Police were spotted at the family home of Hayden Panettiere’s boyfriend as investigators wonder if criminal conduct was involved in the 36-year-old actor’s sudden death.
Law enforcement officials were spotted outside a South Carolina property tied to Brian Hickerson Wednesday morning. That visit came as investigators remain uncertain that the “Heroes” star inadvertently overdosed on prescribed medication, according to TMZ.
Hickerson was reportedly asleep in a bedroom when his brother entered a Greenville home and found Panterriere’s unresponsive on a living room chair Sunday afternoon.
The Greenville County Coroner’s Office said the star was pronounced dead at 2:32 p.m. after emergency service workers unsuccessfully “initiated advanced cardiac life support measures.”
Bauer-Griffin/GC Images
Hayden Panettiere and Brian Hickerson in 2019. (Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)
TMZ said Narcan was located on the premises where Panettiere’s body was found. It’s not clear if authorities spoke to Hickerson or any of his family members during their Wednesday visit.
Panettiere friends and family members expressed concern that she remained involved with Hickerson, who pleaded no contest to domestic violence charges involving the former child actor in 2021.
“This person in her life that we have been trying to get rid of for quite some time was with her at her death and that was Brian Hickerson,” her estranged mom told NBC News after Panettiere died.
An unidentified associate told US Weekly that being involved with Hickerson led Panettiere “down a dark path in the past.”
Police said Hickerson handed authorities a bag of medication Panettiere was using when her body was found. He’s been accused of no wrongdoing in connection to his on-again, off-again girlfriend’s death. An autopsy showed no signs of trauma that would’ve contributed to Panettiere’s demise. A toxicology test to determine her cause of death is underway and could take weeks
