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Autopsy Finds No Trauma in Hayden Panettiere Death

By Drooid · Sep 13, 2026, 10:41 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Hayden Panettiere Dies

Actress Hayden Panettiere died in Greenville, South Carolina after being found unresponsive on Aug. 16.
An autopsy on Aug. 17 reported no trauma contributing to the cardiac arrest.
Zach Hickerson, who was at the home, was arrested for disorderly conduct while highly intoxicated.
Brian Hickerson was detained after a Sept. 12 bar fight but released without charges.
Greenville police, the county coroner and the DEA continue the investigation.

Summary

Brian Hickerson Tosses Chair

Brian Hickerson tossed a chair while handcuffed during the Sept. 12 Wild Wing Cafe incident.
He shouted, “GPD leaked it when my girlfriend died,” while detained, per TMZ footage.
Police reports say the brothers drank for hours before the bar altercation escalated.
Brian, who pleaded no contest to two 2021 domestic-violence felonies, has been barred from Greenville bars.
Zach Hickerson was released on a $257.50 recognizance bond after his disorderly-conduct arrest.

History

Historical Context

River Phoenix died of acute multiple drug intoxication on October 31 1993 outside the West Hollywood nightclub The Viper Room, co-owned by Johnny Depp. The club closed for a week and Depp kept it shut each October 31 until selling his share in 2004. Phoenix’s death, at age 23, became a cautionary example that intensified public focus on celebrity drug abuse in the 1990s.

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Hayden Panettiere Dies

Actress Hayden Panettiere died in Greenville, South Carolina after being found unresponsive on Aug. 16.
An autopsy on Aug. 17 reported no trauma contributing to the cardiac arrest.
Zach Hickerson, who was at the home, was arrested for disorderly conduct while highly intoxicated.
Brian Hickerson was detained after a Sept. 12 bar fight but released without charges.
Greenville police, the county coroner and the DEA continue the investigation.

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