RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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The Drug Enforcement Administration has joined the investigation into the death of Hayden Panettiere , sources familiar with the matter told ABC News on Wednesday.
The actress, who was best known for her roles in Heroes , Nashville and the Scream franchise, died on Sunday at age 36 at an apartment complex in Greenville, South Carolina.
The Greenville County Coroner's Office said on Monday that her cause and manner of death remain pending further investigation, and that there were no obvious signs of trauma. However, officials were reportedly heard discussing an "overdose" and "cardiac arrest" on a 911 call at the time of her death. A police report also said her on-again, off-again boyfriend Hickerson and his brother were at the South Carolina townhouse when the actress was pronounced dead by authorities. Hickerson was later visited by police , according to a redacted police report. Related Stories Movies 'A Breed Apart' Director Recalls Hayden Panettiere's "Dark" Energy on Set: "She Was Not OK" Movies Neve Campbell and 'Scream' Stars Pay Tribute to Hayden Panettiere After Her Death: She "Brought a Magnetic Energy to Set"
Panettiere had been open about her struggles with alcohol and opioid addiction, further detailing her experiences in her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning , released earlier this year.
The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to the DEA for more information, but did not hear back at the time of publication.
TMZ reported that DEA agents will be assisting the parallel investigations currently underway by the Greenville County Coroner's Office and the Greenville Police Department, according to sources.
Panettiere's death investigation isn't the only high-profile celebrity death that the government agency has gotten involved with in recent years. The Los Angeles Police Department also teamed up with the DEA in 2023 after high levels of ketamine were found in Friends star Matthew Perry's system after he died at age 54.
The lengthy multi-agency probe led to five arrests and convictions , including two medical doctors and a supplier dubbed the "Ketamine Queen," for distributing the drugs that resulted in Perry's death.
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