New 911 dispatch audio has revealed the desperate emergency response in the final minutes of actress Hayden Panettiere’s life — along with a troubling reference that authorities have not yet confirmed as her official cause of death.

Panettiere, the 36-year-old star of Heroes, Nashville and the Scream franchise, was found unresponsive Sunday afternoon at the Judson Mill Lofts in Greenville, South Carolina.

Dispatch audio described a woman in “cardiac arrest” and included a separate reference to a suspected overdose. Those words have fueled headlines, but they do not settle what killed her: the Greenville County Coroner’s Office was still expected to determine the official cause through an autopsy.

ABC News carried the first confirmation from Panettiere’s representative and her family:

The Associated Press reports that police were called to the Greenville apartment shortly before 2 p.m. after an acquaintance found Panettiere unresponsive. Responders performed lifesaving measures, but she was pronounced dead at the scene.

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Police said their preliminary investigation found no signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances. The coroner’s office planned an autopsy, and authorities had not released an official cause of death.

Her father, Skip Panettiere, confirmed the devastating news in a family statement and remembered his daughter as an extraordinary light who brought joy to those who knew her and millions who watched her work.

The newly released dispatch audio captures how quickly the call escalated as police and paramedics rushed to the apartment:

People reports that officials can be heard discussing both an “overdose” and “cardiac arrest” in the dispatch audio. Emergency crews administered advanced cardiac life support, including chest compressions, but Panettiere was pronounced dead at 2:32 p.m.

The emergency call was placed at approximately 1:51 p.m. after a friend found Panettiere unresponsive. The audio tracks the response as dispatchers relayed the medical emergency and crews attempted to restore a heartbeat at the apartment.

The overdose language came from that early emergency traffic, before an autopsy or toxicology findings were available. People’s reporting therefore adds a crucial piece of the timeline without turning an initial field report into a final medical conclusion.

That distinction is critical. Cardiac arrest means the heart has stopped; it does not identify the medical event or substance that caused it.

Likewise, an overdose reference in dispatch traffic is not the same thing as a completed toxicology report or a coroner’s finding.

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The new information follows WLTReport’s initial coverage of Panettiere’s death, which came before police released the emergency-response details.

Panettiere had spoken openly about alcoholism, postpartum depression and the long road through treatment and recovery. She also endured the sudden death of her younger brother, actor Jansen Panettiere, in 2023.

Her work reached viewers across television, film and video games:

Panettiere began acting as a child and broke through as Claire Bennet, the seemingly indestructible cheerleader on NBC’s Heroes. She later earned two Golden Globe nominations for playing country singer Juliette Barnes on Nashville and returned as fan-favorite Kirby Reed in Scream VI.

She would have turned 37 on Friday. She is survived by her daughter, Kaya.

For now, the honest answer is that Panettiere’s official cause of death has not been released. The dispatch audio reveals what responders encountered and what they initially suspected — but the coroner’s findings will provide the final medical determination.

This is a Guest Post from our friends over at WLTReport. View the original article here.

 

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