Hayden Panettiere's death may have been caused by fatal drug: report
Authorities investigating the death of actress Hayden Panettiere are looking into whether a fentanyl-laced oxycodone pill may have caused her fatal overdose.
In a report by TMZ, multiple law enforcement sources with direct knowledge of the case said that the actress had a longtime drug dealer in Los Angeles who allegedly supplied her with several black-market prescription drugs, including oxycodone.
According to their sources, Panettiere took several drugs she had purchased from the alleged dealer while traveling from Los Angeles to South Carolina the day before her death.
Authorities believe she took an oxycodone pill on the morning of her death and suspect it may have been laced with fentanyl. Investigators are now working to trace its source.
Her autopsy found no signs of trauma that contributed to her death.
Panettiere, 36, was found unresponsive inside a residence in Greenville, South Carolina, on Aug. 16. Emergency responders were called for a woman reportedly in cardiac arrest and attempted to revive her, but she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Her autopsy found no signs of trauma that contributed to her death.
TMZ previously reported that Narcan, a medication used to reverse opioid overdoses, was found inside the apartment. However, it remains unclear who the medication was intended for or whether Panettiere received it.
The actress was best known for playing cheerleader Claire Bennet on NBC’s Heroes and country singer Juliette Barnes on Nashville. She also appeared in the Scream film franchise and Remember the Titans.
