As of this writing, footage of Riley Strain's last-known moments allegedly shows him approaching the James Robertson Parkway bridge, which is a couple of blocks north of Church Street, where the previously mentioned surveillance footage showed him near the Cumberland River. The video has yet to be released to the public but was discussed when Strain's mother Michelle and stepfather Chris Whiteid spoke with NewsNation's Ashleigh Banfield. "Approximately where that sign that says "14 foot 3" for the height on the James Robertson is where Riley was last seen on video," Whiteid said.
Chris Salisbury, an advocate for Nashville-area homeless, said multiple homeless people told him they saw Ross wearing a shirt resembling Strain's, and it had vomit on it. Whiteid pushed back against this narrative, calling it a "rumor," though NewsNation says a couple also said they saw the student vomiting over the side rail. Elsewhere, a man told WZTV that Strain was "very intoxicated." "We looked back up. He almost fell over," the man said. "The last bush right there caught him ... He was very, very, very intoxicated ... I never seen anybody stumble that hard before."
Strain's final text was to a girl. Family friend Chris Dingman told NewsNation that the girl had messaged Strain to see "how he was doing," and he responded by saying, "Good lops." Some speculated that "lops" meant "low on power, sorry," but Dingman claimed the student's battery was not low.
