Cause of death for Ole Miss students found dead with illegal kratom pills revealed in court

The causes of death for the two University of Mississippi students found with illegal synthetic kratom in their systems were announced in court.A defense attorney for one of two men accused of selling narcotics connected to at least one of the Sept.21 deaths of Aidan Hamilton, 18, and Robert Strang, 20, revealed in Mississippi federal court Friday that one Ole Miss student died from combined use of various substances, including cough syrup, and the other from inhalation asphyxiation, Action News 5 reported.A toxicology report shows both victims had mitragynine pseudoindoxyl, MGM-15 and 7-OH in their systems when they died, according to court records.These are all compounds found in the deadly SMAX Psuedo-DHM pills that were found at the scene of both students’ deaths, investigators say.Authorities believe that the Puffs Vape, Tobacco and Beer store in Oxford sold Hamilton the deadly SMAX pills twice in the days before his death.Strang also made a purchase from the store, but investigators said he bought the dangerous product from another smoke shop about 20 miles away.

The deadly tablets contain mitragynine pseudoindoxyl, MGM-15 and 7-OH.In August, the Drug Enforcement Administration issued an emergency order classifying MGM-15 and mitragynine pseudoindoxyl as Schedule I controlled substances — making it illegal to buy or sell them.

Yahya Mosleh, 51, and his son, Islam Mosleh, 18, were both working at Puffs when an undercover agent went into the store on Sept.24 and requested 7-OH kratom pills, according to a criminal complaint against the pair.Yahya, who was behind the counter, allegedly unlocked a drawer underneath the register and pulled out a selection containing mitragynine pseudoindoxyl, the complaint said.“[Yahya] told the informant to be careful taking these pills because people were dying from them,” the complaint reads.

Agents later returned to the store with a warrant and seized multiple Schedule I controlled substances including THC cartridges...