Hayden Panettiere’s Cause of Death Announced
It has been more than a month since Hayden Panettiere’s death. While an overdose was suspected early on, the Greenville County Coroner’s Office has now confirmed the official cause of the Heroes star’s death. Panettiere, 36, died from the toxic effects of fentanyl, 4-ANPP, alprazolam, methocarbamol and quetiapine. Her death has been ruled accidental, but that doesn’t mean the investigation is over, or that no one will be held responsible.
What happened on the day Hayden Panettiere died?
According to the coroner’s office, a 911 call reporting a cardiac arrest was received at approximately 1:51 p.m. on Aug. 16 at a Greenville apartment complex where Panettiere had been staying.
According to several reports, Zach Hickerson went to the apartment where Panettiere and his brother, Brian Hickerson, were staying after the couple failed to show up for a planned outing. He found Panettiere unresponsive and his brother napping in another room.
Emergency personnel administered advanced lifesaving measures, but she never regained consciousness. Panettiere was pronounced dead at 2:32 p.m. Just months earlier, she had written about her struggles with substance use in her memoir.
What are the drugs that contributed to her death?
The substances named in the ruling include a powerful synthetic opioid alongside several prescription medications. Alprazolam, the generic name for Xanax, is commonly prescribed for anxiety but can be highly addictive. Methocarbamol is a muscle relaxant used for short-term relief of pain and stiffness. Panettiere had been dealing with back pain before her death; hairstylist Erick Orellana told Page Six that an old injury flared up in the year leading up to her death, leaving her with debilitating back issues.
Quetiapine, often sold as Seroquel, is an antipsychotic sometimes used to treat mental health conditions such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. 4-ANPP is a chemical linked to fentanyl production that often shows up in illicitly manufactured supplies.
Dr. Kendall Von Crowns, a forensic pathologist not involved in the case, told CNN that fentanyl alone can be fatal, but that combining it with the other listed substances produces a deadly mixture medical examiners see frequently. It is unclear which of the drugs found in her system had been prescribed to her and which may have been obtained illegally.
The death investigation is ongoing
Even with the accidental ruling, the case is not closed. Authorities are still investigating whether anyone might be criminally responsible for providing her with a lethal substance. The Drug Enforcement Administration joined the investigation in August and continues to work with the Greenville Police Department.
A source told CNN that federal authorities are looking into whether the actress obtained illicit and possibly counterfeit drugs from a dealer in Southern California before she flew to South Carolina. Panettiere and Brian Hickerson arrived in South Carolina just one day before her death. It is unclear what brought them to the state or how long they planned to stay.
