New information has emerged from the ongoing investigation into the death of actress Hayden Panettiere. According to sources close to the case, the 36-year-old is said to have taken an oxycodone tablet on the day of her death that may have been laced with fentanyl.
According to TMZ, several investigators are currently working on the assumption that this may have happened. However, the toxicology results are reportedly not yet available. The focus therefore remains on what substances Panettiere had in her system shortly before her death and where the medications came from.
Hayden Panettiere Is Said to Have Obtained Medication Through a Dealer
According to the report, the actress had been in contact with a drug dealer in Los Angeles for some time. He allegedly sold her several prescription medications on the black market, including oxycodone.
According to the report, she is said to have taken several of these substances as early as the day before her death, while on a flight from Los Angeles to South Carolina. This was reportedly followed by another oxycodone tablet on the morning of her death. According to the investigators’ current working hypothesis, this tablet is considered a possible focal point of the case.
DEA Investigates Possible Link Between Los Angeles and South Carolina
According to available information, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is attempting to trace the contact between Panettiere and the alleged dealer. As part of this effort, investigators are examining whether the potentially contaminated pill can be traced back to this individual.
The investigation is underway not only in South Carolina but also in Los Angeles. According to TMZ, DEA agents in both locations are investigating the case. No charges have been filed in connection with Panettiere’s death so far. The status of the investigation continues to depend in part on the pending toxicology results.
Brian Hickerson Handed Her Medication to Emergency Responders
When first responders arrived at the South Carolina condo where the actress lived with her boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, he reportedly handed them a bag containing her prescription medications. Based on the information available so far, this detail could prove important to the investigation if the bag contained contaminated pills.
In addition, Hickerson is said to have administered Narcan to Panettiere after she became unresponsive, before paramedics arrived. The attempt was unsuccessful. A friend had reportedly found the 36-year-old unresponsive shortly beforehand.
Investigators Draw a Comparison to the Mac Miller Case
The report also draws a comparison to the death of rapper Mac Miller. In that case, a drug dealer was later convicted of supplying him with drugs laced with fentanyl, among other substances.
In Panettiere’s case, attention is now focused on the origin of the pill she is said to have taken on the morning of her death. For now, however, the fentanyl theory remains unconfirmed. Authorities in South Carolina and Los Angeles are continuing their investigation, and the pending toxicology results could help determine whether the current theory is supported by the evidence.
