Hayden Panettiere Death Investigated by Cops to Determine if There's Criminal Conduct

Hayden Panettiere Cops Conduct Death Investigation to Determine if Criminal Conduct Involved Published August 19, 2026 8:04 AM PDT | Updated August 19, 2026 9:00 AM PDT Police are not satisfied Hayden Panettiere's death was a tragic overdose of prescribed meds, because they are trying to determine if there could be criminal conduct behind it. Law enforcement sources involved in the case tell TMZ they are conducting a death investigation to see if some illegality is behind the 36-year-old's death. As we reported, the Greenville PD showed up Wednesday morning at the family home of her boyfriend, Brian Hickerson. It would appear police want information from Brian regarding any circumstances that might be connected to Hayden's death. One law enforcement source tells TMZ ... the death investigation was triggered because Hayden's death was "unexpected," since she was only 36 ... adding the police are doing a parallel investigation with the coroner to determine the cause and manner of death. The autopsy has been completed, and the toxicology results are pending. Related articles Hayden Panettiere Brian Hickerson Movie Stars Celebrity News Hayden Panettiere Death Celebrity Death Crime Exclusive Police