16 and Pregnant alum Autumn Crittendon’s cause of death has been revealed.
Crittendon’s official cause of death was due to toxicity from fentanyl and para-fluorofentanyl, the Virginia Department of Health told TMZ on Monday, October 21. Para-fluorofentanyl is a form of synthetic opioid, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Crittendon’s death has been ruled accidental.
Us Weekly confirmed in July that Crittendon died at age 27. The Virginia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner told Us at the time her death was under investigation.
TMZ initially reported at the time that Crittendon was found unresponsive in her bedroom by her father at their home in Henrico, Virginia. Paramedics reportedly arrived at the scene to administer CPR. Despite attempting to perform life-saving measures, she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Crittendon’s older sister Misty shared the news of the former MTV star’s passing in a since-deleted Facebook post, according to various outlets.
“You were robbed of your life at such a tender age, you left before anyone could tell you goodbye.. how much we love you,” Misty wrote, per In Touch. “How amazing you are and how proud we are of you for staying sober through some of the toughest parts of your life, how far you’ve came from where you were, how thankful we are to have had all these years with you, how proud of you we are as a mother, how grateful we are for the 3 tiny parts of your heart that are still walking this earth.”
Crittendon was featured on season 5 of 16 and Pregnant, which aired in 2014. The MTV series documented her journey to welcome son Drake, who was born in December 2013, with then-boyfriend Dustin Franklin.
Despite being featured on the reality show, Crittendon stayed out of the public eye following her episode. She later expanded her family with daughter Abigail and son Luke.
In Misty’s tribute post, she promised her late sister that her little ones would be cared for and looked after.
“I will make you proud, I promise. Our lives will never be the same, half of me died with you yesterday and I honestly don’t know how I’m ever gonna truly recover from this. But I promise you I will love life in your honor,” she penned. “These babies will always know how much you love them, how amazing you are, how special you are, how much you sacrificed and overcame for them, everything and nothing short of it.”
