Prosecutors in Argentina announced three people were charged in connection to the death of singer Liam Payne, who died after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires on Oct. 16.
Key Takeaways
- Payne—who was formerly a member of One Direction—died last month after falling from the balcony of the Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires and sustaining “extremely serious injuries,” and there were reports that Payne had multiple drugs in his body when he died.
- One person who was with Payne on a daily basis while he was in the city was charged with “crimes of abandonment of a person followed by death”, and two people—one a hotel employee and one a drug supplier—were charged with supplying narcotics to Payne, according to a statement from the National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor’s Office released Thursday.
- None of the people were named in the release.
- The release also said police ruled out interference from someone else and self-harm—after one local official told the Associated Press he jumped from the balcony—but prosecutors reiterated that Payne was likely unconscious when he fell.
- Payne’s body was returned to his father, Geoff Payne, last weekend. after the autopsy was complete.
What Did Payne’s Toxicology Report Show?
In Thursday’s release, officials said the toxicology report showed that in the 72 hours before his death Payne “had traces of polydrug use of alcohol, cocaine and a prescription antidepressant in his body,” according to a translation from AFP. Shortly after Payne’s death, sources told ABC News the singer had multiple drugs in his body when he died, including “pink cocaine,” a drug that is typically a mix of methamphetamine, ketamine, MDMA and other substances, though those drugs were not mentioned in the toxicology findings.
Key Background
Prior to Payne’s death, there were reports that he had been acting erratic in the hotel lobby, and authorities said the hotel manager placed an emergency 911 call complaining about a guest “under the influence of drugs and alcohol” who had “destroyed some objects in the room.”
The manager also said the guest had a balcony in their room and “we are afraid they might do something to put their life at risk,” the BBC reported. Payne, who was 31, was reportedly staying in Argentina after attending the concert of one of his former bandmates, Niall Horan, weeks earlier.
Payne and Horan were members of British boy band One Direction, along with Harry Styles, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson, that was formed on the “X-Factor” in 2010 and announced an indefinite hiatus in 2015. All five members attempted solo careers, and Payne released his first solo album, LP1, in 2019. He released his most recent song, “Teardrops,” earlier this year. The other four members of the band put out a statement after Payne’s death saying they were “completely devastated” and would “take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly.”
Big Number
800. That’s how many hours of video footage from security cameras throughout the hotel and nearby areas prosecutors said they reviewed, according to the press release. They also reviewed the content of Payne’s phone, a record of guests and orders made at the hotel and more.
Tangent
Payne’s death led to fan tribute gatherings worldwide. Police said there were between 800 and 1,000 people at a gathering in Hyde Park in London on Oct. 20, days after he died, and there were also gatherings in Germany, Spain, Argentina, Sweden and the U.S.
