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It’s been three days since the death of Hayden Panettiere, and new details about the actress’ final hours are still pouring in.
We now know Hayden was at an apartment complex with her on-again, off-again boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, at the time of her death.
And with Panettiere’s death still under investigation, police have made a notable visit to a Hickerson family home.
According to TMZ, the visit was part of a larger investigation to determine if criminal conduct may have played a role in Hayden’s passing.
Two Greenville Police Department vehicles reportedly arrived at the South Carolina residence of Hickerson’s grandmother, Betty Ellison, at approximately 8:20 a.m.
Witnesses say an officer knocked repeatedly on the front door while another attempted to access the home from the side. The officers left after roughly three minutes.
TMZ later reported that police returned about 90 minutes later to “conduct a welfare check.” A Greenville Police Department representative confirmed the visit but did not specify who the officers were checking on.
Hickerson’s brother, Zach, 38, was reportedly inside the home during the initial visit. Brian, 37, and Zach had both been seen at the property the previous day.
The residence is approximately five miles from the Greenville Airbnb where Panettiere was found unresponsive on Sunday, August 16.
The 36-year-old actress was pronounced dead at 2:32 p.m. after emergency responders attempted to revive her. Dispatch audio reportedly referenced a possible overdose and cardiac arrest, though an official cause of death has not been released.
An autopsy found “no signs of trauma” that would have contributed to Panettiere’s death. However, the investigation remains active while authorities await toxicology results.
Brian was reportedly at the Airbnb when Panettiere died. According to a police report, he was asleep in another room when Zach discovered the actress unresponsive in a chair.
Brian also reportedly showed officers a bag containing medications Panettiere had been taking.
The circumstances surrounding Panettiere’s final days have drawn increased scrutiny because of her complicated history with Hickerson. The pair dated on and off for years, and Hickerson was convicted of felony charges related to domestic violence against the actress in 2021.
Panettiere’s mother, Lesley Vogel, has also publicly criticized Hickerson’s role in her daughter’s life following the actress’ death.
For now, authorities have not publicly accused Hickerson or anyone else of wrongdoing in connection with Panettiere’s death.
But with the investigation ongoing and toxicology results still pending, there are clearly plenty of unanswered questions surrounding the tragedy.
We will have further updates on this developing story as new information becomes available.
