Three people charged over Liam Payne’s death in Buenos Aires

CNN
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Three people have been charged in Argentina with crimes related to the death of Liam Payne, a former member of the boy band One Direction, according to the public prosecutor’s office.

The British pop star, who was 31, died on October 16 after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The late singer had alcohol, cocaine and a prescription antidepressant in his system before his death, Argentina’s National Prosecutor’s Office for Criminal and Correctional Services also said Thursday.

The toxicology results indicated that Payne “may have fallen into a state of semi or total unconsciousness,” it said.

The prosecutor’s office also said that medical examinations confirmed that the singer’s injuries were “consistent with those caused by a fall from a height.” Investigations ruled out self-inflicted injuries or human intervention, the office added.

Investigators had interviewed two female escorts who were with Payne in the hours before his death, a source familiar with the matter told CNN on Friday. The women, both 25, said they did not see Payne use drugs in front of them, but he consumed alcohol, the individual added.

What we know so far about Liam Payne’s death

Payne rose to global stardom as part of One Direction, the hugely popular boy band created on the UK version of The X Factor in 2010. The group, which included members Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Zayn Malik, announced a ” indefinite break” in 2016.

He had spoken openly about his struggles with substance abuse and his mental health. In the summer of 2023, Payne said he marked six months of sobriety after completing treatment at a US facility. Payne’s tour was supposed to start in South America in September of that year, but he had to put off the scheduled dates after suffering a kidney infection.