Two Ole Miss students found dead in separate incidents; causes under investigation

Two University of Mississippi students have been found dead in separate incidents in Oxford, with the causes of death still under investigation, the Clarion Ledger reports.

Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Shawnboda Mead said in a public statement at 1:50 p.m. Tuesday that the Lafayette County Coroner’s Office had confirmed the deaths. The students’ identities were not immediately released. Coroner Glenn Coleman told the Clarion Ledger one was an 18-year-old male found in his dorm on campus and the other a 20-year-old male found in his home off campus; autopsies and toxicology tests have been scheduled, with toxicology results expected in two to three weeks. “I encourage everyone to keep the families in their prayers,” Coleman said.

The Lafayette County Metro Narcotics Unit said at 2:06 p.m. Tuesday it was conducting two separate death investigations, with “no confirmed evidence indicating that the two deaths are connected”. Packaged kratom bought from a retail store was found during both investigations, but the agency stressed it had “no confirmed information indicating that kratom or any other substance was a contributing factor in either death”. Kratom is an herbal substance with both opioid-like and stimulant-like effects, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and the agency urged people to avoid it “out of an abundance of caution”.

Dispatch records obtained by Action News 5 show public safety officials were sent to Stewart Hall on campus just after 1:30 p.m. Monday, 21 September, for a report of a “possible overdose”, with first responders told the individual was unresponsive and CPR was under way, WVLT reports.

The university said “unverified information” was circulating on social media and urged the community not to speculate about the circumstances; the narcotics unit reminded the public that free Narcan is available from vending machines on campus and in downtown Oxford.

Sources

• Clarion Ledger: Two Ole Miss students found dead. Packaged kratom recovered by officials — clarionledger.com
• WVLT / Action News 5: Two Ole Miss students found dead; investigation underway — wvlt.tv
• NY Post: Two Ole Miss students found dead in separate incidents — with kratom found at both scenes — nypost.com