In a significant development in the investigation of former One Direction singer Liam Payne’s tragic death, Argentinian authorities have charged three individuals in connection with his passing while definitively ruling out self-harm as a cause of death.
Criminal charges filed
The Argentinian Public Prosecutor’s Office announced Thursday that three people have been charged with “crimes of abandonment of a person followed by death, supply and facilitation of narcotics.” Among those charged is an individual who was near Payne during his final days in Buenos Aires, potentially facing 5 to 15 years in prison.
Hotel staff implicated
Two additional suspects face narcotics-related charges, including a hotel employee alleged to have supplied cocaine to Payne during his stay, and a drug supplier accused of providing substances to the singer on “two different times on Oct. 14,” according to prosecutors.
New evidence emerges
The investigation revealed crucial details about Payne’s final moments. Prosecutors stated he was “not fully conscious or was experiencing a state of noticeable decrease or loss of consciousness at the time of the fall,” effectively ruling out “self-harm of any kind.”
Toxicology findings
“In the moments before his death and in the period of at least his last 72 hours, Payne only had traces of polydrug use of alcohol, cocaine, and a prescription antidepressant in his body,” the prosecutor’s office confirmed through toxicology test results.
Law enforcement conducted nine raids, seizing multiple devices and substances. Previously, CCTV footage reviewed by investigators reportedly showed several drug exchanges between a dealer and hotel staff before Payne’s death on October 16.
The preliminary autopsy revealed that Payne, who was 31, suffered “multiple traumas” and “internal and external bleeding.” Twenty-five distinct injuries were documented, with head trauma identified as the primary cause of death following his fall from the third floor of his hotel in Palermo, Buenos Aires.
Geoff Payne, the singer’s father, has finally been able to transport his son’s remains back to the United Kingdom after weeks of waiting for the criminal investigation to conclude.
Closing investigation
“For the prosecution, this situation would also rule out the possibility of a conscious or voluntary act on the part of the victim, since, in the state he was in, he did not know what he was doing nor could he understand it,” the prosecutor’s office stated definitively.
The investigation continues to unfold as authorities piece together the final hours of the beloved singer’s life. This development marks a crucial turning point in understanding the circumstances that led to his untimely death.
This is a developing story. Further updates will be provided as more information becomes available.