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The mother of missing college student Riley Strain is hopeful for her son's return.
Michelle Whiteid, the mother of the missing University of Missouri student, along with his stepfather Chris Whiteid, recently spoke out regarding the ongoing search for their son.
"He's everything," Michelle said through tears during a March 19 press conference held by the United Cajun Navy, who recently joined the search efforts for Riley. "We're focusing on bringing Riley home."
Riley—who was last seen on March 8—went missing during a trip to Nashville with his Delta Chi fraternity brothers. On the night he vanished, the 22-year-old reportedly also went to Friends in Low Places Bar & Honky-Tonk and Casa Rosa.
When a reporter asked Michelle how she felt about her son leaving Luke Bryan's bar, Luke's 32 Food + Drink, alone despite initially visiting the establishment with friends, she added that Riley's college friends are also "heartbroken" about his disappearance.
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"He's their best friend," she continued. "We love these boys like our own. It's just as hard on them as it is on us."
And the couple—who added that it's been stressful for Riley to go missing in Nashville while they live more than six hours away in Springfield, Missouri—are optimistic that he will be found.
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"We're very grateful for everyone that's done everything so far," Chris added. "We ask that you continue. Our goal is still to bring Riley home, we feel that is still a viable goal."
While Riley has now been missing for nearly 12 full days, with his bank card found at an embankment near the Cumberland River earlier this week, Michelle and Chris are grateful for the progress investigators have made in his case thus far.
"We feel like they've handled it well," his stepfather added. "We know that there's an excessive amount of information coming into them that they're having to dissect. It's hard as a parent as we are now 10, 11, 12 days into this and we're trying to find Riley—as the days drag on, we are frustrated. We know they're doing their job. We've seen what they've got."