Coroner reports fentanyl and multiple drugs in Hayden Panettiere's accidental death

Actress Hayden Panettiere, 36, died on Aug. 16 at an apartment complex in Greenville, South Carolina. The Greenville County Coroner's Office determined the cause of death to be the toxic effects of fentanyl, 4-ANPP, alprazolam, methocarbamol and quetiapine, and classified the manner of death as an accident.

Investigators found a bottle of Adderall, blue pressed pills, a cut straw that tested positive for fentanyl, additional prescription bottles, glass vials, and both prefilled and empty syringes at the scene. An unidentified white powder was also recovered from a sunglasses case in the actress' suitcase, though its composition has not yet been confirmed.

Brian Hickerson, Panettiere's boyfriend, and his brother Zach were present when she went into cardiac arrest. Hickerson told investigators the pair arrived in South Carolina the night before, ate cereal together in the morning, and later found Panettiere unresponsive on a sofa bed. He reported administering multiple doses of Narcan, a nasal spray used to reverse opioid overdoses, and performing CPR until emergency responders arrived.

Police briefly detained Hickerson on Sept. 12 after an altercation at a local café, releasing him without charges. His brother Zach was arrested for public intoxication, fined $150 and released the next day; the case was later dismissed.

Law enforcement agencies, including the DEA, are continuing to investigate the origin of the fentanyl-laced pills and other substances found at the scene. Officials said the investigation remains active and complex, with no further details released at this time.