Police conduct welfare checks at Greenville home linked to Hayden Panettiere death investigation
Greenville officers performed two welfare checks at the grandmother's house of Brian and Zach Hickerson, days after actress Hayden Panettiere was found dead at a nearby Airbnb, while a death investigation continues.
Greenville police officers arrived at the home of Betty Ellison, the grandmother of Brian and Zach Hickerson, on Wednesday morning for a welfare check, Page Six reported. The first patrol car knocked on the front door without response, while a second officer tried the side entrance. Zach Hickerson, 38, was present at the time, and the officers left after about three minutes. About ninety minutes later they returned, entered through the back of the house and conducted another welfare check before departing ten minutes later.
The four-bedroom residence is located roughly five miles from the Judson Mill Lofts apartment complex where Panettiere, 36, was found unresponsive on Sunday. Police and medical personnel responded to the Airbnb after a call reporting a possible cardiac arrest. Zach Hickerson, who was staying in the unit, discovered Panettiere in a chair and called emergency services. The coroner’s office later confirmed that resuscitation attempts were unsuccessful and that no signs of trauma were found; the cause of death remains under investigation pending toxicology results. Narcan, an opioid-overdose reversal drug, was reportedly found at the scene.
A Greenville police spokesperson reiterated that the checks were routine welfare checks. The Hickerson brothers have not responded to media inquiries. The investigation continues to determine whether criminal conduct was involved in Panettiere’s death.