Officials release 911 dispatch call in Ole Miss student death
Symphany Grier, treasurer of TPUSA at the University of Mississippi, appeared on Fox & Friends First to address the deaths of students Aidan Hamilton and Robert Strang. The tragedy has renewed attention on kratom, a controversial herbal substance sold through online retailers and smoke shops.
Oxford, Mississippi, police responded Thursday morning to a suspected overdose involving a 22-year-old, with synthetic kratom reportedly found nearby. Authorities emphasized that the incident was not student-related and had no connection to the deaths of Hamilton and Strang.
Officers and emergency responders were called to a residence at approximately 5 a.m. after the individual was found “unresponsive,” according to the Oxford Police Department. Emergency medical personnel revived the person, who is expected to recover. Police said synthetic kratom was found in the individual’s possession.
Authorities said the suspected overdose is separate from the deaths of Ole Miss students Aidan Hamilton, 18, and Robert Strang, 20. The two were found dead Sept. 21, with synthetic kratom discovered nearby. Officials have not yet disclosed the cause of death.
Oxford police said the person involved in the suspected overdose is expected to be OK. (Getty Images)
Investigators also said they do not believe the synthetic kratom involved in Thursday’s case was purchased in the Oxford area.
CHECK THIS OUT: Proposed LNG Plant Could Cost Taxpayers €85 Million Even If Never Built
The latest incident follows the discovery of Hamilton and Strang’s bodies on Sept. 21, when packaging or products associated with synthetic kratom were found near them.
Oxford, a college town in Mississippi, is home to the University of Mississippi’s main campus, commonly known as Ole Miss. (Wesley Hitt via Getty Images)
In a statement issued Wednesday, Lafayette County Metro Narcotics, part of the sheriff’s office, said investigators had not definitively confirmed that kratom itself was found near either student. “During the investigations, packaging associated with kratom-related products was discovered at both locations,” the agency said. A Sept. 25 affidavit noted that the medical examiner’s toxicology findings were still pending.
Mac Haddow, a senior fellow for public policy at the American Kratom Association, said at a Wednesday press conference that the particular substance found near the students is illegal.
Robert Strang and Aidan Hamilton appear in a split image provided by their families. (Strang family, Kathleen Hamilton/Facebook)
