Overview
- Hayden Panettiere was found unresponsive at a Greenville, South Carolina, residence on Sunday, Aug. 16, and first responders pronounced her dead after extended resuscitation efforts.
- The Greenville County coroner completed an autopsy that reported no signs of trauma and said cause and manner of death remain pending until toxicology and further studies are finished.
- Police say Brian Hickerson and his brother Zach were at the scene when Panettiere was discovered, and officers reported that Hickerson showed a bag of medication to investigators.
- Dispatch audio and multiple reports referenced both cardiac arrest and a possible overdose during the emergency response, and officials note that Narcan may have been given but toxicology will be needed to determine causation.
- Panettiere’s May memoir detailed long struggles with addiction, postpartum depression and an abusive relationship, and her family has publicly urged scrutiny of Hickerson as investigators continue their parallel probe.