Mississippi Police Tie Kratom Near Dead Ole Miss Students to Oxford Vape Shop
Mississippi authorities have connected kratom-related packages discovered near two deceased University of Mississippi students to a retail business in Oxford, the city where the campus is located.
The students, identified as Aidan Hamilton, 18, and Robert Strang, 20, were found dead at two separate locations on the Ole Miss campus on Sept. 21. Kratom, a substance commonly available at gas stations, was recovered close to both scenes.
On Friday, state law enforcement officials announced that two individuals had been taken into custody over the alleged sale of illegal narcotics, including kratom. A third man remains at large.
The arrests came after officers from the Lafayette County Metro Narcotics Unit carried out a search warrant at Puffs Vape, Tobacco and Beer Store in Oxford.
In a detailed statement issued Wednesday, authorities said information gathered during the investigation directed them to the retail store on Heritage Drive, which sits less than a mile from the university campus.
Police are still waiting for autopsy and toxicology results from the state medical examiner's office and have not yet established the cause and manner of either death.
"In addition to establishing the medical findings, investigators will continue examining the evidence recovered from both scenes and the retail investigation," the officials' statement reads. "This includes determining the actual chemical composition of products, identifying possible sources of distribution and establishing whether any connection exists between the investigations."
The police added that they are coordinating with federal law enforcement partners to assess whether the evidence warrants further investigations or criminal charges under federal law.
Mississippi Department of Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell said Monday that toxicology results in the deaths of the two Ole Miss students are expected to be returned next week.
to like, bookmark, and comment.
Comments
Join the conversation:
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts.