Story perspectives

Panettiere’s Death Spurs DEA, LAPD Fentanyl Tracing

By Drooid · Sep 14, 2026, 2:04 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Hayden Panettiere died in South Carolina after ingesting a suspected fentanyl-laced oxycodone pill.
She was found in a Greenville apartment on August 16, 2026 and pronounced dead at 2:32 p.m.
Boyfriend Brian Hickerson administered Narcan before paramedics arrived, failing to revive her.
The coroner reported no trauma and listed cause of death pending toxicology results.
Law-enforcement says she bought black-market oxycodone from a Los Angeles dealer, prompting DEA and LAPD to trace the pill.

History

Historical Context

In July 1996 Purdue Pharma introduced OxyContin and launched an aggressive marketing campaign that claimed low addiction risk. By 2002 the company spent $200 million on promotion, leading to millions of prescriptions and a surge in non-medical oxycodone use. Federal investigations culminated in a 2007 guilty plea and a 2015 $24 million Kentucky settlement, prompting the FDA’s 2013 labeling overhaul and new state prescribing limits.

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Story summary

Hayden Panettiere died in South Carolina after ingesting a suspected fentanyl-laced oxycodone pill.
She was found in a Greenville apartment on August 16, 2026 and pronounced dead at 2:32 p.m.
Boyfriend Brian Hickerson administered Narcan before paramedics arrived, failing to revive her.
The coroner reported no trauma and listed cause of death pending toxicology results.
Law-enforcement says she bought black-market oxycodone from a Los Angeles dealer, prompting DEA and LAPD to trace the pill.

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