A pair of Ole Miss students who were found dead Monday in different locations where packaged kratom was also discovered have been identified by the school.
Robert Strang, a 20-year-old junior from Atlanta, and Aidan Hamilton, an 18-year-old freshman from Colorado, died in two separate incidents, the University of Mississippi revealed in a Thursday statement.
“We are heartbroken by the loss of our dear son and are trying to process this unimaginable loss,” Strang’s family spokesperson told The Post.
Strang, who was a co-chairman of the 2026 Rush for the Phi Delta Theta fraternity, was found at an off-campus home, according to Fox News.
“We are deeply grateful for the incredible outpouring of love, prayers and support by so many beloved friends and family. Their kindness has meant more to our family than we can ever express,” Strang’s family said.
Hamilton is believed to have been discovered at a male dorm on campus, the outlet reported.
“Aidan was a bright, wonderful young man who was taken too soon. He is greatly missed,” Hamilton’s family said in a statement provided by the university.
“We thank everyone for their prayers and support and ask that you respect our family’s privacy during this time of great loss.”
The university said it is working to offer support for the families of both students.
“We have been in touch with the families to offer our deepest sympathies and share university support and resources,” Shawnboda Mead, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, said in a statement.
The two cases are not believed to be connected, according to Lafayette County Metro Narcotics, who said Tuesday cops are conducting two separate death investigations.
Officials responded to a “possible OD” at a dormitory on the same day that the young students were found dead.
“They do not believe the subject is breathing — trying to start CPR over the phone,” a woman says in a Lafayette County dispatch recording obtained by WMC Action 5 News. “I believe they’re still trying to get somebody in the dorms to do, or in the building to do CPR.”
It is unclear whether the subject of the call is one of the two students who died.
Authorities discovered packaged kratom bought from a retail store at both scenes.
Kratom, also known as “gas station heroin,” is a potent, opioid-like drug that can be legally sold in parts of Mississippi but is restricted within Lafayette County where the university is located, according to Mississippi Today.
The narcotics squad said it does “not have confirmed information indicating that kratom or any other substance was a contributing factor in either death,” but encourages everyone to “avoid kratom and any other medication or substance that was not prescribed to you or obtained from a trusted, regulated source.”
Read the full article here
