Police report details scene of Hayden Panettiere’s death

Hayden Panettiere’s on-and-off boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, and his brother were at the South Carolina apartment where the actor was found unresponsive and later died Sunday, according to police reports obtained by CBS News and NBC News.

Panettiere, 36, was found inside an apartment at Judson Mill Lofts in Greenville, South Carolina, where the Greenville County Coroner’s Office said she had been temporarily staying. Authorities received a 911 call around 1:50 p.m. Sunday about a “reported cardiac arrest,” according to the coroner’s office. Police have said an acquaintance made the call; CBS News reported that Brian Hickerson and his brother, Zach Hickerson, made the 911 call that brought first responders to the apartment.

When police arrived, firefighters and emergency medical workers were performing CPR, responding officer Matthew Bryan wrote in a partially redacted incident report. Bryan wrote that Panettiere “did not seem to have any obvious physical reasons to be unresponsive” and that EMS performed life-saving measures “for an extended amount of time before they called a time of death.”

The police report said Panettiere was declared dead at 2:31 p.m. NBC News, citing the coroner’s office, reported she was pronounced dead at 2:32 p.m.

The Greenville County Coroner’s Office said an autopsy was completed Monday and that “no signs of trauma were discovered that would have contributed to the death.” Her cause and manner of death remain pending while officials await autopsy results, which the coroner’s office said could take up to eight weeks. Police previously said a preliminary investigation “has not indicated any signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances.”

The report said Zach Hickerson told Bryan that Panettiere was Brian Hickerson’s girlfriend. Bryan also wrote that surveillance footage showed Panettiere and the Hickerson brothers coming and going from the apartment. Zach Hickerson was “very emotional” while EMS worked on Panettiere, the report said, while Brian Hickerson “did not become emotional until EMS declared her officially deceased.” Details of conversations between Bryan and the Hickersons were redacted.

At some point, Brian Hickerson showed police “the bag of medication” Panettiere was taking at the time of her death, according to the report. The list of medications was redacted. Bryan also noted he was wearing a body camera during the response, NBC News reported, but the video has not been publicly released. Brian and Zach Hickerson did not immediately respond to NBC News’ requests for comment.

Panettiere and Brian Hickerson had a turbulent relationship that drew public attention after allegations of domestic violence. In her memoir, “This Is Me: A Reckoning,” published in May, Panettiere wrote about addiction, recovery and physical abuse. NBC News reported that she wrote Hickerson once beat her so badly that she did not leave the house for weeks, and that she hesitated to report the alleged abuse because she did not want the public to find out.

Hickerson was arrested May 2, 2019, based on an allegation of injuring a spouse or girlfriend, according to Los Angeles County criminal court records reviewed by NBC News. He pleaded no contest in 2021 and was later sentenced to four years’ probation. Panettiere requested a restraining order against him in July 2020, though NBC News reported the outcome was unclear from the case record. In a 2020 statement, Panettiere said, “I am prepared to do my part to make sure this man never hurts anyone again.”

Panettiere’s career began in childhood and spanned more than three decades, with roles in “Remember the Titans,” “Ice Princess,” “Scream,” “Heroes” and “Nashville,” the latter earning her two Golden Globe nominations. She also spoke publicly about opioid and alcohol addiction, postpartum depression after the birth of her daughter with Wladimir Klitschko, and the 2023 death of her brother, Jansen, from a heart condition.

In an interview with CBS News’ Gayle King about her memoir, Panettiere said she wanted readers to know “they don’t have to be afraid. That they can live their truth. They can be imperfect.” Asked how she was doing, she said, “Still working on myself all the time. I had a great therapist and I’m — I’m better, healthier than I’ve been in a long time.”