Govind Tekale
Two University of Mississippi students were found dead in separate incidents on or around September 22, 2026, and packaged kratom was reportedly recovered at both scenes. Investigators have confirmed the deaths and are conducting ongoing investigations, but officials have not established kratom as the cause of either death.
The University of Mississippi confirmed the deaths of two students in separate locations. Local reporting indicated that investigations were underway at both sites. At each scene, investigators reportedly found packaged kratom — a plant-based product sold legally in many states and often marketed as an herbal supplement. Law enforcement and university officials confirmed the investigations were ongoing. No autopsy or toxicology results had been publicly released at the time of initial reporting on September 22.
If you use kratom or know someone who does, it is worth knowing what is and isn’t established here. The presence of kratom at both scenes has generated significant media attention. However, finding a substance during an investigation is not the same as establishing that it caused a death. Toxicology results — which typically take weeks — are what investigators use to determine cause of death. Until those results are released officially, any claim that kratom caused these deaths goes beyond what authorities have confirmed.
What Officials Have and Have Not Said
Authorities confirmed two deaths and confirmed that packaged kratom was found during both investigations. That is the documented record. What they have not said — and what remains unconfirmed — is whether kratom was responsible for either death.
Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) is a plant from Southeast Asia. At low doses it produces stimulant effects; at higher doses, opioid-like effects. The FDA has raised safety concerns about kratom and does not consider it safe for human consumption, but it remains legal and unregulated in most US states. The FDA’s kratom safety page and state poison control centers carry the most current guidance on reported health risks.
The two deaths at Ole Miss follow a broader pattern of student death investigations that have drawn national attention in college towns. For coverage of public health alerts and student safety, Karmactive has tracked similar cases.
Did officials say kratom caused the deaths?
No. As of September 22, investigators had not established kratom as the cause of either death. Packaged kratom was found during both investigations, but toxicology results had not been released. The investigations remained ongoing.
Toxicology and autopsy results, once released, will be the authoritative basis for any cause-of-death determination. When official findings are published, this story will be updated with the confirmed information.
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