Authorities may have found Riley Strain's body, but it appears that the case is far from over. Medical experts are weighing in about some of the strange details surrounding Strain's condition.
For one, Strain reportedly was missing his shoes, wallet, and pants when found. "The only thing that was found with him, as the police stated in the report, was the watch and the shirt," family friend Chris Dingman told NewsNation.
Speaking with News Channel 5, Dr. Bill Bass finds that to be particularly odd. Bass is the founder of the University of Tennessee's famed Body Farm, so he understands how the elements can affect a body. However, he doesn't understand why Strain would be missing his pants and shoes. The water is unlikely to have removed those.
"It is unusual. Normally if you fall in the river, it's very difficult to get your pants off," Bass said. "No, they would not come off by themselves." However, Bass did say that debris in the river could have ripped the pants off. But, the medical expert believes that someone may have removed the pants.
According to Bass, it's likely someone removed the pants from Strain after he was already dead. "I would say somebody took them off," Bass said. "If you do research on this, it would be very difficult because you've got to kill a person to do it, but it is difficult to get your pants off. It's difficult when you are alive to get your pants off."
Medical Experts Weigh In on Riley Strain
Right now, Strain's stepdad Chris Whiteid isn't commenting on the results of the second autopsy. However, he said the family will have more to share later. Likewise, medical examiners find it strange that there was no water in Strain's lungs. "Usually, water in the lungs means that they were alive when they went into the water," Dingman said.
However, it's possible that the coldness of the river caused Strain's lungs to seize up. This would prevent water from entering the lungs. Speaking with NewsNation, Dr. Michelle Dupre, founder of the Forensic Consulting Network, and Joseph Scott Morgan, forensic analyst and host of the Body Bags podcast, weighed in.
"I think maybe we're a little premature in this right now," Dupre said. "There's more to be investigated." Morgan also agreed. "We don't have toxicology yet," Morgan said. "I think we've really jumped the gun on this. We need to know what's going on in this young man's system. "
