Federal authorities are examining the origins of drugs and medications related to actress Hayden Panettiere’s death. This inquiry mirrors previous investigations in the deaths of Matthew Perry and rapper Mac Miller, where suppliers faced charges.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and local investigators have questioned multiple individuals regarding the circumstances of Panettiere’s death on August 16. The focus is on controlled substances and medications linked to her passing in a Greenville, S.C., apartment. According to the Greenville County Coroner’s Office, paramedics and police found Panettiere in cardiac arrest. Dispatch audio from Broadcastify.com mentioned a possible overdose and CPR efforts. Paramedics reportedly administered Narcan, but she was declared dead at 2:31 p.m.
Panettiere’s death shares similarities with those of Perry and Miller, who also succumbed to overdoses. In those cases, prosecutors successfully convicted the suppliers. Matthew Perry’s demise involved ketamine, while Mac Miller’s case involved cocaine and oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl. Perry’s case led to several individuals, including a producer and a woman known as the “Ketamine Queen,” pleading guilty.
Following Panettiere’s death, an autopsy was conducted, but the cause of death remains undetermined as toxicology results are pending. Panettiere was based in Los Angeles, but her boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, is a Greenville native.
A police report described the initial response to the scene, noting that Hickerson and his brother were present in the apartment with Panettiere. Hickerson showed an officer a bag of medications Panettiere was taking. Some parts of the report were redacted, including the brothers’ accounts given during their 911 call.
Officer Matthew Bryan, who wrote the report, recorded an interview with Brian Hickerson. He also noted Zach Hickerson’s emotional state as first responders attempted to revive Panettiere. Authorities later secured video footage from the apartment complex’s security cameras, assisting detectives with a search warrant.
Sloan Ellis, Hickerson’s attorney, stated that Panettiere’s death remains under investigation, and there are no signs of foul play. Ellis requested respect for Panettiere’s loved ones and the ongoing investigation.
Sources revealed that DEA agents have met with individuals familiar with the case, as reported by People Magazine and TMZ. Hickerson has faced multiple arrests on suspicion of domestic violence against Panettiere since May 2019. Charges were dismissed previously due to a lack of a material witness.
In 2020, Hickerson faced an eight-count criminal indictment for various violent incidents. In April 2021, he pleaded no contest to two felony counts of injuring a spouse or girlfriend, resulting in a 45-day county jail sentence, four years of probation, mandatory domestic violence courses, and a five-year protective order.