Ole Miss names Aidan Hamilton, Robert Strang as students found dead

The University of Mississippi on Thursday identified the two students found dead in Oxford on Monday as Aidan Hamilton, an 18-year-old freshman from Englewood, Colorado, and Robert Strang, a 20-year-old junior from Atlanta. Packaged kratom was recovered during both death investigations, the Lafayette County Metro Narcotics unit said, and authorities have not determined what killed either student.

We do not have confirmed information indicating that kratom or any other substance was a contributing factor in either death.

Hamilton was found at Stewart Hall, a residence hall on the Ole Miss campus, and Strang at a house on Van Buren Avenue off campus, according to The Daily Mississippian, the student newspaper. A cause of death has not been determined in either case. Investigators are treating the deaths as two separate inquiries and have said there is no confirmed evidence linking them. The university said in a statement that the two families have asked for privacy as they grieve.

Kratom found in both investigations

Lafayette County Metro Narcotics said Tuesday that it had no information the two deaths were linked, and that packaged kratom sold from a retail store was found during both investigations. Capt. Alex Fauver, the unit's commander, told NBC News that kratom was found at each student's residence. Officials did not name the store or say whether any criminal charges would be filed, The Associated Press reported. The task force issued a public warning the same day, even without a confirmed link to the deaths.

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.

Kratom is banned by local law in Oxford but can be bought in surrounding counties, Fauver said. He described the substance as a recurring problem for his unit and said it has no medical use. There have been no other student deaths and no other students or community members affected, Fauver and the university said.

Shawnboda Mead, the vice chancellor for student affairs, asked the campus to hold off on conclusions while the investigations continue. "We encourage our community not to speculate about the circumstances or repeat information that has not been officially confirmed," she said in a statement Tuesday. Metro Narcotics said concern, speculation and misinformation were circulating widely, and officials urged the public to rely on information released through official channels.

Coroner orders autopsies and toxicology tests

Lafayette County Coroner Glenn Coleman said one student was 18 and died in a residence hall on the Ole Miss campus, and that the second was 20 and died at a house off campus. Coleman did not release their names. Autopsies and toxicology tests were ordered for both students, and the coroner said he expects the toxicology results to be completed in two to three weeks, according to The Daily Mississippian.

First responders were called to Stewart Hall shortly after 1:30 p.m. Monday for a reported possible overdose. A dispatch recording indicated the person was not breathing and that CPR was being attempted. Authorities have not released details about the circumstances of the second death.

Oxford Mayor Robyn Tannehill said both students were found dead Monday, one on campus and the other in the city. Local, state and federal authorities are involved in the investigations, and the Oxford Police Department said those partners are "working collaboratively to gather the facts and provide answers as quickly and responsibly as possible."

Gov. Tate Reeves said Wednesday that the Mississippi Department of Public Safety and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics are assisting local law enforcement and working to expedite toxicology reports, and that the state will keep providing resources requested by local agencies. He also warned parents about illegal drugs and counterfeit pills. "Please talk to your children about this situation and the dangers associated with taking illegal drugs," Reeves said in a Facebook post.

The university held the names back until Thursday at the request of both families, CNN reported. Toxicology results are still pending, and officials have said repeatedly that nothing has been confirmed as a contributing factor in either death.

Kratom is legal in Mississippi but banned in Oxford

Kratom comes from the leaves of a tree native to Southeast Asia and is sold in capsules, powders and liquids, often at gas stations, convenience stores and smoke shops. It acts as a stimulant at low doses and a sedative at higher ones. The Drug Enforcement Administration lists it as a "drug and chemical of concern" and says it can produce psychotic symptoms. It is marketed as a remedy for pain, anxiety and opioid withdrawal, and its labels often do not disclose ingredients or potency.

Oxford banned the sale of synthetic kratom in August 2019, and Lafayette County followed, according to The Daily Mississippian. The substance is not illegal statewide in Mississippi, which regulates it in part by requiring buyers to be 21 or older. Eleven states have banned kratom, The Associated Press reported.

A Food and Drug Administration webpage tells consumers not to use kratom, citing risks that include liver toxicity, seizures and substance use disorder. The agency says the product has been associated with deaths in rare cases, though other drugs were usually involved and kratom's contribution is unclear. In 2025 the FDA recommended a ban on products containing concentrated levels of 7-hydroxymitragynine, a chemical found only in trace amounts in natural kratom. The Mayo Clinic calls kratom unsafe and ineffective.

North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong signed a bill in September restricting the sale of kratom products, after declaring kratom a public health crisis over the summer and calling a special legislative session to address it. The state has recorded 50 deaths associated with kratom since 2019, according to the governor's office. Mac Haddow, a senior fellow on public policy with the American Kratom Association, told The Associated Press that the FDA and states that have banned the product are conflating natural kratom with synthetic and chemically manipulated versions.

Greek houses hang black ribbons

Strang was a member of the Mississippi Alpha Chapter of Phi Delta Theta. The national fraternity said it had refrained from public comment until his name was released, called the loss of two young lives a profound tragedy and said the deaths reinforce the importance of health and safety on college campuses. The chapter declined interview requests from CNN, saying its members did not want to speak publicly at this time.

Black ribbons went up outside fraternity and sorority houses within a day of the deaths. Raegan Settle, the senior who edits The Daily Mississippian, told NBC News the mood on campus was "really frantic." Greek organizations reminded members not to take anything not prescribed to them by a doctor.

Two students found dead on the same day

Hamilton, 18, and Strang, 20, were found in separate locations in Oxford on Monday, one inside a campus residence hall and the other at an off-campus house. Neither cause of death has been determined. Packaged kratom was found during both investigations, but police say no substance has been confirmed as a factor, and investigators say they have no evidence connecting the two cases.

Xzayviane Fort, an Ole Miss student who lives at Stewart Hall, told WLBT that he did not know the two personally but had spoken with them in passing, and that one of the students who died had lived in his dorm. Eliza Cavness, a senior journalism major, said the deaths made the case for Narcan dispensers on campus and around the Square feel immediate.

Canceled events and emptied Narcan machines

Kenneth Tonos, a student who works security for several fraternities and sororities, told Fox News Digital that at least three Greek-life events had been canceled after the deaths and that some Oxford bars had tightened screening to track what patrons brought inside.

Free Narcan vending machines in dormitories and in a parking garage near the Square had been emptied, WMC Action News 5 reported. Mississippi is in the third year of its One Pill Can Kill initiative, and the state attorney general had trained Ole Miss students to administer Narcan the week before the deaths, according to CNN. Col. Phillip Pope, who leads the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, said students should take only medication prescribed by a doctor and dispensed by a pharmacy. Police said Narcan is available on campus. Anyone struggling with substance use can call the SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357.

A third student, Mary Harvey, told Fox News Digital that she believes she was drugged at an Oxford bar on Saturday night while watching Ole Miss play LSU. Harvey said her memory cut out near the end of the game after she fell. Police put her in an Uber back to campus, by her account, and her roommate later found her unconscious in a dorm hallway after searching several floors.

Strang's family said in a statement Thursday that they were trying to process the loss and were grateful for the support of friends and family. Hamilton's family also asked to be left alone to grieve.

Aidan was a bright, wonderful young man who was taken too soon. He is greatly missed. We thank everyone for their prayers and support and ask that you respect our family's privacy during this time of great loss.

The investigations remain open, and Oxford police said they are still working to determine whether kratom or anything else played a role. Ole Miss has urged students who need grief counseling or other support to contact the University Counseling Center or UMatter: Student Support & Advocacy.