Hayden Panettiere's Tragic Final Moments: What the Police Report Reveals
A new police report shines a new light on who discovered Hayden Panettiere during the final moments of her life. According to a Greenville City Police Department incident report obtained by Us, officials spoke with Panettiere’s ex-boyfriend Brian Hickerson and his brother, Zach Hickerson, at an apartment complex in Greenville, South Carolina, on the day of her passing. “After EMS officially declared Hayden deceased, I escorted Zach and Brian out of the apartment,” the police report stated about the events that took place on Sunday, August 16. “I observed Zach to be very emotional while EMS were working on Hayden. Brian did not become emotional until EMS declared her officially deceased.” While speaking to an officer on the scene, Zach said the actress “was his brother’s girlfriend.”
According to the report, Brian provided a “bag of medication” that Panettiere was “currently on,” per the redacted report. The police report indicated that police executed a search warrant and there is CCTV footage of all three individuals coming and going from the apartment. The report also confirmed that multiple medics performed life-saving measures on the unresponsive actress for “an extended amount of time” before she was pronounced dead. News broke on Sunday that Panettiere had died at the age of 36. Her official cause of death has yet to be revealed.
“It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden,” Panettiere’s father, Skip, said in a statement to Us. “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.” Before the incident report was released, one neighbor described seeing two men outside of the apartment on Sunday sitting on the floor in the hallway and looking “in complete shock.” “Their heads [were] down and hats on. They were not talking,” the resident exclusively told Us. “I have no idea what role they played, if any. The authorities were there. There were one or two officers guarding the apartment door.” (Nobody has been charged with a crime in regards to Panettiere’s death.) Authorities in South Carolina confirmed to Us on Monday, August 17 that police responded to reports of an “unresponsive female” at a residence, later identified as Panettiere. The Greenville County Coroner’s Office also revealed to Us on Monday that an autopsy report has been completed and no signs of trauma were discovered that could have contributed to the actress’ death.
