Parents of University of Missouri student Riley Strain file wrongful death lawsuit against fraternity

By Nick Sloan

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    KANSAS CITY (KMBC) — The parents of Riley Strain, a University of Missouri student who drowned in the Cumberland River in March 2024, have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against The Delta Chi Fraternity Inc. and its Missouri chapter.

Several fraternity members and leaders, along with BCC Missouri LLC, the property owner of the fraternity house, are also listed as defendants in the lawsuit.

The lawsuit alleges that Delta Chi and its members were negligent in planning and executing a fraternity “formal” trip to Nashville, Tennessee, during which their son was given alcohol, abandoned by his fraternity brothers and later found dead.

A report from the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission said Strain was not overserved alcohol and there was no “clear evidence” that he was intoxicated while being served.

The suit claims Strain, who initially declined to attend the event, was pressured to go.

Findings from the Nashville medical examiner supported investigators’ belief that Strain’s death was the result of an accidental drowning.

The autopsy results were held until the toxicology report was completed.

Those tests found alcohol and traces of Delta-9, a legal form of THC available in Tennessee, in Strain’s system.

Strain’s blood alcohol concentration was 0.228, nearly three times the legal limit of 0.08.

The complaint accuses Delta Chi of failing to enforce its own safety protocols and of exerting control over the Missouri chapter while neglecting to provide adequate supervision.

The plaintiffs are seeking damages and are demanding a trial.

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