Brian Hickerson, the ex-boyfriend of actress Hayden Panettiere, has reportedly met with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) as part of the ongoing investigation into her death.
Sources told TMZ that federal agents are focusing on a potential drug dealer who may have supplied Panettiere with the substances that led to her death. Hickerson was present at the Airbnb in Greenville, South Carolina, where Panettiere died on August 16.
911 dispatch audio obtained by Page Six indicated that paramedics responded to a call about an "unidentified female" in "cardiac arrest" who was experiencing an "overdose." CPR was administered at the scene, and Narcan, a medication used to reverse opioid overdoses, was reportedly found there.
Hickerson's brother, Zach Hickerson, previously told TMZ that Brian found Panettiere unconscious after waking from a nap. Zach claimed that Brian administered Narcan while he called emergency services, and that they jointly performed CPR. However, Panettiere was pronounced dead at the scene.
Panettiere's toxicology report has not yet been released. Authorities have stated that there were no signs of foul play.
Hickerson's attorney, Sloan Ellis, previously issued a statement acknowledging the investigation and requesting no further comment out of respect for Panettiere's loved ones. However, Panettiere's mother, Lesley Vogel, has publicly expressed skepticism about Hickerson's account of the events leading to her daughter's death, telling the Daily Mail that she believes his timeline contains discrepancies and questioned his claim of possessing Narcan at the time.
Hickerson was recently photographed outside his Los Angeles home, wearing a gray hoodie and sunglasses, while making a stop at a liquor store. He drove away in a red car.