Drug Enforcement Agency joins probe into Hayden Panettiere's death: Sources
A representative for the late actress Hayden Panettiere issued a brief statement Thursday after the Drug Enforcement Administration joined the investigation into her death earlier this week.
Panettiere, known for her roles in "Ice Princess," "Heroes," "Nashville" and more, died Sunday at age 36.
In a statement shared with ABC News on Thursday, Panettiere's representative said, "There's nothing to be shared at this time as the investigation is ongoing but we are hopeful that justice will be served."
The DEA joined the investigation into Panettiere's death on Wednesday, according to sources familiar with the matter.
The Greenville City Police Department in South Carolina is the lead investigative agency, and the DEA is assisting.
News of the DEA joining the investigation came one day after Greenville police released a report detailing the scene at the private residence where Panettiere was found in cardiac arrest and later pronounced dead.
According to that report, an officer arrived at the residence on Easley Bridge Road in Greenville on Sunday, responding to an EMS assist for an unresponsive individual.
The officer said that Panettiere was with her on-again, off-again boyfriend Brian Hickerson and his brother, Zack Hickerson, when she died.
According to the police report, it is unknown if Panettiere was using drugs or alcohol at the time of her death, although the officer added in the report that Brian Hickerson had shown them the bag of medication that Panettiere was taking.
Officials arrived on scene to assist in the investigation, and the coroner was also on scene to conduct their investigation.
Panettiere's official cause and manner of death "remain pending further investigation and the completion of additional studies," the coroner's office said in a press release on Monday.
Prior to her death, Panettiere had been candid about her struggles from child stardom through adulthood.
She released a memoir this May titled "This Is Me: A Reckoning," in which she shared "a rare and intimate glimpse into her life behind closed doors, opening up about postpartum depression, addiction and recovery, trauma, domestic abuse, and loss," according to a synopsis for her book.
Across Hollywood, many have been mourning the actress's death. Along with "Ice Princess," "Heroes" and "Nashville," Panettiere also starred in "Remember the Titans," "Raising Helen," several "Scream" films and more.
Panettiere is survived by her daughter Kaya, whom she shared with her ex-fiance Wladimir Klitschko.
