The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has reportedly joined the investigation into the death of actress Hayden Panettiere, who was pronounced dead at age 36 on Sunday. Panettiere's estranged mother, Lesley Vogel, confirmed that a narcotics investigator is now involved in the case.
Paramedics responding to the scene reported a suspected overdose, and Narcan, a nasal spray used to reverse opioid overdoses, was found inside the apartment. The coroner's office is awaiting toxicology results to confirm the cause of death. Greenville Police are also conducting a parallel investigation.
Brian Hickerson, Panettiere's on-again, off-again boyfriend, was present at the scene along with his brother, Zach Hickerson, when Panettiere was pronounced dead. Vogel has previously stated her concerns about Hickerson's influence on her daughter.
Neighbor Warnings and Domestic Violence History
Neighbors of Panettiere's former West Hollywood condominium had previously been warned to call police if they saw Hickerson on the property. A warning poster featuring Hickerson's face was temporarily displayed by the Homeowners Association (HOA) at the end of August 2025, according to reports. The poster identified Hickerson as having been seen trespassing in common areas and hallways, urging residents not to grant him access to the building.
One neighbor, Mia Terrazas, described Hickerson as dangerous and claimed to have called 911 multiple times due to disturbances at Panettiere's condo. She also stated that Hickerson had lived at the condo for two years, even after a court-issued no-contact order was in place.
Hickerson has a history of domestic violence arrests related to his relationship with Panettiere. In 2021, he pleaded no contest to two felony counts of injuring a spouse or girlfriend, receiving a jail sentence and probation. Despite this history, Panettiere and Hickerson were reportedly reconciled, and she had detailed his alleged abuse in her memoir earlier this year.
Court documents revealed that Hickerson had allegedly sent Panettiere intimidating text messages in 2020 while facing charges stemming from domestic violence incidents. In one message, he reportedly wrote, "Time to go to war, I guess."
Panettiere, who had publicly spoken about her struggles with postpartum depression and addiction to opioids and alcohol, relinquished custody of her daughter Kaya to her ex-fiancé, Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko, in 2018. Her sobriety status at the time of her death remains unclear, though she had been in and out of rehab.
An incident report from the scene of her death referred to Panettiere as Hickerson's girlfriend. The couple had been photographed together as recently as March 2026.