Riley Strain's mother and stepfather are holding out hope that their 22-year-old son, who has been missing since March 8, will eventually be found.
“As you know, we are still actively planning to bring Riley home,” Strain's stepfather, Chris Whyd, said in an interview Saturday. He spoke to NBC News just over a week after he went missing.
But despite facing their darkest moments, Chris Whyid and his wife Michelle Whyid said the outpouring of support from the community and search efforts had “restored their faith in people”. Ta.
“There were some really great volunteer organizations that reached out and helped us,” Chris Whyid said.
Michelle and Chris Whiteyd arrived in Nashville on March 9th after The Strain was removed from Luke's 32 Bridge Food and Drink, a bar owned by country singer Luke Bryan, in downtown Nashville. I tried to figure out what happened.
The bar said in a statement that a security guard escorted Strain out the front door at 9:35 p.m. “in accordance with our standards of conduct.” Strain was only offered one alcoholic beverage and two glasses of water while inside the store, according to the statement. .
Michelle Whyid said: “It's hard to be away from home, but we wouldn't be anywhere else,” and her husband said being in the city where their son was last seen “couldn't be more comforting.” ” he added.
Strain, a senior at the University of Missouri, was visiting the city on a spring formal trip with fellow alumnus Delta Chi.
More coverage of Riley Strain's disappearance
Police said the man was last seen on surveillance camera footage on March 8 just before 10 p.m. In the footage, the man appeared to stagger his body before making a 360-degree turn and continuing walking.
Chris Whyid told NBC affiliate Nashville's WSMV that Strain told friends he would return to the hotel after leaving Luke's 32 Bridge, but he never arrived.
At 9:47 p.m., security camera footage released by the Nashville Metro Police Department shows a gay man walking down North 1st Street, about 1.1 miles from Luke's 32 Bridge and in the opposite direction from the Tempo Hotel where he and his friends were staying. Strain was seen crossing the street. I was staying.
Nashville Police Sergeant Robert Nielsen said Thursday that the last video police took of Strain was at 9:52 p.m. at James Robertson Parkway and Woodland. -He is said to be seen walking north between the Street Bridges. Other cameras in the area did not capture Strain's route, and Nielsen said police are looking for additional nearby cameras that may have been missed as they continue to gather information about Strain's whereabouts. .
Nielsen said Thursday there is no sign of foul play at this time and the missing persons investigation is still ongoing. Search efforts continue by ground, air and along the riverbank near where Strain was last seen.
Chris Whyid said the couple had been “struggling” with sparse and brief updates from police and detectives about the case last week, but the national attention to the case had been overwhelming for everyone involved. admitted that.
“There's a lot of information coming forward in this case, and it's taxing on them. But it's also taxing on us not to have more updates on what's going on.” '' said Chris Whited.
The Nashville Metro Police Department did not respond to a request for an update on the incident Saturday evening.
For now, “we're continuing our search,” said Chris Whyid, adding that the family is “receiving great support” from volunteer organizations, including the Cajun Navy. People in the area handing out flyers are “doing everything they can to find Riley.”
United Cajun Navy Vice President Brian Trasher said the group conducted a boat search in the river near where Strain was last seen.
The Whitey family said they are also concentrating their search around the area where their son was last seen.
“We're very hopeful and moving forward. You know, he's coming home, we're graduating in May, and life will go on as normal,” Chris Whyed said. said.
He added that he has no idea where Strain is.
“If I knew that, I would have him in right now,” Chris Whyid said.
Strain, a finance and business major, is interning in financial planning at Northwestern Mutual and plans to continue the internship after graduating from the University of Missouri, her stepfather said.
Chris Whyid said his stepson, who is 6 feet 7 inches tall, weighs between 155 and 160 pounds and has blonde hair and blue eyes, “stands out in a crowd.”
Chris Whyid continued, “Riley was a guy who didn't know anyone else,” adding that Strain “walked up to people and talked to them and was full of life” and “was energetic and charismatic.”
“Everyone loved Riley because he didn't care who you were or what group you were in. He was Riley and you were whoever you were.” Chris Whyed said.
Michelle Whyid said her son was “very involved with his family” and would often visit his uncles, aunts, cousins and grandparents on weekends when he would come over from school.
Strain's father, stepmother, sister-in-law and brother-in-law are also in Nashville to help with the search.
“We all rely on each other,” Michelle Whyid said. “We're a really close family. All of us are.”