Ole Miss students found dead near ‘packaged kratom’ identified

OXFORD, Miss. ( NewsNation ) — The University of Mississippi on Thursday identified the two students who died Monday as freshman Aidan Hamilton and junior Robert Strang.

The university said the families gave permission to release the names and asked for privacy as they grieve. Hamilton is from Englewood, Colo., while Strang is from Atlanta, according to the records.

“We have been in touch with the families to offer our deepest sympathies and share university support and resources,” Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Shawnboda Mead said in a message to the campus community.

The causes of both deaths remain under investigation. One student was found dead in a dorm on campus and another within city limits.

Strang’s family, through a spokesperson, said in a statement that they are “heartbroken by the loss of our dear son, Robert.” The family also thanked friends and relatives for their support and asked for “privacy, understanding and compassion.”

According to Lafayette County Metro Narcotics, authorities are conducting two separate probes. At this time, they said there’s no confirmed evidence indicating the two deaths are connected.

However, investigators said packaged Kratom sold from a retail store was found during both investigations.

“Out of an abundance of caution, we encourage everyone to avoid Kratom and any other medication or substance that was not prescribed to you or obtained from a trusted, regulated source,” authorities said.

Investigators urged the public to avoid the synthetic opioid and any medication or substance not prescribed by a doctor or obtained from a trusted, regulated source. Officials also asked people to avoid speculation while the investigations continue.

“We recognize that inaccurate information is being shared by individuals who do not have access to the facts,” Mead said.

Gov. Tate Reeves (R) said the Mississippi Department of Public Safety and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics are helping local law enforcement and working to expedite toxicology reports.

“Mississippi is praying for the families and friends of the two Ole Miss students,” he wrote on social platform X .

The herbal substance comes from tropical trees in Southeast Asia and can cause “opioid- and stimulant-like effects,” according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). It contains chemical compounds that can affect the body, two of which are well-studied: mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH).

You can find kratom sold in capsule and powder form. The latter can be mixed into foods and beverages, such as a “ euphoric seltzer .” Kratom products are frequently advertised as being able to improve your mood, focus, and energy levels.

The substance can interact with the same brain receptors that chocolate, coffee, and exercise impact, the American Kratom Association notes .

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved any uses of kratom. However, NIDA explains that some people have reported using the substance to “manage drug withdrawal symptoms and cravings” as well as pain, fatigue and mental health problems.

More than 1.8 million people over the age of 12 reported using kratom within the previous 12 months in a 2024 survey .

“It really deals with the normal stresses of daily life and the aches and pains related to it,” Mac Haddow, senior fellow on public policy for the American Kratom Association, told Nexstar’s WPRI.

Research into the short- and long-term effects of kratom continues.

NIDA warns that some have reported feeling nauseous, constipated, dizzy or drowsy after using kratom, while health care providers have reported tremors, seizures, high blood pressure and liver problems among patients. Similar reactions have been reported among those who use cannabis , and any reactions may vary based on the person, product and amount consumed.

A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed an increase in poison center calls regarding kratom products , with a spike in last year’s cases coinciding “with the emergence of high-potency, semisynthetic formulations, including 7-hydroxymitragynine.”

Nexstar’s Addy Bink contributed to this report.