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OXFORD, Miss. (BFMG) — Authorities are investigating the deaths of two University of Mississippi students who were found dead Monday in separate incidents in Oxford, prompting university officials to address widespread rumors circulating across campus and social media.
The Lafayette County coroner confirmed the deaths of the two students, ages 18 and 20. One student was found at a residence on the Ole Miss campus, while the other was found at an off-campus residence, according to local authorities. Autopsies are being scheduled to determine their causes of death.
Lafayette County Metro Narcotics said investigators found packaged kratom that had been purchased from a retail store during both death investigations. However, authorities stressed that there is currently no confirmed evidence that kratom or any other substance contributed to either death and no evidence establishing that the two cases are connected.
“Law enforcement is currently conducting two separate death investigations,” Lafayette County Metro Narcotics said in a statement. Investigators urged the public not to speculate about the circumstances surrounding the deaths while toxicology testing and other investigative work continue.
Authorities also issued a precautionary warning advising people to avoid kratom and medications or substances that were not prescribed or obtained from a trusted, regulated source.
Kratom is an herbal substance derived from a plant native to Southeast Asia. Products containing kratom can produce stimulant-like effects at lower doses and opioid-like effects at higher doses. Kratom products are available in various forms, including powders, capsules, extracts, gummies, and concentrated products.
According to a Lafayette County emergency dispatch recording obtained by our outlet, first responders were called to Stewart Hall on the Ole Miss campus shortly after 1:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 21, for what dispatchers described as a possible overdose. The individual was reported unresponsive, and CPR was underway. Authorities have not confirmed that an overdose caused that student’s death.
The University of Mississippi confirmed Tuesday that the two people who died were students and pushed back against reports circulating online suggesting there had been additional student deaths.
University officials said police were not aware of any additional student deaths and remained in contact with local and state law enforcement agencies as the investigations continued. The university urged students and community members not to repeat information that had not been officially verified.
The Daily Mississippian, the student-run newspaper for Ole Miss, has identified the students who died Monday.
Friends of the students told The Daily Mississippian that 18-year-old Aidan Hamilton, a freshman from Englewood, Colo., and 20-year-old Robert Strang, a junior from Atlanta, died. Investigators said autopsy and toxicology findings are expected to play a key role in determining what caused the deaths. Authorities have not announced when those results will be available.
The investigations remain ongoing.
