Police Seek Surveillance Footage in Actress Hayden Panettiere’s Untimely Death
Greenville, South Carolina – Authorities in South Carolina are actively seeking surveillance footage that could prove crucial in establishing a detailed timeline of actress Hayden Panettiere’s final hours before her unexpected passing on Sunday, August 16. The investigation aims to shed light on the circumstances leading to her death, which remains undetermined.
According to reports from TMZ, police have confirmed that CCTV cameras at the Judson Mills apartment complex, where Panettiere died, captured her alongside two members of her on-again, off-again boyfriend Brian Hickerson’s family.
A heavily redacted incident report, also obtained by TMZ, reveals that a courtesy officer at the Greenville apartment complex informed responding officers about the existence of surveillance footage. This footage reportedly shows Panettiere, Brian Hickerson, and his brother, Zach Hickerson, entering and exiting the property. "I spoke with the courtesy officer of Judson Mills and he advised he has CCTV footage of all three individuals coming and going," the responding officer noted in the report.
Investigators believe this footage could be instrumental in mapping out the movements of Panettiere and the Hickerson brothers in the critical period before the actress suffered a cardiac arrest on Sunday afternoon.
Further details from an Associated Press report indicate that Zach Hickerson was the one who discovered Panettiere "unresponsive" in the apartment. He promptly called 911 before waking his brother, Brian, who was reportedly asleep in a separate bedroom.
Upon arrival at the residence, a Greenville police officer found the Hickerson brothers present and observed emergency medical personnel already performing CPR on an unresponsive woman. The officer’s report noted that Panettiere "did not seem to have any obvious physical reasons to be unresponsive."
The incident report also highlights Zach Hickerson’s emotional state, as he identified Panettiere as his brother’s girlfriend. "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 stated.
Following the declaration of death, the officer escorted both brothers from the apartment and conducted a more in-depth conversation with Brian Hickerson. However, details of this conversation, along with a list of medications Panettiere was reportedly taking, have been redacted from the official document.
While an autopsy has been performed and found no signs of trauma, and police have stated that officers observed no signs of foul play, the official cause of death has yet to be determined. The investigation remains ongoing as authorities continue to piece together the events leading to Hayden Panettiere’s tragic passing.
