Two University of Mississippi students died Monday in separate incidents in Oxford, Mississippi, and packaged kratom was found during both death investigations, authorities said. Investigators have not established that the substance contributed to either death or that the two cases are connected.
The deaths occurred Sept. 21, according to Lafayette County Coroner Glenn Coleman, who told the Clarion Ledger that the students were an 18-year-old male and a 20-year-old male. One was found inside his dorm on the Ole Miss campus, and the other was found inside his off-campus home, according to reporting by the USA TODAY Network. Their identities had not been publicly released as of Wednesday.
The Lafayette County Metro Narcotics Unit said it is handling the cases as two separate death investigations. In a statement released Tuesday, the agency said packaged kratom purchased from a retail store was found during both investigations.
But authorities cautioned against drawing a connection between the substance and the deaths.
“We do not have confirmed information indicating that kratom or any other substance was a contributing factor in either death,” the agency said, according to the USA TODAY Network. Investigators also said they had no confirmed evidence that the two deaths were connected.
Emergency call reported possible overdose
One of the investigations began after emergency personnel were dispatched to Stewart Hall on the Ole Miss campus shortly after 1:30 p.m. Monday, according to a Lafayette County dispatch recording obtained by Action News 5.
The dispatch call described the situation as a possible overdose and indicated that the person was not breathing and that CPR was being attempted over the phone. The dispatch information does not establish what caused the student’s death, and authorities have not confirmed that the student died from an overdose.
Details surrounding the second death have been more limited. The coroner told the Clarion Ledger that the second student was found at his off-campus residence. Both cases remain under investigation.
University warns against speculation
The University of Mississippi confirmed that two students had died and said its police department was working with local and state law enforcement.
Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Shawnboda Mead said the university was aware of unverified information circulating online and urged members of the campus community not to speculate about the circumstances of the deaths.
The university also said campus police were not aware of any additional student deaths, addressing rumors that had circulated after the two deaths became public.
“The University is heartbroken by the recent loss of two students,” Mead said in a statement, expressing condolences to their families, friends and loved ones.
What authorities have said about kratom
Kratom is derived from Mitragyna speciosa, a tree native to Southeast Asia. Its principal compounds include mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine, or 7-OH. The FDA says some of these compounds interact with opioid receptors and that kratom use has been associated with serious adverse events, including liver toxicity, seizures, and substance-use disorder.
The FDA also says deaths have been associated with kratom in some cases documented through medical examiner or toxicology reports, but notes that kratom was often used alongside other drugs in those cases and that its contribution to the deaths was unclear.
That distinction is important in the Ole Miss investigation. The presence of packaged kratom at the two locations is confirmed by law enforcement, but investigators have not said that the substance caused either death.
The FDA separately warns consumers about concentrated 7-OH products, which can be sold in forms including tablets, gummies, drink mixes and shots. Those products are not necessarily equivalent to ordinary botanical kratom, and authorities have not identified the specific kratom products found in the Ole Miss investigations.
Autopsies and toxicology testing pending
The Lafayette County coroner told the Clarion Ledger that autopsies and toxicology tests were being scheduled for the two students. Toxicology results were expected to take roughly two to three weeks, according to the USA TODAY Network’s report.
Those examinations could provide information needed to determine the causes of death and whether any substances were present in the students’ systems.
Until those findings are available, authorities have not identified a cause of death for either student.
Officials urge caution
Lafayette County Metro Narcotics urged people to avoid kratom and other medications or substances that were not prescribed to them or obtained from a trusted, regulated source. The agency said the warning was being issued out of caution while the investigations continue.
Oxford also has overdose-prevention resources available. WAPT reported that free naloxone, commonly known as Narcan, is available through vending machines on the Ole Miss campus and at the downtown parking garage. Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch’s office also said it had provided overdose-response training to Ole Miss students the previous week.
The two deaths came after Ole Miss hosted Louisiana State University for a football game in Oxford over the weekend. Officials have not said the football game was connected to either death.
For now, investigators are treating the deaths separately. The identities of the students have not been released, the causes of death remain undetermined, and there is no confirmed evidence that kratom caused either death or that the cases are linked. Further information is expected as autopsy and toxicology work proceeds.
This story may be updated as new information becomes available.
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