Hayden Panettiere took suspected fentanyl-laced oxycodone pill before death: Report

Los Angeles: The investigation into the death of actress Hayden Panettiere is now focusing on a pill believed to have contained oxycodone laced with fentanyl, according to law enforcement sources cited in a new report. However, official toxicology results are still awaited, and the cause of death has not been formally determined.

According to TMZ, Panettiere is believed to have taken the pill on the morning of her death on Aug. 16, when she was found unresponsive at an apartment complex in Greenville, South Carolina. Authorities are also investigating the source of the drug and its possible connection to a longtime alleged drug dealer in Los Angeles.

The sources told TMZ that the dealer allegedly supplied Panettiere with illegal prescription drugs, including oxycodone. She reportedly purchased the pill believed to have led to her death, along with other drugs, shortly before travelling to South Carolina.

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The Drug Enforcement Administration's Los Angeles office is reportedly investigating Panettiere's relationship with the alleged dealer and trying to determine whether the pill can be traced back to him. The investigation is being conducted across Los Angeles and South Carolina and is focused on what drugs may have played a role in her death and where they came from.

Panettiere, known for her roles in Heroes, Nashville and the Scream franchise, died at the age of 36 on Aug. 16. She had travelled from Los Angeles to South Carolina with her on-again, off-again boyfriend Brian Hickerson the previous day.

Emergency responders were called to the Greenville apartment after Panettiere was found unresponsive and in cardiac arrest. Dispatch audio reportedly included references to “cardiac arrest” and “overdose”. Despite resuscitation efforts, she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police records indicated that Hickerson and his brother, Zach Hickerson, were at the apartment when authorities arrived. The police report said Zach was “very emotional” while paramedics were “working on Hayden,” while Brian did not become visibly upset until she was pronounced dead.

An autopsy conducted the following day found “no signs of trauma” that would have contributed to Panettiere's death. Toxicology testing remains pending.

The investigation has not publicly established that the suspected pill was definitively responsible for Panettiere's death. Authorities are awaiting the toxicology findings before determining the official cause of death.

Panettiere is survived by her 11-year-old daughter, Kaya, whom she shared with former fiancé Wladimir Klitschko.

Panettiere began her acting career as a child and went on to become widely known for playing Claire Bennet in Heroes and Juliette Barnes in Nashville. She also portrayed Kirby Reed in the Scream franchise and lent her voice to characters in the Kingdom Hearts video game series.