Two Ole Miss students found dead, kratom found in both cases

Two students at the University of Mississippi were found dead Monday in separate incidents, according to Lafayette County Coroner Glenn Coleman, prompting parallel investigations by local, state and federal authorities. The students, aged 18 and 20, were located on and off campus after emergency personnel responded to Stewart Hall following a report of a possible overdose. Packaged kratom purchased from a retail store was found during both death investigations, according to the Lafayette County Metro Narcotics Unit. However, the agency said it has no confirmed information indicating that kratom or any other substance contributed to either death, and it has found no confirmed evidence that the two deaths are connected. Investigators are treating the cases as separate inquiries while autopsy and toxicology results remain pending, leaving the causes of death undetermined. The deaths came after a busy weekend in Oxford, where the university hosted Louisiana State University for a football game on Saturday. The Oxford Police Department described the weekend as a success, saying crowds were well behaved.