Ole Miss students’ deaths linked to synthetic kratom sold at Oxford vape shop, court reveals

Cause of death revealed in federal court

A Friday hearing in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi confirmed that the two University of Mississippi students who died on Sept. 21 2026 succumbed to the same three synthetic kratom compounds. A defense attorney for one of the accused sellers explained that the first victim, 18‑year‑old Aidan Hamilton, died from a lethal combination of substances that included cough syrup, while the second victim, 20‑year‑old Robert Strang, died from inhalation asphyxiation.

The three deadly ingredients

Court documents list mitragynine pseudoindoxyl, MGM‑15 and 7‑OH as the three chemicals found in both victims’ blood. Those ingredients are the active components of the SMAX Mango Breeze “pseudo‑DHM” pills seized from the scene. In August, the Drug Enforcement Administration classified both mitragynine pseudoindoxyl and MGM‑15 as Schedule I controlled substances, making their sale illegal.

Link to the Oxford vape shop

Investigators say the pills were purchased at Puffs Vape, Tobacco and Beer, a store on Oxford’s main strip where the two defendants worked. Surveillance and a confidential informant’s controlled buy on Sept. 24 showed the clerk confirming the sale of “7‑OH kratom‑based pills.” The informant was warned that “people are dying from them.”

During a later raid, agents seized more than 500 units of kratom‑type products, along with THC cartridges, gummies and pre‑rolls. Purchase records indicate Hamilton spent $87.18 at the shop on Sept. 20, and Strang spent $43.59 the same day – the day before each death.

Legal fallout for the store employees

The court heard that Yahya Mosleh, 51, unlocked a drawer behind the register and handed the informant a selection of the synthetic pills. He is being held without bail after the judge ruled he is a flight risk with ties to Egypt, where store owner Amer Alowdi is believed to have fled. Yahya’s 18‑year‑old son, Islam Mosleh, was granted a $20,000 unsecured bond with curfew and GPS monitoring.

Federal prosecutors said the case stems from “several tragic overdose cases of students here in Oxford” and that the evidence “supports the detention… victims died of conditions consistent with overdoses.” Attorneys for the Moslehs declined to comment.

What comes next

The toxicology report itself has not been released to the public, but the court’s summary makes clear that the same synthetic kratom mixture was present in both victims. Prosecutors are expected to seek additional charges related to the distribution of Schedule I substances. Meanwhile, law‑enforcement agencies continue to investigate the broader network that supplied the pills, including the store’s owner, Amer Alowdi, who was indicted in 2022 but remains at large.