Law enforcement officers visited a South Carolina home connected to Brian Hickerson, the boyfriend of the late actress Hayden Panettiere, days after her suspected overdose death. The visit occurred on Wednesday morning to a property linked to both Brian, 37, and his brother Zachary, who were at the scene when first responders attempted to revive Panettiere on Sunday.
Two police cars from the Greenville City Police Department arrived at the residence around 8:30 a.m. Officers knocked on the front door and, receiving no answer, proceeded to the back of the property. After several minutes, they departed without making contact.
Zachary Hickerson was seen at the same home a day prior, telling a reporter, "No comment, bro, and with no offense to you and what you're trying to do, this is private property. Please respect our privacy. I'm not going to answer anything that you ask me. I would appreciate it if you wouldn't mind just leaving us alone."
Panettiere, 36, was found unresponsive on an armchair at an Airbnb in Greenville on Sunday afternoon. According to reports, Brian Hickerson was asleep in a bedroom at the time, while Zachary discovered Panettiere and called 911. Brian also called 911 after Panettiere was pronounced dead. Emergency medical services worked on her for nearly an hour before she was declared deceased.
A dispatcher's audio indicated Panettiere had suffered a suspected overdose, and sources reported that Narcan, an opioid overdose reversal medication, was found at the property. A coroner's report stated Panettiere was found unresponsive with no signs of trauma, and a full cause of death remains pending.
Brian Hickerson and Panettiere had a long and tumultuous relationship, marked by past domestic violence incidents. Brian Hickerson was arrested multiple times on domestic violence charges related to Panettiere. In 2020, he was charged with several felonies, including domestic assault and assault with a deadly weapon, and pleaded no contest to two felony counts of injuring a spouse or girlfriend in April 2021. He was sentenced to 45 days in jail, four years of probation, and mandatory domestic violence classes, serving 13 days of his jail sentence.
Despite the history of abuse allegations, Panettiere and Brian Hickerson reportedly rekindled their relationship. They were last seen together publicly in March. Panettiere's mother, Lesley Vogel, expressed that the family had long wanted Brian Hickerson out of her daughter's life, stating he was with Panettiere at the time of her death.
Prior to her death, Panettiere had made the difficult decision to give custody of their 11-year-old daughter, Kaya, to her former fiancé Wladimir Klitschko while she struggled with addiction. Klitschko paid tribute to Panettiere, calling her an "important part of my life and the mother of our daughter."