A police report now sheds light on the final moments before actress Hayden Panettiere‘s death, while her estranged mother has stepped forward with pointed accusations against the boyfriend who was in the room when she died.
Greenville, South Carolina authorities responded to a 911 call reporting a suspected cardiac arrest at the Judson Mill Lofts apartment complex on August 16, where the 36-year-old actress had been temporarily residing.
Emergency crews arrived at the Easley Bridge Road address and immediately began CPR alongside advanced cardiac life support measures. Their efforts continue
d for an extended period before Panettiere was pronounced dead at the scene, at approximately 2:32 p.m.
Brian Hickerson, described in official records as Panettiere’s on-and-off boyfriend, placed the emergency call from inside the apartment. His brother, Zach Hickerson, was also present at the time.
A newly released incident report, heavily redacted by the Greenville Police Department, offers a detailed account from Officer Matthew Bryan, who was among the first to arrive.
Bryan wrote that Panettiere “did not seem to have any obvious physical reasons to be unresponsive” as medical personnel worked to revive her.
The report draws a sharp contrast between the two brothers’ reactions during the ordeal.
Zach Hickerson grew “very emotional” while paramedics fought to save Panettiere’s life, but Brian Hickerson reportedly remained composed until the moment EMS declared her dead.
During the encounter, Brian Hickerson handed officers a bag of medication Panettiere had allegedly been taking. Investigators redacted the specific contents from the public report.
Police also confirmed the existence of surveillance video from the apartment complex, capturing footage of Panettiere and both Hickerson brothers before her death. A search warrant was subsequently executed at the residence.
The Greenville County Coroner’s Office performed an autopsy on August 17 and found no signs of trauma linked to the death.
Officials say determining an official cause and manner of death will require additional testing, including toxicology screening.
Early findings from investigators point away from foul play, with authorities describing the preliminary evidence as showing no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death.
Lesley Vogel, Panettiere’s mother, had been estranged from her daughter since roughly September 2025.
Speaking with NBC News in her first public comments since the death, Vogel acknowledged she has limited details but confirmed plans to meet with a detective handling the case.
Vogel did not hold back when discussing Brian Hickerson’s presence at the scene.
“This person in her life that we have been trying to get rid of for quite some time was with her at her death and that was Brian Hickerson,” she said.
She also spoke more broadly about the pressures her daughter faced as a young performer in Hollywood.
“I think Hayden was an amazingly talented person in so many departments and I think young people who grow up in the entertainment industry – it is a struggle and it’s a very challenging industry and it’s not unusual for them to sadly find the wrong path,” Vogel said, adding, “I think it becomes very difficult to be true to yourself, and I think Hayden sadly lost her way, and I wish it were different. I wish she had stayed true to herself because she had many incredible attributes.”
Vogel raised a separate concern about the timing of the 911 call, describing it as occurring at an hour that struck her as unusual.
She called it “not the typical hour of the day that you are partying, generally speaking.”
The remarks follow months of public tension between Vogel and Hickerson, much of it tied to the release of Panettiere’s memoir, “This Is Me: A Reckoning,” published earlier this year.
Hickerson had criticized Vogel in a May interview, calling her “by far, one of the worst people I’ve ever met in my life.”
Vogel had previously explained her decision to cut off contact with her daughter, citing what she called “20 years of trauma, chaos, addictions [and] accusations.”
She said she chose to have no further contact as a result.
Panettiere’s memoir reportedly chronicled her upbringing in the entertainment industry under her mother’s management, along with personal struggles involving substance use.
Records show Brian Hickerson, 37, and Panettiere maintained a relationship dating back to roughly 2018, marked by periods of separation and reconciliation, and that he had faced prior legal issues tied to domestic matters involving her.
Reports indicate Panettiere had traveled to South Carolina from Los Angeles shortly before her death, accompanied by both Brian and Zach Hickerson.
The investigation into her death remains active as authorities await toxicology results and other pending findings.
