Mississippi authorities expect toxicology reports in the deaths of two University of Mississippi students to be completed as early as next week, a timeline that could determine whether prosecutors pursue charges under a state law aimed at fentanyl dealers whose product causes a fatal overdose.
The students were identified as Robert Strang, a 20-year-old junior from Atlanta, and Aidan Hamilton, an 18-year-old freshman from Colorado. Both families have asked for privacy and compassion as they mourn. How the two died remains unclear, but narcotics detectives are involved in both investigations, and police have said they found packages of kratom at both scenes.
Sean Tindell, commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, said the state has a specific legal tool ready if the reports point to fentanyl. «Under Parker's Law, enacted in 2022, criminal charges may be pursued when an unlawful delivery of fentanyl results in a person's death,» Tindell said. «If the investigation establishes those circumstances, law enforcement will work with prosecutors to pursue the appropriate charges and hold those responsible accountable.»
Tindell also cautioned that authorities have not uncovered indications of foul play but have not ruled it out either. He said a final determination will not be made until the autopsy is reported and investigators have an opportunity to gather statements and evidence. Without the toxicology results, it is too early to say whether kratom or other drugs played a role in the deaths.
The case has drawn attention beyond Oxford. Gov. Tate Reeves pledged this week to provide state resources to help expedite the toxicology reports, which can typically take weeks but may be completed in a matter of days in this instance. Classmates have circulated warnings about a powerful synthetic opioid called cychlorphine, which they say can require multiple doses of Narcan to counteract.
Separately, Oxford police announced the arrests of two men in a narcotics investigation connected to a local tobacco shop. It is not immediately clear whether the raid is connected to the student deaths. Police said the suspects were linked to an Oxford retail business where officers allegedly found stockpiles of drugs, including THC products and kratom, which is legal in many parts of the country but prohibited in Lafayette County.
«During the search, agents recovered more than 500 units of kratom, along with an assortment of THC cartridges, gummies, and other suspected narcotics,» police said in a statement. «Kratom has been prohibited from possession, distribution, and sale within the City of Oxford since 2019.»
The store, Puffs Vape, Tobacco and Beer Store, is located in the 100 block of Heritage Drive in Oxford. Police arrested Yahya Mohamed Mosleh, 51, and Islam Mohamed, 18, both local residents. In 2022, the business owner, Amer Alowdi, 40, was indicted on narcotics trafficking charges and fled the country before being prosecuted, according to police. It was not immediately clear how the business remained open.
The deaths have unsettled the campus, where students have described a climate of fear. Bars and Greek life organizations have clamped down, and some students have said people are scared to leave their dorm rooms. The arrival of the toxicology reports is expected to clarify what substances, if any, were present and whether the case will move into the territory covered by Parker's Law.