A police report obtained Tuesday by CBS News stated that Brian Hickerson and his brother, Zach, were present when actor Hayden Panettiere was found dead. Panettiere, 36, was discovered unresponsive in a South Carolina apartment on a Sunday, leading the brothers to call 911. Panettiere was best known for her roles in the television series "Heroes" and "Nashville" and the film "Remember the Titans."
Panettiere and Brian Hickerson had a documented history of a tumultuous relationship. According to Panettiere's memoir and media reports, Hickerson had been arrested multiple times for alleged abuse. Panettiere had also publicly discussed her struggles with opioid and alcohol addiction, as well as postpartum depression. In 2023, she experienced the loss of her younger brother, Jansen, who died from a heart condition at age 28.
According to the report by Officer Matthew Bryan, first responders arrived to find firefighters and EMS performing CPR. Bryan noted that Panettiere showed no "obvious physical reasons" for her condition. Life-saving measures were performed for an extended period before she was declared dead at 2:31 p.m. Bryan stated that CCTV footage confirmed Panettiere and the Hickersons had been moving to and from the apartment. Following the death, investigators executed a search warrant at the scene.
The scale of this investigation involves local law enforcement and forensic medical professionals in South Carolina. The coroner's office has stated that the cause and manner of death are pending the results of an autopsy, a process that can take up to eight weeks. During this two-month window, the official record remains incomplete, leaving family members and the public without a definitive explanation for the sudden death of a 36-year-old individual.
The day-to-day impact of this development is currently focused on the legal and medical procedure. Police previously indicated that preliminary findings showed no signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances. However, the execution of a search warrant and the ongoing review of CCTV footage and redacted medication lists signify an active investigation. The final autopsy report will eventually determine whether the case is closed as a medical event or proceeds as a legal matter, setting a precedent for how the local jurisdiction handles high-profile unattended deaths.
The investigation remains open as authorities await toxicology and forensic results. No further details regarding the medications found at the scene or the specific nature of the conversations between the Hickersons and the responding officers have been released due to redactions in the police report. The final cause of death is expected to be announced once the coroner’s results are returned.