The Drug Enforcement Administration has joined the investigation into the death of actress Hayden Panettiere, the New York Times and ABC News reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.
CNN has reached out to the DEA and Greenville Police, which is leading the investigation, and representatives for Panettiere.
Panettiere, a onetime child star who soared to fame while navigating addiction and postpartum depression in her adult life, died Sunday at an apartment in Greenville, South Carolina.
The 36-year-old had addressed her struggles in a memoir and spoke publicly about losing her brother. Months ago, she had described feeling ready to start over, and was making a comeback, with her latest film released in January.
Earlier this week, police released a report that said Panettiere’s boyfriend and his brother called 911 to say the actress was unresponsive at the apartment complex where medics would later declare her dead.
Dispatch audio references possible overdose at scene of Hayden Panettiere’s death
First responders arrived and found Panettiere in cardiac arrest, the coroner’s office said. Dispatch audio obtained from Broadcastify.com references a possible overdose and CPR in progress, though authorities have not addressed whether an overdose actually took place.
Medics tried unsuccessfully to resuscitate Panettiere, who was pronounced dead at the scene at 2:32 p.m., the coroner’s office said.
No cause or manner of death has been determined, pending the results of additional testing. Toxicology tests, which are standard in many death investigations, could take weeks to complete.
An autopsy performed Monday revealed no signs of trauma that would have contributed to her death, the coroner’s office said.
The coroner’s office said Panettiere, a California resident, “had been temporarily staying” at the apartment complex, but authorities did not say who lived at the residence.
A Greenville police officer arrived at the scene and interviewed brothers Brian and Zach Hickerson, who said they called 911, a police report states. “I spoke with Zach Hickerson first, he advised this was his brother’s girlfriend,” the officer wrote in the report.
Brian Hickerson showed the officer a bag of Panettiere’s medications, the report said. But many details of the police report are redacted, including a list of Panettiere’s medications.
CNN reached out to Brian and Zach Hickerson for comment.
Panettiere’s body was released Tuesday night to the mortuary her family chose, the coroner’s office said.
Panettiere’s shocking death has sent waves of grief from Hollywood to Ukraine, where the father of their child mourned the beloved actress and activist who battled a host of struggles.
“Our family is going through a time of profound shock and grief,” Wladimir Klitschko, her ex-partner and a former world heavyweight boxing champion from Ukraine, posted Tuesday on X. “She built an incredible career through immense talent, while also facing the darker sides of a very demanding industry.”
