Police Close Hayden Panettiere Death Investigation, Ruling It Accidental

Police in Greenville, South Carolina, have closed their investigation into the death of actress Hayden Panettiere. They say the death was accidental. Deadline reported the closure on Wednesday, October 28.

Panettiere died on Sunday, August 16, at the age of 36. A friend called 911 to report an unresponsive woman. Paramedics tried to revive her with advanced cardiac life support, but she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police said the finding rests on the medical examiner's determination. In September, the Greenville County Coroner's Office released its toxicology and coroner's report. Fox Carolina reported that the coroner found she died from the toxic effects of several substances. These were fentanyl, a powerful opioid painkiller, along with 4-ANPP, alprazolam (a sedative), methocarbamol (a muscle relaxant) and quetiapine (an antipsychotic). The coroner's office ruled the manner of death accidental.

Investigators had been trying to establish whether she obtained illegal drugs from a dealer in Southern California, and whether those drugs may have been counterfeit. Counterfeit pills are made to look like legitimate medicine but can contain dangerous and unpredictable substances. Fox Carolina also reported that Panettiere had been released from rehab weeks before her death.

The case was still open in September. At that time, WYFF 4 reported that the Greenville Police Department said its investigation remained active. The department has now closed it.

Her death is a reminder of how quickly drug use can turn fatal, even for someone who has been through treatment. Anyone struggling with substance use, or worried about someone who is, can call the SAMHSA National Helpline in the United States at 1-800-662-4357. It is free, confidential and open around the clock.