Judge rules in favor of fraternity members in Riley Strain lawsuit

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Boone County judge ruled Wednesday in favor of numerous defendants named in a wrongful death lawsuit over the death of MU student Riley Strain.

Strain went missing in March 2024 during a Delta Chi fraternity trip to Nashville. His body was found days later in the Cumberland River; his death was ruled a drowning, with a toxicology report finding alcohol and other substances in his system.

Strain's family filed a lawsuit in March 2025 against the fraternity chapter and others, saying they failed to follow safety protocols during the event in Nashville. The lawsuit claimed Strain's fraternity brothers "abandoned him" by not accompanying him back to the hotel when he was kicked out of a bar, and didn't check on him until later.

In his ruling Wednesday, Judge Joshua Devine ruled in favor of Delta Chi, Barrister Capital Corporation -- which manages the Delta Chi house at MU --and 18 fraternity members named as defendants.

The judgement from Devine said "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'."

Devine also said he is unaware of exceptions to the laws in Missouri and Tennessee that establish drinking alcohol is the cause of injuries for intoxicated people, "not the furnishing of alcoholic beverages."

Claims against nine other defendants are still pending.

A university spokesman said the school had no comment on the matter.