Executive Summary
- A judge dismissed Delta Chi Fraternity, Inc. and 18 individuals from the Riley Strain wrongful death suit.
- Claims remain pending against seven other named individuals and unnamed defendants.
- The lawsuit alleges negligence and failure to enforce safety policies during a fraternity trip to Nashville.
- Autopsy results confirmed Strain’s death was caused by alcohol poisoning and drowning.
A Boone County judge has dismissed Delta Chi Fraternity, Inc. and several individual defendants from a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of University of Missouri student Riley Strain, whose body was recovered from a Nashville river in 2024. The ruling, issued on December 17, 2025, significantly narrows the scope of the litigation regarding the student’s death following a fraternity trip.
According to court documents, the judge ruled in favor of Delta Chi Fraternity, Inc., BCC Missouri, LLC, and a specific group of individual defendants, removing them from the civil action. The dismissed individuals include Brayden Baltz, Reece Black, Connor Bradley, Nicolas Horner, Michael Inorio, Joseph Cockell, Sebastian Lacassie, Jack Wittenauer, Nolan Schroff, Gibbs Hutter, Dylan Smith, Andrew Thompson, Lucas Podiak, Christian Zarrick, Ali Bajramovic, Michael Pulliam, Jordan Blew, and Oscar Richman. The Strain family’s lawsuit alleges that the fraternity chapter failed to enforce safety policies and protect Strain during a social event in downtown Nashville.
Despite these dismissals, the litigation continues against other named parties. Court records state that claims remain pending against defendants Andrew Holtz, Jason Frazier, Dylan Rasmason, Thomas Molen, James Galli, William Wappler, and Hand Edwards, as well as unnamed John and Jane Doe defendants. The lawsuit stems from events on March 8, 2024, when Strain was ejected from a bar for excessive intoxication. Security footage later captured him stumbling toward the Cumberland River, where his body was discovered two weeks later on March 22.
The official autopsy report cited alcohol poisoning and drowning as the primary causes of death. Toxicology results released by medical examiners revealed Strain had a blood alcohol content of 0.228 g/100 mL, along with the presence of isopropanol, caffeine, cotinine, nicotine, and THC in his system at the time of his death.
Legal Procedural Outlook
The court’s decision to dismiss the national fraternity organization and specific members suggests a judicial determination that these parties did not hold the requisite legal liability or direct responsibility for the circumstances leading to Strain’s death under the arguments presented. This development shifts the legal focus exclusively to the remaining defendants, potentially centering on specific individual actions or distinct allegations of negligence applicable to those parties. As this is a civil matter proceeding through the court system, the remaining defendants retain the opportunity to contest the claims of liability as the case moves toward trial or settlement.
