37-year-old Hickerson communicated with U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) officials on Thursday, September 10, TMZ reported, citing sources directly involved in the investigation.
Local and federal law enforcement agencies are currently focusing mainly on identifying the person who may have supplied 36-year-old Panettiere with substances that could have contributed to her death. One source said investigators are “increasingly focusing on a possible drug dealer.”
So far, no one has been arrested. Investigators are also still awaiting toxicology results that could help determine the official cause of Panettiere’s death, the publication reports.
The “Nashville” series star was found unconscious on August 16 in a short-term rental residence in Greenville, South Carolina. Despite attempts to revive her, Panettiere was pronounced dead. The woman is survived by her 11-year-old daughter Kaya, whom she had with her former fiancé Wladimir Klitschko.
Mysterious circumstances
As previously reported by “In Touch,” Hickerson’s brother Zach Hickerson went to the residence when he failed to contact the couple. They had planned to have lunch together. According to Zach, he “knocked loudly and, as it turned out, woke Brian, who was sleeping with Hayden on a pull-out sofa in the living room.”
“When we entered and tried to wake Hayden for lunch, we realized she was unconscious,” said Zach, whose words are quoted by TMZ.
The publication reported that Zach immediately called 911, and his brother tried to help Panettiere.
“I immediately called 911, and Brian administered naloxone (“Narcan”) to her. Then we both started performing CPR, and the 911 operator was on speakerphone until firefighters and paramedics arrived,” he recounted.
This version differed from Zach’s earlier account, in which he said he found Panettiere unconscious sitting in a chair while Brian was sleeping in another room. Later, Zach warned against making hasty conclusions until the investigation is complete.
“There are currently many assumptions, speculations, and accusations,” TMZ quotes him. “The truth will be revealed when officials complete the investigation and release more details.”
Panettiere’s mother Lesley Vogel, from whom the actress was estranged, publicly questioned Brian’s account of what happened before her daughter’s death. The 70-year-old woman expressed her concerns to law enforcement officials.
“I don’t know how someone can sleep next to a dying person and not realize something is wrong. How is that possible?” Vogel told the “Daily Mail.” “When paramedics arrived, they were called for a cardiac arrest. A person whose heart has stopped does not just lie quietly. They make noises.”
Vogel also told NBC News that Panettiere’s family had been trying for some time to remove Brian from the actress’s life.
Since Panettiere’s death, Brian has essentially remained silent. His lawyer Sloan Ellis previously told TMZ: “The investigation into Hayden’s death is still ongoing, so it is important to allow officials to complete it. As has been publicly stated, the police have confirmed there are no signs of a crime. Out of respect for Hayden’s loved ones and the ongoing investigation, we will not provide further comments at this time.”
Officials have not publicly named a suspected drug dealer, and the investigation into Panettiere’s death continues.
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