Mississippi police link kratom products near dead students to nearby bust

( NewsNation ) — Mississippi police have announced a link between kratom -related packages found alongside two dead University of Mississippi students and a local business in Oxford, Miss.

Aidan Hamilton, 18, and Robert Strang, 20, were found dead at two separate scenes on the Ole Miss campus on Sept. 21. Kratom, a substance often sold at gas stations, was found not far from both scenes.

On Friday, Mississippi law enforcement announced the arrest of two people in relation to the alleged sale of illegal narcotics, including kratom, with a third man on the run.

It followed the execution of a search warrant by Lafayette County Metro Narcotics Unit officers at Puffs Vape, Tobacco and Beer Store in Oxford.

During a lengthy statement Wednesday, authorities announced that information accrued during the investigation led them to the retail store on Heritage Drive, located less than a mile from the campus.

The police are still awaiting autopsy and toxicology findings from the state medical examiner’s office and have not yet determined the cause and manner of each death.

“In addition to establishing the medical findings, investigators will continue examining the evidence recovered from both scenes and the retail investigation,” officials’ statement reads. “This includes determining the actual chemical composition of products, identifying possible sources of distribution and establishing whether any connection exists between the investigations.”

“We are also working with federal law enforcement partners to evaluate whether the evidence supports additional investigations or criminal charges under applicable federal law,” the police added.

Toxicology results in the deaths of two Ole Miss students are expected back next week, Mississippi Department of Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell said Monday.