Ole Miss deaths and arrests ABC’s unresolved link

Sep 24

ABC’s Stephanie Ramos reports two separate Ole Miss student deaths, kratom found nearby and expedited toxicology. She reports a narcotics raid and two arrests at an Oxford vape store but explicitly says police have not confirmed that the raid is connected to the deaths. The report preserves the uncertainty about cause of death and the relationship between the investigations.

ABC reports that a county narcotics team seized 500 units of kratom from a vape store less than a mile from the Ole Miss campus in Oxford, where the substance is banned. Two men were charged with possession and intent to distribute. Police have not said the search is connected to the deaths of Aidan Hamilton and Robert Strang. The report retains that qualification, pending expedited toxicology and police advice to avoid kratom out of caution; it does not establish that kratom caused either death. Fox names the business as Puff's Vape, Tobacco and Beer Store, says Oxford police announced two arrests following a search warrant, and places it less than two miles from campus. Police have not confirmed any connection to the student deaths. Mississippi Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell says sellers are responsible for knowing their products' contents. The report does not establish that this shop supplied either student; its distance description is retained alongside ABC's less-than-a-mile description.