Police in Greenville, South Carolina, have officially closed their investigation into the death of actress Hayden Panettiere, confirming that her death was accidental.
The Greenville Police Department announced the decision in a statement to Deadline on October 28, following a determination by the medical examiner.
“Based on the Medical Examiner’s determination and the findings of the investigation, Hayden Panettiere’s death has been ruled accidental,” the department said, adding that the investigation had concluded.
Medical examiner identifies multiple substances
The Greenville County Coroner’s Office determined in September that Panettiere died from the toxic effects of several substances, including fentanyl, 4-ANPP, alprazolam, methocarbamol and quetiapine. The manner of death was classified as accidental.
Before closing the case, investigators had examined whether the actress had obtained illicit or potentially counterfeit drugs from a dealer in Southern California.
Panettiere died on August 16 at the age of 36. According to reports, a friend contacted emergency services after finding her unresponsive. Paramedics attempted to resuscitate her using advanced cardiac life support, but she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Actress previously spoke about addiction struggles
Panettiere had previously discussed her struggles with depression and addiction. In an interview with People, she said she had been prescribed medication for depression at the age of 15. She later spoke about how her substance use escalated as she grew older and the challenges she faced outside her professional life.
The actress began her career as a child performer, appearing in television commercials and soap operas before making her film debut with a voice role in A Bug’s Life.
She gained widespread recognition for playing cheerleader Claire Bennet in NBC’s superhero drama Heroes. She later starred as country singer Juliette Barnes in ABC’s Nashville and played Kirby Reed in the Scream franchise, including Scream 4, Scream and Scream VI.
The police announcement brings the investigation into Panettiere’s death to a close, following the coroner’s ruling that the death was accidental.
