A freshman at the University of Mississippi says she believes her drink was spiked during a night out, leaving her unconscious in her dormitory hallway just days before two students were found dead.
Mary Harvey said Wednesday that students are now “scared to leave their dorm rooms” following the deaths of two men, aged 18 and 20. The incidents have shaken the university’s roughly 28,400 students.
Harvey had gone to a bar to watch the Ole Miss Rebels face longtime rival Louisiana State University in Saturday’s Magnolia Bowl. She said, however, that she has “no recollection” of what happened after the game.
“Around the time when the game ended, I do not remember a single thing,” Harvey told Fox News Digital. “I was told by a boy who was there that I fell down.”
The freshman was placed in an Uber and taken back to her dormitory, where she was later reported missing.
“My roommate got in the shower, and she said that while she was in there, I went missing,” Harvey said.
Her roommate searched the building, checking every floor, before finding Harvey unconscious in the hallway while returning to the dorm.
In a Facebook post, Harvey said she had been “spiked” and repeated that she could not remember anything about the night.
Harvey is among several University of Mississippi students who say the recent tragedies have left them frightened and unsettled.
“It’s very scary,” biology sophomore Jay Van Dyke told WLOX. “You don’t even know what you can trust or what is safe to do. You almost want to stay inside, and that is silly.”
Fellow student Raven Tunstall described the two deaths as a “big shock” for the campus community.
“We have so much life ahead of us,” Tunstall told the outlet. “College is supposed to be where we grow and make new experiences. It’s not supposed to be where our lives end.”
Lafayette County Coroner Glenn Coleman told the Clarion Ledger that one student was found inside a campus dormitory, while the other was discovered Monday at an off-campus residence.
Investigators found packaged kratom purchased from a retail store during separate inquiries into the deaths. However, Lafayette County Metro Narcotics said it has no confirmed evidence that kratom or any other substance played a role.
“Out of an abundance of caution, we encourage everyone to avoid kratom and any medication or substance that was not prescribed to you or obtained through a trusted, regulated source,” the agency said in a statement.
Coleman said toxicology findings are expected to be available within two to three weeks.
“The University is heartbroken by the recent loss of two students,” Dr. Shawnboda Mead, vice chancellor for student affairs, said. “We extend our condolences to their families, friends and loved ones during this difficult time.”
The Post has contacted University of Mississippi police and the campus safety team for comment.
