Riley Strain’s Mother Emotionally Appeals Following His Heartbreaking Passing
Riley Strain‘s family is sharing a message with their supporters.
Following the tragic discovery of the University of Missouri student’s body in Nashville’s Cumberland River on March 22, his mother Michelle Whiteid made a heartfelt plea.
“I just ask that all the mothers out there, please hug your children tightly tonight,” she said during a press conference, shortly after Riley’s body was recovered. “Please, on my behalf, hug your children tightly tonight. And once again, thank you, thank you for spreading our story.”
An investigation began on March 9 after Riley, who was in Nashville with his fraternity brothers, went missing during a night out. After a two-week search, authorities confirmed that the 22-year-old’s body had been found about eight miles from the city center.
“It has been an emotional roller coaster,” Riley’s stepfather Chris Whiteid shared with reporters on March 22. “We are extremely grateful for everything you have done for our family, the kindness you have shown us, it means more than words can express. Throughout this ordeal, we have witnessed the goodness in people. We have encountered some negativity, that’s inevitable, but the support we have received has restored our faith in humanity, which sometimes gets overshadowed by the negativity we often hear about.”