Mystery over missing student’s final text message continues as family friend debunks popular theory

A family friend of missing university student Riley Strain has shut down a theory circulating about the final text message he sent before vanishing.

The 22-year-old University of Missouri student was visiting Nashville, Tennessee, with his fraternity brothers on 8 March after they were kicked out of a bar for allegedly drinking too much, despite the bar's transaction history suggesting that he only purchased two waters and one alcoholic beverage.

According to CCTV footage, Riley was walking alone at 9.46 pm, passing a police officer on Gay St at 9.52 pm.

Riley and the officer had a brief exchange before Officer Reginald Young asked him how he was, to which Riley allegedly replied: "Good, how about you?"

Officer Young then continued to check vehicles up and down the street after being called out for a vehicle burglary.

When Riley walked away, this was the last known footage or sighting of him.

Taking to X, Nashville police said: "No video has been discovered that shows Riley away from Gay St after the 9:52 p.m. timeframe."

Two days later, on 10 March, Riley's bank card was found on the embankment of the Cumberland River.

Family friend Chris Dingman has since revealed that Riley was texting a female friend the night he went missing.

He told NewsNation that when she 'texted him to see how he was doing', Riley responded with: “Good lops.”

Dingman revealed that neither he nor Riley's friend could make sense of the text.

People who have been following the case on social media have speculated that 'lops' might be an acronym for 'low on power, sorry'.

However, Dingman dismissed the claims, saying that the student's phone was not on low battery.

“What we have been told is the phone did not die due to battery capacity,” he said.

Dingman claims he 'wasn’t even at five percent, which some kids run around on and frustrates us as parents'.

Police spokesperson Don Aaron has also said there is no evidence of foul play.

"To those who are saying that they believe he could have been in distress, that somebody could have been after him as he walked onto Gay Street, well, as you see in the video, he’s walking by himself on the river side and speaks to a police officer as the officer is looking at a vehicle that had been broken into," he said.

The bar he was kicked out of, 32 Bridge, is owned by country artist Luke Bryan, who later sent his thoughts and prayers to the student.

32 Bridge's statement read: "We proactively provided detailed information quickly after his visit to our business.

"This included all security camera footage, photos of Riley, transaction records and staff accounts.

"During Riley's visit, our records show he purchased and was served one alcoholic drink and two waters."