Hayden Panettiere at the Hollywood Style Awards in Beverly Hills in 2009. Credit: © Glenn Francis, www.PacificProDigital.com, CC BY-SA 3.0 Unported; GFDL 1.2 or later (license choice).
Greenville County, South Carolina, coroner’s office said on Tuesday, Sept. 22, that Hayden Panettiere’s death was caused by the combined toxic effects of five substances, including fentanyl. The 36-year-old actress, found unconscious on Aug. 16 in an apartment in the city, died accidentally, according to its findings. Police, however, continue to investigate the circumstances of the death.
The Combined Effects Of Five Substances
The coroner, tasked with determining the cause of death, cited fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid, and 4-ANPP, a compound associated with fentanyl. Also found were alprazolam, an anti-anxiety medication, methocarbamol, a muscle relaxant, and quetiapine, an antipsychotic.
The autopsy revealed no trauma that contributed to the death, coroner Mike Ellis said. Rescuers had tried to revive the actress for more than 40 minutes before she was pronounced dead.
According to the coroner’s report obtained by The Associated Press, blue pills and a straw found in the apartment tested positive for fentanyl. The document also mentions the presence of a white powder in a suitcase.
Police Continue Their Investigation
The coroner’s office closed its case after determining the cause and manner of death. That decision covers the medical examiner’s side of the case. Greenville police confirmed on Sept. 22 that their own investigation is still ongoing.
According to local police, the DEA, the U.S. federal agency responsible for fighting narcotics trafficking, is assisting them. The federal agency has not publicly detailed its role.
The source of the substances remains unclear. Toxicology findings alone do not show who supplied them or whether the actress knew they contained fentanyl. Nor do they prove the pills were counterfeit.
Why Drug Combinations Matter
Asked by local station WYFF, toxicologist David Eagerton explains that several identified substances can slow breathing and that combining them increases that risk. He notes that interpretation depends in particular on concentrations and the timing of the sample collection. The coroner did not specify the levels of each substance.
4-ANPP also calls for caution in interpretation. Forensic pathologist Kendall Von Crowns, who was not involved in the case and spoke to CNN, says the compound can be linked to fentanyl production, but also to the body’s processing of it. Its presence therefore is not enough to establish an illicit source for the drug.
A Career Marked By Heroes And Nashville
Hayden Panettiere began acting as a child, in commercials and soap operas. The 2006 series Heroes made her famous for playing a cheerleader with supernatural powers.
In Nashville, she played a young country singer opposite Connie Britton and performed her own songs. That role earned her two Golden Globe nominations, The Associated Press notes in its profile of the actress.