Investigators Focus on Possible Drug Supplier in Hayden Panettiere Death After Ex-Boyfriend Meets DEA

Federal and local investigators said they are concentrating on locating a possible drug dealer who may have supplied the substances involved in actress Hayden Panettiere's fatal overdose. A source familiar with the case told the outlet that authorities are "zeroing in on a potential drug dealer."

The investigation intensified after Panettiere's ex-boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, was photographed outside his Los Angeles home and later met with representatives of the Drug Enforcement Administration. Hickerson and his brother, Zach, were present at the Greenville, South Carolina Airbnb where the actress was found unresponsive on August 16.

According to 911 dispatch audio, paramedics responded to a call about an unidentified female in cardiac arrest and began CPR for an apparent overdose. Narcan, an opioid-reversal medication, was found at the scene. Zach Hickerson told TMZ that his brother administered Narcan after a real-estate agent discovered Panettiere unconscious and called emergency services.

Brian Hickerson's attorney, Sloan Ellis, said the death remains under investigation and that police have found no evidence of foul play. "Hayden’s death remains under investigation and it is important to allow that investigation to proceed," Ellis told Page Six, adding that no further comment would be made.

Panettiere's mother, Lesley Vogel, has publicly questioned Hickerson's account, suggesting inconsistencies in the timeline and the availability of Narcan. She expressed doubt that Hickerson could have had two bottles of the medication on his person at the time.

The actress's toxicology report has not yet been released.