University of Mississippi identifies one of two students found dead amid drug probe

Family counsel confirmed that Robert Strang, a 20-year-old Atlanta native, is one of two University of Mississippi students whose bodies were discovered in recent days. Strang’s remains were located at an off-campus residence, whereas the second victim, an 18-year-old, was found inside Stewart Hall dormitory. Both scenes yielded packages of kratom, a substance often labeled “gas station heroin,” but investigators have not yet determined its role in the fatalities.

The Lafayette County Coroner’s Office is handling the autopsies, and a county narcotics task force is leading the inquiry, with state officials, including Governor Tate Reeves, promising to speed up toxicology results. Campus Greek leaders have warned students about the synthetic opioid cychlorphine, which may require multiple Narcan doses and can evade one outlet test strips. No definitive cause or manner of death has been announced, and the families have requested privacy as they cope with the loss.