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Three Charged in Connection with Death of Former One Direction Star Liam Payne

Three individuals face charges over the tragic death of Liam Payne, who fell from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires last month 

08-11-2024
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Three individuals have been charged in connection with the death of former One Direction member Liam Payne, who died last month after falling from the balcony of his Buenos Aires hotel room, Argentine prosecutors announced Thursday.

Prosecutor Andrés Madrea filed charges against the three suspects, whose identities remain undisclosed, on counts of “abandonment of a person leading to death” and “providing and facilitating narcotics use.” Madrea also requested their detention from Judge Laura Bruniard, who ordered that the accused remain in Argentina.

Payne reportedly fell from the balcony of his third-floor hotel room in the Palermo district of Buenos Aires. The autopsy revealed that he suffered multiple injuries and significant external bleeding. Toxicology tests showed traces of alcohol, cocaine, and a prescribed antidepressant in his system prior to his death.

Although investigators initially stated Payne was alone at the time of his fall, prosecutors revealed Thursday that one of the accused had frequently accompanied him in Buenos Aires. Another suspect, a hotel employee, is accused of supplying cocaine during Payne’s stay from October 13 to 16, while the third is identified as a local drug dealer.

These charges resemble cases in the U.S. involving celebrities, such as the recent charges filed in connection with “Friends” actor Matthew Perry’s death, where individuals close to him allegedly provided ketamine before his fatal overdose. Similarly, three people faced charges related to rapper Mac Miller’s 2018 overdose.

Authorities are analyzing Payne’s phone records, forensic evidence, and witness statements, though they have yet to unlock his damaged personal computer and other devices seized during the investigation.

According to the autopsy, Payne’s injuries were not self-inflicted nor caused by others, and he showed no defensive reflexes during the fall, indicating he may have been unconscious. Prosecutors have ruled out the possibility of suicide.

One Direction, the globally successful boy band, took an indefinite hiatus in 2016, after which Payne, like his former bandmates Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, Niall Horan, and Louis Tomlinson, launched a solo career.

Payne had traveled to Argentina to attend Horan’s October 2 concert in Buenos Aires, posting on Snapchat about the event. Videos showed him dancing and singing with his girlfriend, American influencer Kate Cassidy. Cassidy left Argentina after the concert, while Payne chose to stay on.

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