Getty ImagesFormer One Direction star Liam Payne died on Wednesday at the age of 31 after falling from a balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Many details about the British singer’s death remain unclear, but information from emergency services and other authorities is beginning to build a picture of the incident.
Payne is a global star and was part of the popular boy band formed in 2010 on the TV show The X Factor.
His bandmates released a series of heartfelt statements, saying they were “completely devastated” by his death.
Why was Liam in Argentina?
Payne was staying at a hotel in an upscale residential area of Palermo, Argentina’s capital.
According to staff, he had been staying at the hotel for the past few days and had come to Japan to visit his former bandmate Niall Horan.
Horan was in Argentina on tour, and the two have remained friendly since One Direction split in 2016.
Payne posted on Snapchat earlier this month that he was visiting Horan to catch up, saying, “It’s been a while since Niall and I spoke. We have so much to talk about.”
He added, “There’s no bad vibes, but we need to talk.”
Payne attended the show and once again posted a video on social media of himself and girlfriend Kate Cassidy singing and dancing at the concert.
The BBC also spoke to fan Noelia Veron. She saw him on September 30th and again at a concert on October 2nd.
She said: “He was fine. People later said he was drunk or on drugs, but that was not the case at all. He talked to us and hugged us. , he even joked.
Veron said that when she saw him at the Nile show, he was “dancing, waving, cheering” and “seemed like he was having fun.”
It is also understood that just days before the pop star’s death, she and Cassidy again visited a friend’s home in Argentina.
But when Payne fell to her death on Wednesday, Cassidy had already left the country.
What happened on Wednesday?
Payne documented much of her trip on Snapchat, including food photos, polo plans and jokes about her hair.
However, his post did not mention the Casa Sur Hotel, where he had been staying just before his death.
At around 17:00 local time (21:00 BST) on Wednesday, emergency services were alerted by hotel staff to respond to a hotel guest who was “overwhelmed with drugs and alcohol” and was “destroying the room”. I know that. .
In a second phone call, the hotel’s front desk manager said: “We don’t know if the guest’s life is in danger. However, he has a room with a balcony and we are confident that he may be in danger.” “I’m a little worried that he might do something that threatens the government,” he said.
Payne’s room was on the third floor, with a balcony approximately 14 meters (45 feet) above the courtyard.
It is believed that he fell from the balcony at around 17:07 local time.
Police arrived a few minutes later. Hotel staff said they heard a loud bang in the courtyard where Payne’s body was discovered.
He was pronounced dead at the scene, and emergency services said there was “no possibility of resuscitation.”
Was an autopsy performed?
Payne’s body was removed from the hotel at around 8:30 pm local time, and an autopsy was performed that night.
Prosecutors said it was established that the suspect had suffered “multiple injuries” and “internal and external bleeding.”
A preliminary report said he had 25 injuries, which were “related to a fall from a height.”
He also added that he may have been completely or partially unconscious at the time of the fall.
It is not yet known whether Mr. Payne had alcohol or drugs in his system at the time of his death.
Authorities also interviewed five witnesses, including three hotel employees and two women who were with Payne but left the hotel before he died, to shed light on the circumstances of Payne’s final hours. I did it.
Investigators also say they want to establish “the possibility that a third party was involved in the events before the victim’s death.”
What was his hotel room like?
Hotel staff who responded to the emergency call said Payne was “destroying the room”, and police said they found the room in “complete disarray”.
A whiskey bottle, lighter, passport and mobile phone were found.
Police said they found “various broken items” in the room, as well as drugs including the anti-anxiety drug clonazepam and other over-the-counter medications.
Evidence and fingerprints were also collected and analyzed in a laboratory.
Local media also published photos purportedly from his room, showing a TV with a broken screen, several bottles, cans, candles, aluminum foil and half a glass of champagne.
Prosecutors said substances believed to be “drugs and alcoholic beverages” were found in the room, and furniture and other items were destroyed.
What happens next?
Mr Payne’s death is being treated as suspicious by prosecutors, meaning they need to find out more about what happened before his death and who he was in contact with.
A toxicology report has not yet been released, which will determine whether he was under the influence of alcohol or drugs before his death.
This may take several days to return.
Police also seized Starr’s laptop and mobile phone, which could serve as evidence, and any witness information could help determine the cause of his death.
The force announced Friday that Payne’s next of kin would need to travel to Argentina to identify the body before being released.
Full coverage of Liam Payne’s death:
