Police officers were spotted outside Brian Hickerson’s family’s house three days after his on-off girlfriend Hayden Panettiere’s sudden death.
Two Greenville Police Department cars were seen outside a South Carolina property owned by Hickerson’s grandmother on Wednesday, August 19, in photos obtained by Page Six. The outlet reported that an officer approached the house, repeatedly knocking on the front door to no reply. Another officially reportedly tried knocking on the side door to no avail.
It is not known why the law enforcement officers arrived on the premises.
Panettiere died at age 36 on Sunday, August 16.
“It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden,” the actress’ father, Skip Panettiere, told Us in a statement. “She was an incredible light and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her — and to the millions who watched her onscreen. We ask for privacy as our family takes time to process this unimaginable loss.”
Hayden is survived by her parents and her 11-year-old daughter, Kaya, whom she shared with ex Wladimir Klitschko. (Hayden’s younger brother, Jansen Panettiere, died in 2023 at age 28 from an undiagnosed heart condition.)
A cause of death for the Heroes alum has not been publicly revealed, though a police report obtained by Us revealed that Hickerson had been present at the scene of her death. Dispatch audio stated that Hayden may have suffered an “overdose” and then went into “cardiac arrest.”
“After EMS officially declared Hayden deceased, I escorted Zach [Hickerson, Brian’s brother] and Brian out of the apartment,” the police report read. “I observed Zach to be very emotional while EMS were working on Hayden. Brian did not become emotional until EMS declared her officially deceased.”
The officer reported that Zach claimed Hayden was “his brother’s girlfriend.” (Hayden and Brian dated on and off from 2018 to 2020, though a source recently told Us exclusively they “always remained in contact” after their various breakups.)
An autopsy for Hayden has since been completed, with the local coroner’s officer confirming there were no signs of trauma that could have contributed to her death.
“On August 16, 2026, at approximately 1:51 PM, a 911 call was received regarding a reported cardiac arrest,” the Greenville County Coroner’s Office wrote in a separate statement. “First responders and Emergency Medical Services arrived on scene and located a female in cardiac arrest. EMS personnel initiated advanced cardiac life support measures; however, resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful, and the individual was pronounced deceased at 2:32 PM.”
