Argentinian authorities have arrested three individuals in connection to the tragic death of Liam Payne.
Content warning: The following article contains mentions of suicide and drugs. Kindly read at your own discretion.
Almost a month ago, English singer and One Direction member Liam Payne tragically died after falling from the third floor of his hotel in Buenos Aires. He was only 31 years old.
According to a November 7 press release from officials in Argentina, Payne did not die by suicide.
READ ALSO: Gone Too Soon: Tributes Pour In After Liam Payne’s Sudden Passing
Official Statement
“Although other medical background information from the victim’s clinical history must still be analyzed, the phenomenon of the lack of defense or self-preservation reflex in the fall, together with other relevant data from his consumption, allow us to conclude that Liam Payne was not fully conscious or was experiencing a state of noticeable decrease or loss of consciousness at the time of the fall,” the translated statement read.
“For the prosecution, this situation would also rule out the possibility of a conscious or voluntary act on the part of the victim,” the statement continued, “since, in the state he was in, he did not know what he was doing nor could he understand it.”
Payne’s toxicology test revealed that he had alcohol, cocaine, and a prescription antidepressant in his body at his time of death.
Succeeding Arrests
In the same statement, the prosecutor’s office—headed by Andrés Esteban Madrea—announced that three people have been charged in connection to Payne’s death.
“Illicit conduct was discovered from which three people were charged with the crimes of abandonment of a person followed by death, supply and facilitation of narcotics,” they stated.
According to the authorities, one of the people who were charged was with Payne “on a daily basis during his stay in the city of Buenos Aires.” The unnamed individual was charged “with the crimes of abandonment of a person followed by death.”
The second person—a hotel employee—and the third individual were both charged with the crime of supplying narcotics. Prosecutors state that the hotel employee was responsible for providing cocaine to Payne.
The third person “is accused of two other clearly proven supplies during two different times on October 14.” This was two days before the singer’s death.
To identify the charged individual, the prosecutors did “a detailed analysis of more than 800 hours of video footage” around the hotel. They were also able to extract the contents of Payne’s cell phone for analysis, determining who visited the musician during his stay in Buenos Aires.
Heartfelt Tribute
At this year’s MTV Europe Music Awards (EMAs), held last Sunday, November 10, singer Rita Ora made an emotional tribute to Payne.
In 2018, Ora and Payne collaborated and released their hit single “For You.” While hosting the award show, she spoke about her fondness for the late singer.
“I just want to take a moment to remember someone that was very, very dear to us. We lost him recently and he was a big part of the MTV world, and my world, and I think a lot of yours at home and everybody in here tonight,” she shared.
“Liam Payne was one of the kindest people that I knew. There were so many ways that we were talking about honoring him and I think sometimes, just simply speaking, is enough. He had the biggest heart and was always the first person to offer help in any way that he could.”
Holding back tears, Ora continued, “He brought so much joy to every room he walked into and he left such a mark on this world. So let’s just take a moment to remember our friend, Liam.”
The awards show played a montage of Payne’s photos and videos to the tune of One Direction’s “Night Changes,” as fans in the audience sang along.
Banner image via Wikimedia Commons.
