about woman? I mean, doctor Bethany.
Speaker 1 (16:41):
This is not a commune where they're raising organic food
and singing kumbe bay ya every night there. God bless
them for their misfortune. But there are drugs being openly sold,
hard drugs, needle drugs.
Speaker 2 (16:59):
Bethy. I don't know what world you're coming from.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
But you send a kid straight out of high school
down there. But that's the last thing I'm going to
do is send John, David and Lucy under a bridge.
Speaker 8 (17:11):
Absolutely absolutely well. What I was going to say was
that the fact that he was not a part of
this group and he walked in made him extremely vulnerable.
It was a very precarious situation, walking into a group
of desperate people. And this is like a child, like
a little lamb, being led to the slaughter. He did
not know what he was getting into.
Speaker 2 (17:31):
Guys.
Speaker 1 (17:31):
I want to circle back to what we know again,
a volunteer searcher who spends her own valuable private time
helping in the search for Riley has found a very
significant piece of physical evidence. It's Brandy Bane, and volunteer searcher,
and I want you to hear what she has to
(17:53):
say about why Brandy is searching for Riley.
Speaker 11 (17:58):
I personally started going out Tuesday night. I went on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday.
I was do some TikTok lives with a friend while
I was searching, because I was kind of going on
my own, and Anna happened to see one of those
TikTok lives and she messaged me and asked us she
could come join the next day, and she did, and
(18:18):
that gave me. That gave me the ability to be
able to go all the way down to the embankment,
because I couldn't just do it with myself. In case
something were to happen, no one would know, or my
friend on TikTok wouldn't really be able to help me.
So Anna was brave enough to go down with that
with me, and so we went searching and we happened
to find something.
Speaker 1 (18:38):
There is no way in Chi double l No way
in chi double l that Riley's trying to hear what
she just said. That she didn't know if she was
brave enough to go down down the slope into that area.
She was afraid. And that is in broad daylight. And
(19:00):
here walks in Riley into this area late late at night.
What happened to him? Where is he? I need to
get a clearer picture about exactly where the bank card
was found.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
Let's listen to Brandy Baynen.
Speaker 11 (19:17):
It was an embankment. So there was like a there's
a brick wall because there is a so we're underneath
the bridge. So then if you're up on the sidewalk,
there's a fence and there's a brick wall that comes
down if you're under the embankment. Then and then that
brick wall kind of turns into some mud and rocks, trees,
and then that goes into another ledge similar ledge, which
(19:39):
goes into another one which then goes into rocks, which
then turns into the river. So it was in that
third little ledge of mud dirt, and then you have
to and right now in Nashville, it is full of
garbage there. So we were actually rummaging through trash, absolute trash,
(20:00):
everything that you can imagine, including things that were dangerous
to us, like we saw some needles and things like that.
Speaker 1 (20:05):
Yeah, Bethany, the peace loving people down under that bridge
and their hypodermic needles. It'd be a cold day in
hell before I would let my children go down there.
And here's Riley's strain. I mean, he's basically straight out
of high school. I'm just trying to get an understanding
about what Brandy Bainen is saying, because from what she's describing,
(20:25):
there is no way that that bank card of Riley's
trains could have fallen in that location. Let me understand, no,
listen what Brandy Baynen says about the card's location.
Speaker 11 (20:40):
I personally do not think that that card could have
landed there from just like stumbling and losing your card
out of your hand, because it would have had to
go down a few ludges. Now, it has been some
time that's passed since the eighth and then we did
have rain on the exact week after that Friday, so
(21:05):
I don't know what that would do at all, if
that would affect it at all. But when we found
the card, it wasn't actually covered up that much. There
was some leaves and she saw the blue in it.
Speaker 1 (21:22):
Guys, we're trying to determine the significance of the location
of Riley Strain's bank card.
Speaker 2 (21:32):
And I have a reason for doing this.
Speaker 1 (21:35):
I remember in one murder case and the guy was
a serial killer, but I could get him.
Speaker 2 (21:39):
On one case, it was.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
Jane Doe, and I found one of her earrings in
a particular location, and the fact that it was there
proved volumes to me. I learned that that was a
tertiary crime scene, which led me then to the secondary
and the primary crime scene because of that one earring. Now,
(22:02):
let's think what this bank card means.
Speaker 12 (22:05):
I don't think they do right here, or at least
for that guy's tentons, because you're talking about how.
Speaker 2 (22:11):
Cold what.
Speaker 12 (22:14):
You want?
Speaker 2 (22:14):
His credit card?
Speaker 3 (22:15):
We find his credit card.
Speaker 11 (22:16):
We gotta hang out, we gotta hang.
Speaker 3 (22:17):
Up the phone.
Speaker 1 (22:17):
Oh my god, Riley Strain was not going on a
leisurely stroll.
Speaker 2 (22:23):
Amongst these rocks down by the river.
Speaker 1 (22:27):
That did not happen and back to Dryden quickly joining
US investigative reporter WSMV Fort Nashville. I understand that one
of the homeless gentlemen that was there claims that he
heard a quote commotion around the time we believe Riley
Strain may have been there. What can you tell me
(22:50):
about that, Dryden?
Speaker 9 (22:51):
So, I didn't speak with that homeless person myself, but
it has been reported that, yes, he was he during
around that time. He heard a commotion after he saw
Riley walk through there. That's all he said about it,
or was reported about it. But I didn't speak with
him myself.
Speaker 1 (23:07):
Also emerging in the search for Riley's Strain is surveillance video.
But first I want to ask Chris Dingman, Chris a
very dear family friend of the Strain and speaking for them, Chris,
what is the reaction from the parents regarding the discovery
that Brayden made of the bank card.
Speaker 7 (23:28):
I'm extremely happy you're asking me that. I actually had
friends of the family that was very close to the
young ladies when they found it. I got a phone
call Sunday afternoon. They were super excited. They go, we
found his card, and I said, can you go to them?
They were within about one hundred yards of each other,
(23:48):
and she said yeah, And I said, do me a favor.
I said, I know the bank that Riley uses. Unfortunately,
and you've dealt with this a lot. There are a
lot of people that will do fake cards, fake ID
and throw them in crime scenes just to be cruel.
And I wanted to make sure before this went at least,
(24:09):
you know, went wild, that I notified the family. The
young ladies instantly took a picture of the card sent
to me. I knew at that moment that's Riley's card.
I contacted the family, said, hey, this is the pinpoint.
They've dropped me a pin one of the young ladies,
I asked her, I said, please.
Speaker 2 (24:27):
Down nine one one.
Speaker 7 (24:29):
I'm going to get a hold of the family. The
other person that contacted me, she was actually in a
close proximity of some police that were actually there with
canines and had been searching the area a little bit
farther away. I told her, I said, please go get
the police. Take them directly to those young ladies. We
(24:50):
need to secure that area. And the young girls, as
you've kind of heard in their voices, they were just
as static, they were nervous, they were scared. And I
told her, I said, I need you to do something
for me, please. I said, you're about to be bombarded
with one hundred plus people. You guys, we live on TikTok.
Everybody kind of has a ballpark. I do where you are.
(25:11):
I need that crime scene secured. Please, if people come
up there, tell them to stand back till the police
get here so we can do a formal investigation in
that exact area. One thing that struck out to me.
I don't know if you have physically seen the picture
of the card, and I'm glad the young lady brought
that up and we discussed this. That card is not dirty.
(25:33):
It's not filthy for a car that had been laying
on the ground for nine days, not in the water
or even remotely close to the water. In essence to
the storms that they had. There's constant moisture down there,
there's constant windflow down there, and there was no visible
signs of you know, the frisbee. The kids leave the
frisbee out in the yard. Two days later, you go out,
(25:55):
it's covered in dew and and little dirt particles. That's
seem to me to be very very strange. So I
would love to see your take on that.
Speaker 1 (26:04):
You know, I find that very interesting, the point that
you're bringing out that the card was not weathered at all.
Joining me is Steve Fisher, missing person's private investigator, search
and rescue specialist, owner of Search Investigations. Find that at
Searchinvestigations dot Org. Steve Fisher, thank you for being with us.
What does that tell you? I find it very primitive.
Speaker 10 (26:25):
I think one thing that's important to realize is that
the river levels on the at ten pm night he
went missing.
Speaker 2 (26:33):
We're seven feet.
Speaker 10 (26:34):
Higher than when the women found the card, So the
water level was significantly higher, which is why you see
the different color, the darker rocks.
Speaker 2 (26:43):
So it's a controlled river.
Speaker 10 (26:45):
They had let a lot of you know, outflow out
of it, so that could have been submerged in simply
the water level coming down, and that would account for
why the card is so clean.
Speaker 2 (26:56):
Hold on, Steve Fisher.
Speaker 1 (26:57):
What about the fact, as we just heard from Braden,
that it was wedged and it didn't get there innocently.
Speaker 10 (27:06):
From what I understood, I did watch the video of
when they uncovered it. I think it was under some
a little bit of debris, and you know, we'll never
know for certain, but in search and rescue, you know,
we're looking for a last known position and it's the
same spot that the cell phone last ping dat on
(27:27):
life three sixty. You know, originally told it was fifty
to one hundred feet on the south side of that bridge,
which is right where this card ended up. Also, so
I think, you know, there's a likelihood that it just
could be the waterflow is the reason that it was
found on the embankment.
Speaker 1 (27:46):
Ben Powers is joining us high profile lawyer out of Nashville,
and you can find him at legalpowers dot com. Ben Powers,
thank you so much for being with us. What can
you tell us about your knowledge of the case and
your insight into what's happening right now?
Speaker 4 (28:01):
Well, so, right now, it sounds like the investigation has
locked in a really narrow timeline of how that evening went,
you know, from being removed from the bar, to the
various surveillance footage, to the ping from the cell phone,
all the way to the debit card down at the
river bank. The debit card at the river bank is
curious because it's not with his wallet, there's no other
(28:23):
possessions with him, and it was found amongst what we
might call trash. But since it is a homeless encampment,
that could be personal possessions of someone that lives down there.
Maybe they were trying to discard the debit card, or
maybe there's no foul play at all. It's a little
too early to try to make a determination one where
the other as to that type of conclusion. But the
(28:43):
investigation has been very thorough. They've used canines, they've used sonar,
they've used helicopters, they've used drones, volunteers as the volunteers
that found the debit card, So it is a very thorough,
extensive investigation. It's just that this narrow time frame is
so curious because they have him on video going down
(29:04):
Gay Street, but they don't have him on video at
the courthouse, which is just at the other end of
the Gay Street where the video last saw him. And
they have an officer that was on scene investigating a
claim of vehicle burglary. He didn't hear or see anything
out of the ordinary.
Speaker 2 (29:21):
And they do have.
Speaker 4 (29:22):
One of the benefits of that homeless encampment is, as
are been stated, there's at least one witness that hurt
some commotion, but that's a relatively large community down there,
so I suspect that there's other witnesses that just haven't
come forward yet with what may have happened that evening.
Speaker 6 (29:53):
Time.
Speaker 2 (29:53):
Stories with Nancy Grace.
Speaker 1 (29:58):
Luckily in this case, we also have gramy surveillance video
that is emerging.
Speaker 4 (30:19):
How you doing, sir, I'm good.
Speaker 2 (30:21):
How are you good? Guys?
Speaker 1 (30:28):
This is the most recent video surveillance that we have
obtained to Dryden Quigley WSMV four.
Speaker 9 (30:38):
So we're looking right now at Metro Police's bodyguard camera,
body warn camera. He's out there responding to I believe
it was a burglary call, and he runs into Riley.
He greet said, and he says hi. Now. Riley keeps
walking down that street and just a few feet away
you can actually see the bridge in the video. That's
where Riley's phone last pinged. Was there for another forty
(31:01):
five minutes, and he says he didn't hear anything out
of the ordinary. That bridge over there is the last
spot not Riley's phone went off. But it took until
today or yesterday to have this video come out.
Speaker 1 (31:12):
Riley, he's coherent, everything's fine. He's speaking to the officer.
The officer looks like he's doing a safety check in
a parking lot, just poking around late at night. He's
walking normally. He's not drunk, he's not on drugs. He's
wearing the clothes that was described that were described by
his friends.
Speaker 2 (31:32):
Is he walking toward or away from the bridge? Dryden? Quickly?
Speaker 9 (31:36):
He is walking towards it. He kind of turns around,
so it's hard to see bs. Riley's on his way
towards that first bridge.
Speaker 1 (31:42):
Okay, what would be on the other side of the
bridge Dryden?
Speaker 9 (31:46):
So there are two bridges actually, but between them and
down the side there are usually people either sleeping under
the bridge or down the side again of the embankment,
very close to where his credit card was found.
Speaker 1 (31:59):
So you're telling me that the homeless encampment was down
the side of that bridge toward which he is headed.
Speaker 2 (32:08):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (32:09):
Have there ever been ambushes there of people crossing the
bridge or approaching the bridge at night that we know of?
Speaker 2 (32:17):
No, not that I know.
Speaker 1 (32:19):
To Chris Dingman, what if anything, do we know where
was he headed?
Speaker 7 (32:25):
And I can help you out with a lot of
your questions. Unfortunately, unfortunately the way the videos released us
that day is kind of the way that you have
laid him out just then. What we do know is
the one video where Riley is running through the parking
lot and falls down. That is the first video of
those three, there was an altercation in that intersection. There
(32:48):
was an altercation with two gentlemen in that intersection. We
think Riley was walking up to it, saw the altercation,
and decided to go around the back of the food truck.
And that's why he was at a little bit of
you know, a faster gallop per se. The family we
have personally been to that food truck and look at
their footage.
Speaker 4 (33:06):
That's how we know.
Speaker 7 (33:08):
You know, initially people were thinking Riley was attacked in
that intersection. He was not. We think the reason Riley
started to run a little bit. We think the reason
Riley started to run a little bit is one of
the people in the altercation started running. We think one
of the people that was in altercation took off running
behind the food truck towards the fire truck. And that's
(33:30):
why Riley just microseconds, wow, I need to move.
Speaker 4 (33:35):
That's why he.
Speaker 7 (33:35):
Started running behind the truck. The second video is where
he's walking along the wall. It's kind of a dark area.
You'll notice he keeps reaching up towards the back of
his body. The first video, unfortunately, when Riley goes down,
there's a concrete pole for that parking lot and Riley
went into it aggressively. He went shoulders and then hit
(33:57):
his head into that as he was going down. You'll
in that video he's there for you know, one, two, three,
four seconds before he gets himself and his bearings back up.
The video too that, you know, that's why we thank it.
At first we thought maybe he was trying to take
his phone to his ear, but after putting the pieces
together in order, Riley you know, was probably rubbing his
(34:18):
neck and shoulders from hitting the concrete barricade. The next video,
where he is crossing the street where the construction barricade is,
he walks right along the construction barricade. Whatever happened with
you know, him hitting his shoulders and neck as he's
coming through here, I think he kind of comes out
of the ether as we say, you know when you
when you have an abrupt movement against your body, because
(34:41):
his body motions go back towards more normal. The fourth
video and the last video that we have of anything
seeing Riley, will be the police video. So I just
wanted to help you guys with that and put it
in progression so people would understand the timeline, the wild
part and the young lady from Nashville with the media.
I think, I think this is all within about a
(35:01):
five minute window and very close proximity of each other
of these videos as they go by.
Speaker 1 (35:08):
From what I know right now Steve Fisher joining us
from Searchinvestigations dot Org, there has been no additional cell
phone activity or bank card credit card activity since Riley
went missing.
Speaker 2 (35:25):
What does that tell.
Speaker 10 (35:26):
You, Well, I mean tell me that everything stopped right there.
And you know, as we're looking at the surveillance is
what literally every case comes down to. And one thing
I think is important in this and you know, like Chris,
the know is you know, right across the river is
thoroughly covered. You got the Tennessee Titans Stadium, and then
you've got a Marathon oil facility. And I've been dealing
(35:49):
with the Titans. They did not capture anything. However, the
Marathon facility, you know, has I talked to the head
of security there on Sunday. They have not been contacted
by law enforcement. Their barges are literally right across from
where that debit card was found, and they have a
lot of surveillance because they got to protect that facility
against people coming in from the water. So I was
(36:12):
in touch with with her. They were going to pull
all the footage on Monday morning. I let the detective know.
He didn't get back to me, but then communications stop,
so I think there was a halt put to that.
But I would just, you know, want Chris to know that.
I think there is significant surveillance available right across the river.
Speaker 2 (36:30):
So we need that barge video pronto. Yes, yes, I
was supposed to have it. I was supposed to get
that Monday.
Speaker 1 (36:37):
Doctor Bethany Marshall joining us a psychoanalyst out of LA
Doctor Bethany Marshall dot com Doctor Bethany. So often citizen
investigations tips are discounted, but if it weren't for citizen sleuths,
we would never have found Gabby Potito.
Speaker 2 (36:57):
That would never have happened.
Speaker 1 (36:58):
She was out in the middle of no we're literally
dispersed camping. In this case, A private citizen finds the
bank card, and I believe there are more people that
can tell us where is Riley.
Speaker 2 (37:13):
I believe that, So why is that not happening?
Speaker 8 (37:16):
You know, Nancy, I was just thinking about Gabby Patito.
It was people who were influencers, who were crowdsourcing information.
In some ways, Nancy, they were more motivated to solve
the crime than the police. Where the police see so
much they can become jaded, overwhelmed. Maybe they're understaffed.
Speaker 2 (37:35):
I don't know. I can't speak to that.
Speaker 8 (37:37):
But in terms of crowdsourcing information, people care about Riley Strain.
They see this blonde, good looking young man, educated from
a family who loves him, and they want to know
what happened. So I'm wondering, are the police plumbing this
very rich source. Are they're asking other people what happened?
(37:59):
Because this is where a lot of clues could be found.
Speaker 1 (38:02):
Again, the tip line is six one five eight six
two eighty six hundred. If you know or think you
know anything about the disappearance of this young man literally
scrubbed in sunshine, please call six one five eighty six
two eighty six hundred. All of our efforts, thoughts and
(38:26):
prayers with Raleigh Strain and his family.
Speaker 2 (38:30):
Now goodbye, friend.
Host
Nancy Grace
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