DEA Joins Hayden Panettiere Death Probe as Neighbor Reports 6 Prior 911 Calls

Q: Why was Brian Hickerson reportedly unemotional during CPR efforts for Hayden Panettiere, and what does the CCTV reveal?

There is no verified public explanation for why Brian Hickerson reportedly appeared unemotional during CPR. The police report only says he “did not become emotional” until EMS officially declared Hayden Panettiere dead, while his brother Zach Hickerson was described as “very emotional” during the resuscitation effort. Any deeper reason for Brian’s reaction has not been established by investigators or confirmed in the released records. What the CCTV reportedly shows is limited but potentially important for the timeline. According to the incident report, the apartment complex’s courtesy officer told police there was surveillance footage of Panettiere, Brian Hickerson and Zach Hickerson “coming and going” from the property. Investigators were expected to obtain and review that footage as part of the death investigation. So far, authorities have not publicly said that the video shows any struggle, foul play or other suspicious activity. Police and the coroner have said the preliminary investigation found no signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances, and the autopsy found no visible trauma. The official cause and manner of Panettiere’s death remain pending while toxicology and other studies are completed.

3 articles · Updated · Hollywood Reporter · Aug 20

DEA agents have joined the investigation into Hayden Panettiere’s death at 36 in Greenville, South Carolina, while her cause and manner of death remain pending.
A police report said Brian Hickerson and his brother were at the townhouse when she was pronounced dead, and officials on the 911 call were reportedly heard discussing an overdose and cardiac arrest.
Mia Terrazzas, a former West Hollywood neighbor, said she called 911 at least six times over disturbances at Panettiere’s apartment and believed she saw signs of domestic violence.
That account adds to earlier abuse allegations: Panettiere described physical abuse by Hickerson in her 2026 memoir, and he served 45 days in jail in 2021 after pleading no contest to two felony injury counts.
Panettiere’s mother and a 2025 film collaborator have also pointed to Hickerson’s presence around the actress, widening scrutiny beyond the still-unresolved death investigation.