A criminal investigation into an incident involving three students at Saddle Ridge Middle School has been closed after laboratory testing found no illegal substances.
On October 29, 2025, Walker County dispatchers notified sheriff’s deputies after three middle school students became ill at Saddle Ridge Middle School. Authorities reported the students were suffering from severe nausea and lethargic motor skills, and it was suspected they had ingested a “gummy” substance. All three students were transported to area hospitals, where they were treated and later released.
Initial medical findings led investigators to believe the students may have overdosed on kratom, based on observations made by an emergency room physician. During the investigation, deputies recovered a gummy-type substance from the area where the students became ill and collected it as evidence.
The Walker County Sheriff’s Office worked with the American Kratom Association to have the substance analyzed by the University of Florida’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute. According to a lab report received this week, the substance did not test positive for kratom or for 64 other illicit drugs.
With no illegal substances identified, the Sheriff’s Office has closed the criminal investigation.