Authorities found packaged kratom during separate death investigations for two undergraduates this week, though officials have not linked the drug to their deaths.
The University of Mississippi on Thursday named two undergraduate students who were found dead earlier this week in separate cases where authorities discovered packaged kratom.
Aidan Hamilton, an 18-year-old freshman from Englewood, Colorado, and Robert Strang, a 20-year-old junior from Atlanta, were both found on Monday. Officials said one student was found on campus and the other was located in the city of Oxford.
Packaged kratom was found during each investigation, but officials said no definitive link has been made between the deaths and the substance. Kratom is an herb with opioid-like effects that is sometimes sold online or at gas stations. The substance has grown in popularity across the U.S. as an unapproved treatment for anxiety, pain and drug dependence. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, kratom can be either stimulating or sedating depending on the dosage.
Shawnboda Mead, the university’s vice chancellor for student affairs, urged the campus community to wait for investigators to finish their work.
“We know there is heightened media attention and that you may be eager for answers. We also recognize that inaccurate information is being shared by individuals who do not have access to the facts,” Mead said in a statement. “We can all help by not repeating information that has not been officially confirmed and by avoiding public speculation about what happened or why, especially as the causes of the two deaths are still under investigation.”
The fraternity Phi Delta Theta identified Strang as a member and said it held off on commenting until his name was made public. In a statement Thursday, the fraternity said, “The loss of two young lives is a profound tragedy,” adding that it joins the university community in mourning Strang and Hamilton and extending sympathies to their families and friends.
