CNN
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As Liam Payne’s death becomes a reality, his family, friends and former One Direction bandmates remain devastated as authorities investigate Payne’s final moments and the circumstances of his fatal fall. trying to understand the loss.
Payne died on Wednesday after falling from the third floor of the Casa Sur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was 31 years old.
His death remained under investigation Friday by local authorities, who are working to determine the nature of Payne’s fall as more details begin to emerge.
Argentine prosecutors said on Thursday: “Everything shows that the musician was alone at the time of the fall.” Prosecutors also suspect Payne, who has previously been open about his struggles with addiction and mental health, may have been “experiencing some kind of episode of substance abuse” at the time.
They also suspect that he was completely unconscious at the time of the fall. “The position in which the body was found and the injuries sustained from the fall suggest that Mr. Payne may not have taken a reflexive position to protect himself and may have fallen semi- or fully unconscious.” says the report. .
Prosecutor Marcelo Roma, who was in charge of the investigation, confirmed a preliminary autopsy report that found Payne’s cause of death was multiple serious injuries and “internal and external bleeding” caused by the fall.
In photo: singer Liam Payne
As part of the investigation into the singer’s death, six people who allegedly saw Payne in the hours before her death were interviewed by local police in Buenos Aires on Thursday.
As investigators work with the prosecutor’s office to reconstruct the incident, authorities told CNN on Friday that two women, the musician’s manager and three hotel employees gave statements to city police. The prosecutor’s office said the women who testified were in the hotel room with the British singer, but had already left when he died.
Toxicology test results are still pending to determine whether Mr. Payne was under the influence of alcohol or other substances at the time of his death.
On Wednesday, Buenos Aires police said they were concerned that hotel guests were “overwhelmed with drugs and alcohol” and that their lives were “in jeopardy” after staff made a 911 call requesting emergency assistance from police. , the hotel was the first to respond. Emergency alert obtained by CNN’s local affiliate Todo Noticias.
A report later released by the prosecutor’s office said a range of substances were seized from Payne’s room that could be “indicative of previous alcohol and drug consumption.”
It remains unclear whether Payne jumped from the balcony of her room or whether she fell accidentally.
Buenos Aires police previously issued a statement to The Associated Press saying they believe the former, but did not elaborate on how they reached that conclusion and referred CNN to the prosecutor’s office for more information. I requested it.
Payne’s family said in a statement they were “heartbroken” by his death, according to Britain’s PA media news agency.
“Liam will forever live in our hearts and we will never forget his kind, funny and brave soul,” the statement read. “We are supporting each other as much as we can as a family and ask for privacy and space during this terrible time.”
Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik – the remaining members of One Direction – paid tribute to their friend and former bandmate on Thursday with a group statement and several individual tributes.
A joint statement from the band read: “We are completely devastated by the news of Liam’s death.” “The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever.”
The quartet added: “We will miss him very much. We love Liam.”
One Direction was formed in 2010 after then-producer Simon Cowell noticed each member’s musical talent when they auditioned for the British version of The X Factor.
Once they became a group, their popularity skyrocketed and they became known for hit songs such as “What Makes You Beautiful,” “Best Song Ever,” and “Story of My Life.” Known as 1D to their devoted supporters, they were the first band to have their first four albums reach the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200.
Having sold over 70 million records worldwide, One Direction remains one of the best-selling boy bands of all time.
Malik left the group in 2015, and a year later they announced an “indefinite hiatus” and disbanded. All five former members continued their solo careers, including Payne, who released her latest single “Teardrops” in March.
“Liam was a great songwriter with a great sense of melody. We often talked about going back into the studio together to rebuild the songwriting chemistry we had built within the band,” Tomlinson said on his Instagram on Thursday. I wrote on my gram page.
Tomlinson continued that Payne was “the most important part of One Direction”. His experience from a young age, perfect pitch, stage presence, and talent for writing. The list goes on. Thank you for shaping us Liam. ”
Malik shared the same sentiments when he paid tribute to Payne on Thursday.
“When it comes to music Liam, you were the most qualified person in every sense of the word,” Malik told Payne directly. “I was always happy to know that no matter what happened on stage, I could always rely on you to steer the ship next.”
“I am completely devastated by the loss of my wonderful friend,” Horan said in a statement posted to his Instagram account Friday.
“Liam had an energy for life and a passion for his work that was contagious. He was the brightest person in any room and always made everyone feel happy and at ease,” Horan wrote. “I feel so lucky to have met him recently. Sadly, after saying goodbye and hugging him that night, I didn’t know that we would be saying goodbye forever. Heartbroken. Yo.”
On Friday, Cowell broke his silence on Payne’s death, writing on his verified Instagram account: “You never really know how you feel about someone until something like this happens,” adding: “I’m devastated. ” he added. My heart hurts. And I feel empty. And I want you to know how much love and respect I have for you. All the tears I shed are memories of you. ”
Cowell wrote later in the post that Payne came to see him last year. “Not for meetings. Just to sit and talk. And I remembered the good times we had together. And how proud I was to have you as your father. After you left, I I remember you still being the sweet and kind boy I met all those years ago.
As news of Payne’s death began to spread around the world, One Direction supporters gathered outside the Buenos Aires hotel where Payne died. Many played music, lit candles and shared stories about what the band and Payne meant to them.
“His greatest joy was making others happy,” Styles wrote in a separate statement posted to his Instagram page on Thursday. “It was an honor to be there when he did it.”
CNN’s Sol Amaya and Ana Melgar contributed to this article.
