The tragic circumstances surrounding Liam Payne’s untimely death have taken a significant turn, with three people now facing charges.
As authorities escalate their investigation, Argentina’s public prosecutor confirmed that three individuals have now been formally charged in connection with the former One Direction singer's passing.
Highlights
- Three people have been charged in connection with Liam Payne's death.
- Charges include abandonment, supply and facilitation of drugs.
- The British artist died after falling from a third-story balcony in Buenos Aires.
- His body was released to his father, Geoff Payne, according to a November 7 release.
The British artist suffered an untimely death on October 16 after falling from a third-story balcony of the CasaSur hotel in Buenos Aires.
Three individuals are currently facing charges related to Liam Payne's death, including crimes of abandonment and drug facilitation
Image credits: Liam Payne
Image credits: Liam Payne
In a statement released on November 7, prosecutor Andrés Esteban Madrea disclosed the charges against one hotel employee and two others.
“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,” according to a translation of the Spanish press release.
One of the individuals had “accompanied the artist on a daily basis during his stay in the city of Buenos Aires” and was “charged with the crimes of abandonment of a person followed by death,” the statement said.
The former boy-bander fell from a third-story balcony at CasaSur hotel in Buenos Aires on October 16
Image credits: Liam Payne
The second accused, a hotel employee, was charged with supplying cocaine to the pop icon.
The employee "must answer for two proven supplies of cocaine to Liam Payne during the period he was at the hotel," read the release.
The third individual "is also a narcotics supplier who is charged with two other clearly tested supplies" on two different instances on October 14.
Reports revealed that the British artist had a mix of alcohol, cocaine, and an antidepressant in his body
Image credits: One Direction
Image credits: One Direction
Preliminary toxicology reports revealed that he had drugs in his system, including “pink cocaine,” a dangerous recreational mix of MDMA, ketamine, and methamphetamine.
Following his death, the coroner confirmed that he sustained around 25 injuries from the fall, which was deemed as his cause of death.
"The head injuries were sufficient to cause death, while the internal and external hemorrhages in the skull, thorax, abdomen and limbs contributed to the mechanism of death," according to the release from the prosecutor's office.
The One Direction alum sustained approximately 25 injuries from the fall, including severe head trauma, the coroner noted
The November 7 release revealed that Liam had “traces of a polyconsumption of alcohol, cocaine and a prescription antidepressant in his body” in the span of at least 72 hours before his death.
It was also announced that the deceased singer’s body was officially released to the family to be flown to the UK.
"Following the required autopsy, all the necessary thanatological and laboratory studies were completed and concluded, and the complete relevant samples were ordered to be kept for any future comparison, in accordance with the protocols, instructions and opinions of the Forensic Medical Corps," read the November 7 release.
One of the charged individuals had been accompanying the pop icon on a daily basis while he was in Buenos Aires
"Following this and with the favorable opinion of the prosecution, the Criminal and Correctional Court No. 34, in charge of Judge Laura Graciela Bruniard, authorized the delivery of the body to the father of the deceased, Geoff Payne, which was carried out last weekend," the statement continued.
"The entire procedure was reported in person to the musician's father."