"He had sent me a text and said he was drinking a rum and coke and it didn't taste good," she told NewsNation during an interview April 16. "And I said, 'Well, you probably shouldn't drink it then.' And he goes, 'It tastes like barbecue' and I go, 'Well, that sounds awful' and he said, 'It sounds good, but it's not.'"
For Michelle, the texts could give insight into Riley's final hours, explaining, "Maybe there was something in it that shouldn't have been."
These messages are just the latest update in the case of Riley's March 8 disappearance during a night out with friends in downtown Nashville.
After reports surfaced that a witness had come forward as the last person to speak with the University of Missouri student that night, a spokesperson for the Nashville Police Department told E! News April 12 that the unnamed person recanted their statement after alleging that they had not seen him, but someone else.
"The case remains open and unclassified, pending the report from the medical examiner's office," the spokesperson continued, "which is awaiting toxicology reports. Until now, there is no tangible reason to believe there was any foul play involved."
The Nashville Police Department's clarification on the status of a possible witness comes after Chris Dingman—a friend who has served as a spokesperson for Riley's family amid the tragic ordeal—shared the news that an unidentified witness had come forward to give a statement to detectives.
"That was huge," he told NewsNation April 10. "That was something we were looking for. He told the detective his account of the story of what happened to Riley."
Keep reading for more details about the Riley Strain investigation.
Riley Strain's Final Hours
Riley Is Escorted Out of Luke Bryan's Bar
The Investigation Begins
The First Trace of Riley Strain
The Search Hits the Water
Riley Strain's Body Is Found
Two Autopsies
Saying Goodbye to Riley Strain
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