The key facts
- Greenville police closed the investigation: Panettiere's death was ruled accidental
- The cause was the toxic effects of fentanyl, Xanax and other drugs
- It is unknown whether the DEA investigation that joined the case has been completed
Police closed the case
The Greenville Police Department in South Carolina announced that it has concluded its investigation into the death of American actress Hayden Panettiere, known for the TV series Heroes and Nashville. Based on the medical examiner's findings and the results of the investigation, the death of Hayden Panettiere has been ruled an accident, the police said in a statement. The actress died in August at the age of 36 from the toxic effects of fentanyl, Xanax and several other drugs found in her body. BBC News reported this.
What the experts established
Back in September, the Greenville County coroner's office confirmed that the former child star died of an accidental overdose that included fentanyl — a synthetic opioid that has killed hundreds of thousands of Americans in the past five years alone. In addition to fentanyl, the examination detected metaxalone (a prescription muscle relaxant) and quetiapine (an antipsychotic medication used to treat certain mental disorders). According to the coroner, paramedics who arrived found the woman in cardiac arrest, and the autopsy showed no signs of trauma contributing to her death. Panettiere was found unconscious in a residential building in South Carolina on August 16.
What remains unclear
According to CBS News, a BBC partner in the US, the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) joined the local investigation. A Greenville police spokesman was unable to tell the BBC what exactly the DEA was examining, and it remains unclear whether that investigation has been completed. The BBC contacted the DEA for comment. According to the police report from the day of her death, when emergency services arrived, the actress was with her ex-boyfriend Brian Hickerson — who admitted to abusing her — and his brother Zak. Panettiere had previously spoken openly about her struggle with addictions; the BBC separately examined why child stars often fall into addiction, describing access to drugs and the intense pressure of public life.
Image source, Getty Images Police in South Carolina, where Hayden Panettiere died in August, say they have concluded their investigation into her death
