Argentine prosecutors said three people were charged in connection with the death of Liam Payne, a former member of music band One Direction, who died after falling from the balcony of his hotel room in Buenos Aires last month, according to AP News.
Prosecutor Andrés Madrea said the suspects were charged with “abandonment of a person followed by death” and “supplying and facilitating the use of narcotics.” Madrea also requested their arrest before Judge Laura Bruniard, who ruled that the three could not leave the country.
Payne fell from the balcony of his room on the third floor of his hotel in the upscale Palermo neighbourhood. An autopsy revealed that he died of multiple injuries and external haemorrhage. Toxicological tests also showed that his body contained “traces of alcohol, cocaine and a prescribed antidepressant” moments before his death.
On Thursday, prosecutors said one of the defendants was a frequent visitor to the singer during his stay in Buenos Aires. The second was a hotel employee who allegedly gave Payne cocaine during his stay from 13 to 16 October. And the third was a drug dealer.
The allegations in Payne’s case display some similarities to the US cases surrounding the death of Friends star Matthew Perry a year ago.
Local authorities gathered Payne’s phone records, forensic materials and witness statements, among other evidence. They have yet to unlock the singer’s personal computer, which is damaged, and other devices that have been seized.
Argentine prosecutors also ruled out the possibility of Payne’s suicide. The band One Direction has been one of the most successful boy bands of recent times. In 2016, the band announced an indefinite hiatus, with Payne pursuing a solo career.
The singer wrote on his Snapchat account that he travelled to Argentina to attend Horan’s concert in Buenos Aires on 2 October. He shared videos of him dancing with his girlfriend, American journalist Kate Cassidy, and singing along in the stands. Cassidy left Argentina after the concert, but Payne stayed.
