Officials say the deaths remain separate investigations and have not determined whether kratom or any other substance contributed.
OXFORD, Miss. — Authorities are investigating the deaths of two University of Mississippi students after an 18-year-old died in a campus residence hall and a 20-year-old died at an off-campus home Monday, with packaged kratom found during both investigations.
Officials have stressed that they have no confirmed evidence that the two deaths are connected or that kratom or any other substance contributed to either death. The students’ official causes of death have not been determined, and toxicology testing and other investigative work remain pending.
Lafayette County Coroner Glenn Coleman said the younger student died in Stewart Hall on the Ole Miss campus, while the 20-year-old died at a residence off campus. Authorities have not officially released the students’ names. First responders were sent to Stewart Hall shortly after 1:30 p.m. Monday for a reported possible overdose, according to dispatch information. The recording indicated that the person was not breathing and CPR was being attempted.
The Lafayette County Metro Narcotics Unit said packaged kratom purchased from a retail store was found during each investigation. The agency issued a precautionary warning about the substance but emphasized that investigators had not established it as a contributing factor. Officials also urged the public not to draw conclusions while autopsies, toxicology testing and other investigative steps continue.
Kratom comes from a plant native to Southeast Asia and can have stimulant-like effects at some doses and opioid-like or sedating effects at others. It is not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a drug treatment. Kratom products have drawn increased scrutiny from federal health officials because their contents and concentrations can vary. The sale and possession of kratom are restricted in Oxford and Lafayette County.
The University of Mississippi confirmed the two student deaths Tuesday and warned that considerable unverified information was circulating on social media and in the community. Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Shawnboda Mead said university police were not aware of any additional student deaths and asked the campus community not to repeat information that had not been officially confirmed.
The university’s student newspaper reported that friends identified the students as 18-year-old Aidan Hamilton, a freshman from Englewood, Colorado, and 20-year-old Robert Strang, a junior from Atlanta. University officials had not officially confirmed those identities, and the Lafayette County coroner had not publicly released the names as of Wednesday.
Concern spread across campus as students waited for answers. Black ribbons appeared outside fraternity houses, and some Greek organizations canceled social events. The Daily Mississippian reported that some organizations also circulated warnings about drugs and possible contamination, but authorities have not confirmed claims circulating on campus about a specific illicit substance causing the deaths.
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said Wednesday that the Mississippi Department of Public Safety and Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics were assisting local authorities and helping expedite toxicology reports. His comments focused on concerns about illegal drugs, although investigators have not determined that illegal drugs caused either student’s death.
The two death investigations remain open. Authorities are awaiting additional medical and toxicology findings before determining what caused the students’ deaths and whether there is any connection between the cases. Until those results are available, officials say the presence of kratom alone does not establish what happened.
Author note: Last updated September 24, 2026.