Actress Hayden Panettiere died from an accidental overdose caused by a cocktail of medications that included fentanyl, as confirmed by the autopsy, the Greenville County Coroner’s Office, South Carolina, reported this Tuesday.
Other drugs found in her system, in addition to fentanyl, were the synthetic precursor 4-ANPP, the psychotropic alprazolam, the relaxant methocarbamol and the antipsychotic quetiapine, explained the coroner’s office, which stated that the autopsy did not reveal “any sign of trauma” that would have contributed to the death of the interpreter who became famous for her role as the entertainer in the television series “Heroes” (2006-2010).
The combination of fentanyl with the substances was lethal
Fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid used to relieve pain and also as an anesthetic, combined with the rest of the substances would have been lethal, according to the results of the autopsy, which confirm the information published a few days ago by American media.
4-ANPP, a precursor to fentanyl commonly found in some illegal drugs, was found in Panettiere’s body; alprazolam, an anxiety medication available under the brand name Xanax; methocarbamol, a muscle relaxant (which requires a prescription to purchase), and quetiapine, an antipsychotic medication used to treat schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depressive disorder.
The death of the actress, on August 16
The actress, 36, died on August 16 at the apartment of her boyfriend, actor Brian Hickerson, in the town of Greenville (South Carolina). The causes of death were being investigated since then, although authorities soon ruled out any signs of violence.
According to information published at the time by People magazine, during the call made to the emergency services when the interpreter was found unconscious, talk of an “overdose” and “cardiac arrest” was heard.
Hickerson and his brother were at the residence when authorities declared the actress dead. The boyfriend gave investigators a bag with medications, according to authorities cited by the Los Angeles magazine.
Panettiere lived in Los Angeles, but Hickerson is a native of Greenville, a place the New York-born actress frequently visited.
