OXFORD, Mississippi — Authorities are investigating the deaths of two University of Mississippi students after packaged kratom was found during both investigations. Police say they have no confirmed evidence that the deaths are connected or that kratom contributed to either death.
The students died on Monday, September 21. In a statement shared by the Oxford Police Department on Tuesday, Lafayette County Metro Narcotics said investigators were handling the cases separately. The students had not been publicly named in the official statement.
“At this time, we have no confirmed evidence indicating that the two deaths are connected,” the agency said. It added that packaged kratom purchased from a retail store was found during both investigations.
That discovery has prompted a public warning, but it does not establish how either student died. “We do not have confirmed information indicating that kratom or any other substance was a contributing factor in either death,” investigators said.
University addresses rumors of additional deaths
Shawnboda Mead, Ole Miss vice chancellor for student affairs, confirmed that both people who died were students and offered condolences to their families and friends.
“The University is heartbroken by the recent loss of two students and extends our condolences to their families, friends and loved ones during this difficult time,” Mead said in a statement reported by Mississippi Today.
Mead also addressed claims circulating online about other deaths. She said the coroner’s office had confirmed two student deaths and university police were not aware of any additional student deaths. The university urged the community to rely on confirmed information while the investigations continue.
A report citing the Lafayette County Coroner’s Office said an 18-year-old man was found in a dormitory and a 20-year-old man at an off-campus home. Official findings on the causes of death had not been announced.
What investigators have said about kratom
Metro Narcotics advised people to avoid kratom and any medication or substance that was not prescribed to them or obtained from a trusted, regulated source. The agency said it would alert the public if investigators identified a threat to public safety.
Kratom is made from the leaves of a tree native to Southeast Asia and is sold in several forms in the United States. The US Food and Drug Administration warns that its use can carry serious risks, including seizures, liver toxicity and substance use disorder. The FDA also says that, in reported deaths associated with kratom, other drugs were usually involved and kratom’s contribution was often unclear.
Those broader health warnings cannot determine what happened in Oxford. Investigators have not announced a cause of death in either case, and finding a product at both scenes does not show that either student consumed it. The investigation remains ongoing.
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