Three people have been charged in the death of former One Direction member Liam Payne, who died last month after falling from his hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentine prosecutors announced Thursday. Prosecutor Andrés Madrea charged the suspects with "abandonment of a person followed by death" and "supplying and facilitating narcotics" and requested their arrest. Judge Laura Bruniard has ruled they cannot leave the country.
Payne, who fell from the third-floor balcony of his hotel in the upscale Palermo neighborhood, was found with traces of alcohol, cocaine, and a prescribed antidepressant in his system, according to his toxicology report. Investigators initially stated Payne was alone when he fell, but prosecutors now allege that one of the suspects was with him frequently. Another suspect, a hotel staffer, allegedly provided him with cocaine, while the third suspect is a local drug dealer.
Payne’s autopsy confirmed his injuries were not due to self-harm or physical intervention, suggesting he may have been unconscious during the fall. His cell phone records, testimonies, and other evidence are being reviewed as the investigation continues.
One Direction, one of the most successful boy bands of recent years, went on hiatus in 2016, after which Payne pursued a solo career. He had traveled to Buenos Aires to attend bandmate Niall Horan's concert on October 2, sharing moments from the show on social media with his girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, who left Argentina shortly after the event.
