Hayden Panettiere's family can now begin the painful process of laying the beloved Nashville and Heroes actress to rest.
The Greenville County Coroner's Office has confirmed that Panettiere's body was released to her family on Tuesday, August 18, two days after her sudden death at the age of 36. Her remains were transferred to a mortuary later that evening, according to PEOPLE.
The development comes as investigators continue trying to determine exactly what happened during the actress' final hours.
Panettiere was found unresponsive at the Judson Mill Lofts in Greenville, South Carolina, on Sunday, August 16. First responders arrived to find her in cardiac arrest and attempted lifesaving measures, but she was pronounced dead at the scene.
An autopsy was completed the following day. The Greenville County Coroner's Office said there were no signs of trauma that contributed to her death, while police have said their preliminary investigation uncovered no signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances. Her official cause and manner of death, however, have not yet been determined.
Toxicology testing could provide the biggest clue. The coroner has indicated that those results could take several weeks, meaning the mystery surrounding Panettiere's death may not be resolved quickly.
Adding another layer to the tragedy, Panettiere's on-and-off boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, and his brother Zach were reportedly at the apartment when the actress was found unresponsive.
According to the police incident report, the two men called 911, and responding officers found emergency personnel performing CPR on Panettiere. The report says Brian Hickerson later showed police a bag containing medications Panettiere had been taking, although details about those medications were redacted from the publicly released report.
Dispatch communications reportedly included discussion of a possible overdose, but authorities have not officially determined that an overdose caused Panettiere's death. With toxicology results still pending, any conclusion about what killed the actress would be premature.
The circumstances are especially heartbreaking because Panettiere had been remarkably candid about the darker side of her life in the spotlight.
The former child star had publicly discussed her struggles with alcohol and opioid addiction as well as postpartum depression. Earlier this year, she released her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, looking back on childhood fame, addiction, relationships and her attempts to rebuild her life.
Her father, Alan "Skip" Panettiere, remembered his daughter as an extraordinary presence following news of her death. The family has asked for privacy as they grieve.
Panettiere leaves behind her 11-year-old daughter, Kaya, whom she shared with former heavyweight boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko. The actress had recently pushed back against the perception that she simply surrendered her role in her daughter's life, explaining that the situation unfolded while she was struggling with addiction and her mental health.
Her death also brings another devastating loss to the Panettiere family. Hayden's younger brother, actor Jansen Panettiere, died in 2023 at just 28 from complications related to an enlarged heart.
For television viewers, Panettiere will forever be associated with two defining roles. She became a household name as cheerleader Claire Bennet on NBC's Heroes before winning over country music audiences as ambitious singer Juliette Barnes on Nashville. Her performance on the latter also showcased her singing voice and earned her two Golden Globe nominations.
Now, as her body is returned to those closest to her, the focus shifts from the shocking circumstances of Panettiere's death to a family preparing to say goodbye - while investigators wait for the toxicology findings that could finally explain why a star who had spent much of her life fighting her way through adversity died only days before her 37th birthday.
