Autumn Crittendon’s Cause of Death Revealed: Inside ’16 and Pregnant’ Alum’s ‘Accidental’ Overdose

The cause of death for 16 and Pregnant alum Autumn Crittendon has been revealed more than three months after she died at the age of 27.

The reality TV star died due to toxicity from a combination of fentanyl and para-fluoro fentanyl, an illicit synthetic opioid similar to fentanyl, In Touch confirmed on Tuesday, October 22. Her death was ruled as accidental. TMZ was the first to report the news.

Autumn died on July 20 after she was found unresponsive by her stepfather in their Sandston, Virginia, home. At the time, In Touch confirmed her death was being openly investigated by police after a report was completed by a local coroner.

​​“Members from Henrico Fire attempted life-saving measures however they were not effective,” Henrico Country Police Department shared in a statement to People. “The adult female, Autumn Oxley, 27, of Henrico, was pronounced deceased at the scene. Henrico Police are currently classifying this incident as a death investigation.”

Detectives were working closely with the Chief Medical Examiner on the case to determine the “exact cause and manner of death.”

Autumn’s sister, Misty Crittendon, confirmed her death on July 21 in a since-deleted post on Facebook.

“You were robbed of your life at such a tender age, you left before anyone could tell you goodbye … how much we love you … 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,” Misty wrote, according to Starcasm.

Misty also mentioned Autumn’s three children, Drake, Abigail, and Luke, who were left behind after their mother’s passing. “We are gonna make sure these babies are OK,” she promised. “Your memory will not fade over time. It will live on every moment of every day.”

In a separate Facebook post also seen by Starcasm, Misty seemingly accused an unidentified person of being responsible for her sister’s death. “YOU robbed my babies of their mother. YOU robbed my mother of her baby. YOU caused a mother and father to bury their youngest child,” she concluded, according to Starcasm. “YOU robbed my child of his other mother. YOU robbed me of my only f–king friend.”

Autumn first appeared on MTV’s 16 and Pregnant in 2014 as a high school sophomore during season 5. She starred alongside her then-boyfriend Dustin Franklin, as they prepared for the arrival of their son, Drake. The show followed the couple as they faced concerns about parenting, with Dustin unemployed and struggling with marijuana use.

Autumn welcomed her first child on December 17, 2013, and the show continued to document her frustrations with the lack of financial support from Drake, eventually leading her to take him to court and secure child support. Despite leaving a memorable impression on viewers, Autumn chose not to continue with the Teen Mom franchise, instead opting for a more private life after the show.