Far from the glare that once surrounded her childhood television roles, Hayden Panettiere, at 36, has been placed by local authorities in South Carolina within a sadly familiar story of addiction in America, where a single pill or powder can undo a life that once seemed so bright. Greenville police have now closed their inquiry, accepting the medical examiner's finding that a dangerous mix of fentanyl, Xanax and other medications caused an accidental overdose. Yet the story is not wholly closed, since a federal agency's parallel examination has not been explained, and the quiet of a closed fil
Hayden Panettiere's Death Ruled Accidental, Closing Local Police Probe
Former child star Hayden Panettiere, 36, died of an accidental drug overdose after being found unresponsive at a South Carolina residence; her ex-boyfriend has admitted abusing her.
The local finding stands: an accidental overdose, with no trauma found.
Mark
What exactly did police announce?
Mimi
That they've closed their investigation and ruled Hayden Panettiere's death accidental, relying on the medical examiner's finding of a fatal mix of drugs, including fentanyl and Xanax.
Mark
What else was in her system?
Mimi
Methocarbamol, a muscle relaxant, and quetiapine, an anti-psychotic. The coroner's office confirmed an accidental overdose and found no signs of trauma.
Luke
Does 'accidental' mean nothing more is being looked at?
Mimi
Not necessarily. It closes the local police probe, but the DEA reportedly joined it.
Luke
And that's reported, not confirmed. The source is CBS News, and the police spokesperson couldn't say what the DEA was examining. We don't know if that inquiry has ended.
Mark
Her ex-boyfriend was at the scene, correct?
Mimi
Yes. A police report from the day says Brian Hickerson and his brother Zack were with her when emergency services arrived. Hickerson has admitted to abusing her.
Luke
Worth noting that being present is all the reporting establishes. Nothing here says what role, if any, anyone played in the drugs she took.
Mark
Why does the fentanyl detail matter?
Mimi
It places her death within a wider toll. The drug has killed hundreds of thousands of Americans in the last five years.
O Pulso
- Police in Greenville, South Carolina, have shut the investigation into Hayden Panettiere's death, ruling it an accidental overdose.
- A toxic cocktail of fentanyl, Xanax and other prescription drugs was found in her system, with no trauma contributing to her death.
- Her former partner, who has admitted abusing her, was at the scene when emergency crews arrived, adding painful complexity to the account.
- A separate Drug Enforcement Administration inquiry may still be active, and the agency has not said what it is examining or whether it has finished.
Far from the glare that once surrounded her childhood television roles, Hayden Panettiere, at 36, has been placed by local authorities in South Carolina within a sadly familiar story of addiction in America, where a single pill or powder can undo a life that once seemed so bright. Greenville police have now closed their inquiry, accepting the medical examiner's finding that a dangerous mix of fentanyl, Xanax and other medications caused an accidental overdose. Yet the story is not wholly closed, since a federal agency's parallel examination has not been explained, and the quiet of a closed file does not always mean that every question has been answered.
Greenville Police in South Carolina have closed their investigation into the death of Hayden Panettiere, the 36-year-old actress best known for Heroes and Nashville. Officers said that, based on the medical examiner's findings, her death was accidental, bringing the local inquiry to an end.
She was found unresponsive at a residence on 16 August, and emergency crews treated a woman in cardiac arrest at the scene. The autopsy found no trauma contributing to her death. The medical examiner's report, released last month, pointed to the toxic effects of several drugs in her system: fentanyl, the synthetic opioid at the center of the finding, along with Xanax, the muscle relaxant methocarbamol and the antipsychotic quetiapine.
Fentanyl has killed hundreds of thousands of Americans in just five years, and Panettiere had spoken openly about her own struggles with substance abuse. A police report from that day says her ex-boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, and his brother Zack were with her when help arrived. Hickerson has admitted to abusing her.
The local ruling does not necessarily close every inquiry. CBS News reported that the Drug Enforcement Administration had joined the probe, but it is unclear whether that federal work has concluded, and the agency has not said what it was examining.
Greenville Police Department in South Carolina has closed its investigation into the death of actress Hayden Panettiere, ruling it accidental. The department said it had "concluded its investigation" and, in a statement, said that based on the medical examiner's determination and the findings of the inquiry, her death was accidental.
Panettiere, who was 36, was best known for the television series Heroes and Nashville. She was found unresponsive at a residence in South Carolina on 16 August. The Greenville County Coroner's Office said crews treated a woman in cardiac arrest at the scene, and that her autopsy showed no signs of trauma contributing to her death.
The medical examiner's report, released last month, found that she died from the toxic effects of several drugs in her system. Those included fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, and Xanax. The coroner also identified methocarbamol, a prescription muscle relaxant, and quetiapine, an anti-psychotic medication used to treat certain mental health conditions. The coroner's office confirmed the death as an accidental overdose.
Fentanyl is the drug at the center of the finding, and it has killed hundreds of thousands of Americans over the past five years alone.
Panettiere was a former child star who had spoken openly about her struggles with substance abuse. According to a police report from the day she died, her ex-boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, and his brother Zack were with her when emergency services arrived. Hickerson has admitted to abusing her.
The police ruling does not necessarily end every inquiry. The US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) reportedly joined the local probe, according to the BBC's US media partner CBS News, which said authorities including the DEA were looking into the circumstances of her death. It is unclear whether the DEA's investigation has also concluded. The BBC has contacted the agency for comment. A spokesperson for Greenville Police could not say what the DEA was investigating when asked by the BBC.
For now, the local finding stands: an accidental overdose, with no trauma found. What the DEA was examining, and whether it has finished, remains unanswered.
Citações Notáveis
Based on the Medical Examiner's determination and the findings of the investigation, Hayden Panettiere's death has been ruled accidental.— Greenville Police Department statement
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