Video released by police this week shows some of the final moments before University of Missouri student Riley Strain disappeared in Nashville late last week.
The 22-year-old had traveled to Tennessee for what the university said was a "private event."
According to Nashville police, Strain was last seen Friday night by friends at a Broadway bar. Video captured the young student crossing 1st Avenue North toward Gay Street just before 10 p.m. that night.
Police searched the area, including the banks of the Cumberland River, by helicopter and on the ground, but did not find him.
Strain’s mother, Michelle Whiteid, and his stepfather, Chris Whiteid, drove to Nashville from Springfield, Missouri, after they learned he disappeared while on a fraternity trip, news outlets reported.
“I just need to know where my son is,” Michelle Whiteid said. “We talk every day, multiple times a day. This is the longest I’ve ever gone without talking to him. It’s devastating. I just want to find him and hug him.”
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After the bus ride from Columbia, Strain and some of his fraternity brothers went out, according to Chris Whiteid. Strain was asked to leave a bar, and they got separated, he said.
“The boys called him, and he said, ‘I’m walking back to my hotel,’" Whiteid said. “They didn’t think anything about it.”
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In the video released by police, Strain is seen wearing a two-tone shirt, which apears black on one side and cream on the other. He is seen standing in front of a road closed sign before following a group of people walking across the same street. He appears to stop and turn back multiple times before walking out of view of the camera.
University of Missouri officials said in a statement that they were alerted over the weekend that Strain was missing.
"The university has been in touch with the family and authorities in Nashville who are working to find Strain," the University of Missouri said in a release Monday, noting that counseling resources were being made available to students.
Strain is described as being 6 feet, 5 inches tall with a thin build, blue eyes and light brown hair.
Police asked anyone with information on Strain's whereabouts to call (615)-742-7463. The school also encouraged those with information to call the MU Police Department at (573)-882-7201.
“The safety of our community is our highest priority,” Angela King Taylor, interim vice chancellor for Student Affairs, said in a statement. “Our thoughts are with Riley’s family as the search continues. We will be offering any support to them that we can, and we encourage anyone who needs help to reach out to our counseling resources.”
