Federal Probe Looks into Source of Counterfeit Pills Linked to Hayden Panettiere's Death

Federal investigators are focusing on a possible link between Hayden Panettiere's August 16 death and counterfeit pills obtained in Los Angeles. Drug Enforcement Administration agents and local authorities have interviewed several individuals about the circumstances surrounding the actress's death in a Greenville, S.C., apartment, according to sources familiar with the case.

Officials say the investigation centers on whether Panettiere took a counterfeit oxycodone pill that may have been laced with fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that has been found in similar illicit tablets. The probe follows earlier investigations into the deaths of actor Matthew Perry and rapper Mac Miller, which resulted in criminal charges against the suppliers of the drugs involved.

The Greenville County coroner has indicated that toxicology results are still pending and that a definitive cause or manner of death has not yet been determined. Paramedics and police reported finding Panettiere in cardiac arrest; dispatch recordings referenced a possible overdose and the administration of Narcan before she was pronounced dead at 2:31 p.m.

Panettiere's longtime boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, who was present at the scene, provided investigators with a bag of medications. Hickerson, a Greenville native, is represented by attorney Sloan Ellis, who said, ">Hayden’s death remains under investigation, and it is important to allow that investigation to proceed. As has been publicly reported, police confirmed there were no signs of foul play. Out of respect for Hayden’s loved ones and the ongoing investigation, there will be no further comment at this time."

The inquiry mirrors prior cases where prosecutors secured convictions against individuals who supplied counterfeit or adulterated drugs to high-profile victims.