Details Emerge About the Accidental Overdose That Claimed Actress Hayden Panettiere’s Life
Por Miriam Gonzalez ·
The Greenville County Medical Examiner’s Office in South Carolina (U.S.) reported Tuesday that actress Hayden Panettiere died of an accidental overdose caused by a mixture of substances that included fentanyl.
In addition to fentanyl, other drugs found in her system included the synthetic precursor 4-ANPP, the psychotropic drug alprazolam, the muscle relaxant metocarbamol, and the antipsychotic quetiapine, explained the medical examiner’s office, which stated that the autopsy revealed “any signs of trauma” that could have contributed to the death of the actress, who became famous for her role as a cheerleader in the television series *Heroes* (2006–2010).
Fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid used to relieve pain and also as an anesthetic, combined with the other substances would have been lethal.
According to the forensic analysis, the following substances were found in Panettiere’s body: 4-ANPP, a fentanyl precursor commonly found in some illegal drugs; alprazolam, an anti-anxiety medication available under the brand name Xanax; metocarbamol, a muscle relaxant (which requires a prescription); and, finally, quetiapine, an antipsychotic medication used to treat schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depressive disorder.
Hayden Panettiere’s death shook the entertainment world
The 36-year-old actress died on August 16 at the apartment of her boyfriend, actor Brian Hickerson, in Greenville.
The cause of death had been under investigation ever since, although authorities quickly ruled out any signs of violence.
According to a report published at the time by *People* magazine, during the call made to emergency services after the singer was found unconscious, staff can be heard discussing an “overdose” and a “cardiac arrest.”
Hickerson and his brother were at the home in South Carolina when authorities pronounced the actress dead.
The boyfriend handed investigators a bag containing medication, according to authorities cited by the Los Angeles-based magazine.
Panettiere lived in Los Angeles, but Hickerson is originally from Greenville, a place the New York-born actress visited frequently, according to Agencia EFE.