Three individuals are facing preliminary charges in Argentina in connection with the death of Liam Payne, the former One Direction member, according to the country’s public prosecutor’s office. Among those under investigation are a hotel employee and a suspected drug dealer, who are accused of “abandonment of a person before death” and “facilitating or supplying narcotics.”
Payne, aged 31, tragically passed away on October 16 after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires. A toxicology report revealed that the singer had alcohol, cocaine, and a prescription antidepressant in his system at the time of his death. Authorities believe he may have been in a semi-conscious or unconscious state before the fall, based on the results of the analysis.
The prosecutor’s office also confirmed that medical examinations showed Liam Payne’s injuries were consistent with a fall from a height. The examinations ruled out the possibility of self-inflicted injuries or foul play by others.
Last week, Payne’s body was released to his father, Geoff Payne, according to the prosecutor’s office.
Argentina follows a two-phase legal process, with preliminary charges being part of the investigation stage. At a later stage, a judge can either dismiss or adjust these preliminary charges, or choose to formalize them, which would be equivalent to pressing formal charges in the U.S. legal system.
Who is under investigated?
Investigators are looking into three individuals after reviewing evidence, including more than 800 hours of video footage.
The first suspect is believed to have spent a lot of time with Liam Payne during his visit to Buenos Aires. This person is under investigation for “abandonment of a person before death” and “supplying and facilitating narcotics.”
The second individual is a hotel employee accused of providing cocaine to Payne on two separate occasions during his stay at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel. The third suspect is thought to be a narcotics supplier who may have given drugs to Payne on October 14.
It’s unclear whether any of the three suspects are currently in custody.
Authorities also conducted a “forensic extraction” of Payne’s cell phone, allowing them to review calls, text messages, and chats from messaging and social media apps. The investigation suggests that Payne obtained drugs from other sources on at least four occasions during his stay at the hotel, which lasted from October 13 to 16.
Investigators have interviewed two female escorts who were with Liam Payne in the hours leading up to his death. The women, both 25, told authorities they did not witness Payne using drugs in their presence, although he did drink alcohol.
Payne had been open about his struggles with substance abuse and mental health issues. In the summer of 2023, he revealed he had marked six months of sobriety after completing a treatment program in the U.S. He had also been scheduled to begin a tour in South America that September, but had to postpone it due to a kidney infection.
Payne rose to global fame as a member of One Direction, the hugely popular boy band formed on the UK version of The X Factor in 2010. The group, which included Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, and Zayn Malik, announced an “indefinite hiatus” in 2016.