DEA Searches Hayden Panettiere's LA Home as Fentanyl Investigation Widens

DEA agents executed a search warrant at Hayden Panettiere’s Los Angeles home on August 25, part of an ongoing investigation into the fentanyl-laced oxycodone pill she is believed to have taken. According to reports, investigators were looking for black market drugs, prescription medication, and paraphernalia they could test for fentanyl. They’re also reportedly reviewing years of text messages between Panettiere and an alleged long-time drug dealer, messages described as very specific about purchasing black market pills.

Panettiere was found unresponsive at a Greenville, South Carolina, Airbnb on August 16. She was 36 years old. Her boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, administered CPR and Narcan after his brother Zach found her, but she did not survive. No official cause of death has been released, and Panettiere’s rep says law enforcement has not disclosed who the investigation is targeting.

This story lands differently for a lot of families, because counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl have reached small towns and rural communities just as fast as big cities. One pill is all it takes, and most people who lose someone this way never saw it coming. If you’ve got someone you love who might be getting pills from anywhere other than a pharmacy, tonight is a good night to check in on them. What would you say if you had that conversation? Let us know in the comments.