Judge dismisses final group of defendants in Riley Strain lawsuit

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Boone County judge dismissed the final group of defendants who were remaining in the wrongful death lawsuit surrounding University of Missouri student Riley Strain.

Strain died during a fraternity trip to Nashville, Tennessee, in 2024. Strain’s family sued the Delta Chi fraternity and its members, claiming the chapter did not follow its protocols for keeping members safe.

Strain was kicked out of a bar the night of March 8, 2024, and video showed him walking through downtown Nashville by himself, previous reporting shows.

His body was later discovered floating in the Cumberland River on March 22, 2024. Strain’s autopsy and toxicology report showed that alcohol contributed to his accidental drowning. Nashville police stated that "no foul-play-related trauma was observed" after Strain’s body was found.

Judge Joshua Devine had dismissed several defendants in the case in December. The remaining defendants were dismissed on Wednesday for similar reasons to the Dec. 17 ruling.

“While the Court has great sympathy for the profound and tragic loss suffered by [the Strain family], it is unaware of any court in the United States which has recognized the existence of a so-called 'special relationship' that might give rise to a claim for damages based on a duty owed by one adult fraternity member to another due to their shared status as 'fraternity brothers,’” the Dec. 17 ruling says.

Wednesday’s ruling also says a number of the defendants were unable to be served a summons.