The Greenville County Coroner’s Office ruled Tuesday that Hayden Panettiere, 36, died on Aug. 16 of the toxic effects of fentanyl and four other substances, and that the manner of death was an accident. The office has closed its case.
What the ruling says
The coroner’s office said Panettiere died from the toxic effects of five substances: fentanyl, a synthetic opioid; 4-ANPP; alprazolam, sold under the brand name Xanax; methocarbamol, a muscle relaxer; and quetiapine, an antipsychotic. The coroner’s office listed 4-ANPP among the substances; FOX Carolina described it as “another type of fentanyl.” Descriptions of the compound differ across outlets.
An autopsy by a board-certified forensic pathologist found no signs of contributing trauma, the coroner’s office said. With cause and manner established, the office has administratively closed its case.
The Associated Press reported, citing a coroner’s report AP says it obtained, that Panettiere had been released from a drug rehabilitation facility in Malibu, California, weeks before her death.
What is still open
The coroner’s case is closed. The Greenville Police Department’s investigation is not. “Our detectives will continue to follow leads and gather information as we work toward resolving this case,” the department said Tuesday. The Drug Enforcement Administration declined to comment, saying it does not “comment on specific investigations” in order to “protect the integrity of ongoing investigative work.”
The family
Panettiere’s mother, Lesley Vogel, issued a statement Tuesday, quoted by ABC News: “Hayden was a fighter. … She was transparent with her addictions and her numerous rehab attempts show her resolve to live a healthy life.” She continued, “The loss of Hayden is palpable; grief permeates the soul and it will live with those who loved her forever. … Everything moving forward will be healing but the mission is and will always be justice for Hayden.” Vogel said the findings do not “exonerate the supplier of this lethal dose.”
The federal investigation
In a memoir, Panettiere wrote publicly about her struggles with drug and alcohol addiction, CNN reported.
Her death is now the subject of a federal investigation into whether she obtained illicit and possibly counterfeit drugs from a dealer in Southern California, a source familiar with the investigation told CNN, which reported the news Wednesday. No arrests or charges have been announced.
US Attorney General Todd Blanche said last week that bringing criminal cases in overdose deaths is a “big emphasis” of the DEA and prosecutors around the country, CNN reported.
Criminal charges stemming from an overdose death are rare, CNN reported. “These are just really difficult cases, regardless of if you’re a celebrity or if you’re just John Q. Public,” said Thaddeus Johnson, a former law enforcement official in Tennessee and senior fellow at the Council on Criminal Justice think tank, according to CNN. Building such a case requires investigators to trace evidence — phone records, drugs, witnesses — to identify a supplier, and then prove through toxicology and forensic pathology that the specific drugs caused the death. “Every case is different,” said Elie Honig, CNN’s senior legal analyst and a former prosecutor. “Sometimes you can make a link. Sometimes you can’t.” Some celebrity overdose deaths in recent years, including those of the actor Matthew Perry and the rapper Mac Miller, have led to criminal charges; others, including the musician Prince’s, did not.
What this answers
plainlynow.com published “[Hayden Panettiere Dies at 36; Official Cause of Death Still Pending](https://plainlynow.com/hayden-panettiere-dies-at-36-official-cause-of-death-still-pending/)” on Aug. 17. That article said the cause of death, the manner of death and the toxicology results were all pending, and that the coroner’s case remained open. Tuesday’s ruling answers all three. It also refines a point that article left open: police had not then identified who called 911, and no one else had been confirmed present at the scene. A Greenville police incident report, cited by WRAL and CNN, now names the callers as her boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, and his brother, Zach. Through his attorney, Sloan Ellis, Hickerson said in a statement on Aug. 20 that her death remains under investigation, that “police confirmed there were no signs of foul play,” and that there would be no further comment. According to the reporting, he has not been publicly accused of wrongdoing, and no charges have been announced.
Context
There were about 79,384 drug overdose deaths in the US in 2024, according to CDC data cited by CNN — a sharp decline from the previous few years, when more than 100,000 people died of drug overdoses annually. By comparison, 1,340 people were sentenced for a federal drug-trafficking offense involving an overdose between fiscal years 2019 and 2023, according to a 2025 report from the US Sentencing Commission cited by CNN — about 270 cases a year. Among the cases in that report where the primary drug was known, about 95% involved fentanyl, a fentanyl analog or heroin, according to CNN’s reading of the commission’s findings.
This article is current as of Sept. 23, 2026, the day after the coroner’s office released its findings.
For the original report on her death, see Plainly Now’s Aug. 17, 2026 coverage.