Just three days after the sudden death of actress Hayden Panettiere, law enforcement made a notable visit to a South Carolina property connected to her on-again, off-again boyfriend, Brian Hickerson. According to Page Six, two marked Greenville Police Department cars pulled up to the home owned by Brian’s grandmother, Betty Ellison, early Wednesday morning.
Officers knocked on several doors at the residence but received no answer. At the time, Brian’s brother, Zach Hickerson, was reportedly on the property. Both Brian and Zach had been spotted there the previous day, but neither came to the door when police arrived. After roughly three minutes, officers left—only to return less than two hours later, this time to conduct a formal welfare check. They stayed for about ten minutes before departing again.
The Discovery
The visit comes in the wake of Panettiere’s death, which was discovered Sunday afternoon. Zach Hickerson, 38, was reportedly the first person to find the 36-year-old “Nashville” star unresponsive when he walked into the Airbnb rental they were sharing. Police on the scene said he appeared visibly shaken as first responders worked on her.
Brian, who had been involved with Panettiere on and off for years, was reportedly asleep in another room when she was found. According to initial reports, he did not appear upset until the actress was officially declared dead shortly after. He later provided investigators with a “bag of medication” that she had been taking in the days leading up to her death.
History of Domestic Violence Allegations
The couple’s relationship had been marked by turmoil. Panettiere and Hickerson had previously split after she accused him of domestic violence. In February 2020, Hickerson was arrested on Valentine’s Day after reportedly striking Panettiere “with a closed fist.” At the time, police found him locked out of their Airbnb rental in Wyoming.
Despite being ordered not to contact the “Heroes” actress following his arrest, Hickerson allegedly called her phone repeatedly and sent a series of texts that appeared to be overtly threatening.
“Time to go to war I guess,” he wrote in one message, according to TMZ.
In another text, Hickerson appeared to hint at leverage he claimed to hold over Panettiere: “After Wyoming and LA disappears so do the videos.”
He also wrote: “Even if i sit in a jail cell for ten years. All of the stuff that is vaulted overseas with my people will come out the second I step foot into prison. And all that does is hurt your name while simultaneously clearing my name. And at that point who actually cares?”
In a separate alleged text, Hickerson suggested his attempts to avoid court were meant to protect Panettiere: “I don’t want to go to court, for you. I will be f*cking fine in court, trust me, it’s for you.”
The nature of Wednesday’s police visit remains unclear. Authorities have not publicly confirmed whether it was related to the ongoing investigation into Panettiere’s death or to other matters concerning the Hickerson family. As of now, neither Brian nor Zach Hickerson has commented publicly about the visit or the circumstances surrounding the actress’s passing.
Source: www.dailywire.com — https://www.dailywire.com/news/cops-make-visit-tied-to-hayden-panettieres-boyfriend