The disclosures came during proceedings involving two Oxford vape shop employees charged with possessing controlled substances with intent to distribute.
OXFORD, Miss. — New details about the deaths of two University of Mississippi students emerged during federal court proceedings Friday, where a defense attorney said one student died after using a combination of substances and the other died from inhalation asphyxiation.
Aidan Hamilton, 18, and Robert Strang, 20, were found dead in separate locations in Oxford on Sept. 21. Hamilton was a freshman from Englewood, Colorado, while Strang was a junior from Atlanta. Their deaths became part of a broader narcotics investigation after authorities said packages of suspected kratom derivatives were found during both investigations.
During Friday’s court hearing, a defense attorney said one of the students died from the combined use of several substances, including cough syrup, while the other died from inhalation asphyxiation. Public reporting on the hearing did not identify which cause applied to which student. The complete toxicology reports have not been released publicly.
Court filings cited in the investigation indicate toxicology testing detected mitragynine, MGM-15 and MGPI in both students. Investigators have said those substances were also associated with pills found during the death investigations. The findings became part of a federal case involving Yahya Mohamed Mosleh, 51, and his son, Islam Yahya Mosleh, 18, who worked at Puffs Vape, Tobacco and Beer Store in Oxford.
Federal prosecutors have charged both men with possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute. The charges are allegations, and neither man has been convicted. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Mississippi said the criminal complaint was filed in connection with the investigation into the students’ deaths.
Investigators allege Puffs sold Hamilton pills in the days before his death. Authorities have said Strang obtained pills from a different store outside Lafayette County. Bank records reviewed by investigators were used to trace purchases made before the students died, according to court filings and testimony reported by local news organizations.
After the deaths, Lafayette County Metro Narcotics investigators sent a confidential informant into Puffs as part of the investigation. Authorities later searched the store and seized more than 500 units of kratom and kratom-like products, along with suspected THC products. Investigators also reported finding packaging matching a product discovered during Hamilton’s death investigation.
The federal investigation initially described both deaths as appearing consistent with suspected drug overdoses, while authorities awaited additional medical and toxicology findings. Federal officials have not alleged that the two students died together, and investigators have treated the deaths as separate cases while examining similarities in the substances and products recovered.
Friday’s proceeding also addressed whether the two defendants would remain in custody while the federal case moves forward. A judge ordered Yahya Mosleh to remain detained after finding that he presented a flight risk. Islam Mosleh was granted release on a $20,000 unsecured bond with conditions that include a curfew and location monitoring.
The investigation into the products recovered in Oxford and the circumstances surrounding the students’ deaths remains active. The federal drug charges against Yahya and Islam Mosleh are pending, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Author note: Last updated October 11, 2026.