A South Carolina coroner says actor Hayden Panettiere died from an accidental overdose that involved fentanyl and other drugs.
The Story
A South Carolina coroner has determined that actor Hayden Panettiere died from an accidental overdose involving several drugs, including fentanyl.
The finding was issued by the coroner in Greenville, where Panettiere was found unresponsive in an apartment on Aug. 16. The coroner’s report described the death as accidental.
Panettiere, 36, died in Greenville, South Carolina, according to the information released in connection with the investigation.
At the home when Panettiere was found were her on-and-off boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, and his brother, Zach Hickerson, the report says.
Fentanyl was among the substances identified in the circumstances leading to Panettiere’s death, alongside other drugs included in the coroner’s description of the overdose.
The announcement adds to the public record around a death that attracted widespread attention, particularly because of the role opioids such as fentanyl have played in overdose emergencies.
Because the coroner described the overdose as accidental, the decision indicates that authorities did not characterize the death as intentional based on the facts summarized at the time of the finding.
The report places the key timeline in the late summer period, with the death occurring after Panettiere was found on Aug. 16 in Greenville and the coroner’s determination issued later in September.
For Canadians following the case, the update offers the clearest factual account yet of what the coroner said led to Panettiere’s death, including the location, date of discovery, and the involvement of fentanyl and multiple drugs.
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