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The death of US actress Hayden Panettiere has been ruled accidental, and police in South Carolina have concluded their investigation, according to the BBC.
Panettiere, known for her roles in “Heroes” and “Nashville”, died in August at the age of 36 from the toxic effects of fentanyl, Xanax and several other drugs, authorities said.
The Greenville Police Department said it had “concluded its investigation”, citing a medical examiner’s report issued last month that found Panettiere died from a drug overdose. “Based on the Medical Examiner’s determination and the findings of the investigation, Hayden Panettiere’s death has been ruled accidental,” police said in a statement.
The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) reportedly joined the local police investigation. It is not clear whether that inquiry has also concluded; the BBC said it had contacted the DEA for comment.
Authorities, including the DEA, were reportedly investigating the circumstances of Panettiere’s death, the BBC said, citing its US media partner CBS News. A Greenville Police Department spokesperson could not comment to the BBC on what the DEA was investigating.
Panettiere, who had spoken openly about her struggles with substance abuse, was found unresponsive at a residence in South Carolina on 16 August.
Last month, the Greenville County Coroner’s Office confirmed that the former child star died from an accidental drug overdose involving fentanyl, a synthetic opioid. The coroner also found methocarbamol, a prescription muscle relaxant, and quetiapine, an antipsychotic medication used to treat certain mental health conditions.
The coroner’s office said emergency crews treated a woman in “cardiac arrest”. An autopsy found “no signs of trauma” that contributed to her death.
Panettiere’s former boyfriend Brian Hickerson, who has admitted to abusing her, and his brother Zack were with her when emergency services arrived, according to a police report from the day she died.
