Liam Payne's Friend Speaks Out Amid Negligent Homicide Charge

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The singer suffered a fatal fall "from the balcony of the third-floor room of the hotel in the Buenos Aires neighborhood of Palermo where he was staying," according to an Oct. 17 release from the National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor's Office No. 14 translated from Spanish to English.

An autopsy was performed, the release continued, and determined Payne died of "multiple trauma" and "internal and external hemorrhage" as a result of the fall.

While the release said that, "as a matter of protocol, the circumstances of the case are being investigated as a 'doubtful death,'"—meaning there was no conclusive information about the cause of death, per NBC News—it noted that "everything indicates the musician was alone when the fall occurred, and was going through some kind of outbreak due to substance abuse."

Payne had spoken about his battle with sobriety in the past, sharing in a July 2023 YouTube video that he'd attended treatment for about 100 days and that he hadn't had a drink in about six months.

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According to the release, coroners reported 25 injuries in Payne's autopsy that were "compatible with those caused by a fall from height."

"They also pointed out that the head injuries were sufficient to cause death," the release continued, "while the internal and external hemorrhages in the skull, thorax, abdomen and limbs contributed to the mechanism of death."

In addition, the release said forensic experts found "no defensive injuries" after examining the One Direction alum and that "no injuries were observed that would suggest the intervention of third parties."

Still, questions remained—including about the state Payne may have been in at the time of his fall.

"The prosecution said that, given the position in which the body was left and the injuries from the fall," the release added, "it is presumed that Payne did not adopt a reflex posture to protect himself and that he could have fallen into a state of semi- or total unconsciousness."

As medical examiners sought more answers, the release noted, they requested histopathological, biochemical and toxicological studies.

"At this point," the Oct. 17 release read, "the analysis of the stomach contents, alcohol and toxins in the blood, vitreous humor, bile, nasal swab and urine for the determination of alcohol and toxins was required."

A preliminary toxicology report revealed Payne had drugs in his system at his time of death, an official with direct knowledge told The New York Times.

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Authorities do not believe he died by suicide, with a Nov. 7 press release from Argentina's public prosecutor stating that he was not likely to be fully conscious when he fell. 

"This situation would also rule out the possibility of a conscious or voluntary act on the part of the victim," it said via Spanish translation, "since, in the state he was in, he did not know what he was doing nor could he understand it."

In a Dec. 30 press release, Judge Laura Bruniard of the National Criminal and Correctional Court No. 34 also said it's possible that, given Payne's state, he tried to leave his room from his balcony and fell.

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Based on prosecutors' reconstruction, the Oct. 17 release said, it appears Payne fell from the balcony of his third-floor room at the CasaSur Palermo hotel at 5:07 p.m. local time. "Minutes earlier," the release continued, the hotel called 911 "to ask for help for a guest who was under the influence of drugs and alcohol and had destroyed some objects in the room."

"When SAME and officers from the 14B Neighborhood Police Station of the City Police arrived," the release added, "Payne had already fallen from the balcony of his room and died on the spot due to the severity of his injuries."

As for what authorities found upon searching the room, the release said police discovered substances that appear to be narcotics and alcoholic beverages—though, it noted at the time confirmation from experts was still needed. The document also stated there were "several destroyed objects and furniture."

Authorities also looked into who had been in the room before Payne's fall, with the release noting "five testimonial statements were taken from three hotel workers and two women who, in the hours prior, had been with the musician in his room, but had already left the hotel when the incident occurred."

"The prosecution said that beyond reconstructing the circumstances of the musician's death," the release continued, "the investigation is also aimed at determining the possible involvement of third parties in the events prior to the victim's death."

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In audio of a 911 call obtained by Telemundo from local media in Argentina, a hotel employee can be heard asking authorities for assistance.

"We have a guest who is overindulged in drugs and alcohol," the caller said, per NBC News' translation. "Well, when he is conscious he breaks. He is breaking the whole room. Well, we need you to send someone, please."

The employee then further expressed concern.

"We need someone to be sent to us urgently, because—well, I don't know if he is at risk," the individual added. "The guest is in a room that has a balcony and we are a little afraid that he might do something life-threatening."

The employee did not name Payne on the call. NBC News reached out to Payne's rep for comment but did not hear back.

Instagram / Katie Cassidy

Argentina's public prosecutor announced Nov. 7 that three people were charged after "illicit conduct was discovered," per a press release translated from Spanish.

"The first of the accused is the person who accompanied the artist on a daily basis during his stay in the city of Buenos Aires, who is charged with the crimes of abandonment of a person followed by death," read the statement. "The second defendant is a hotel employee who must answer for two proven supplies of cocaine to Liam Payne during the period he was at the hotel, and the third, also a drug supplier, is accused of two other clearly proven supplies during two different times on October 14."

However, it was later revealed that five people were charged in the case. In a Dec. 30 press release from Argentina’s prosecutor’s office, it was noted that the hotel's manager with the initials GAM, the receptionist with the initials ERG, and Payne's "representative" with the initials RLN were charged with negligent homicide while a hotel employee with initials EDP and a waiter with initials BNP were charged with drug supply.

The BBC, citing the prosecutor's office, identified the first three as Gilda Martin, Esteban Grassi and Roger Nores and the latter two as employee Ezequiel Pereyra and waiter Braian Paiz. 

The Dec. 30 release said a judge chose a different criminal classification for RLN instead of the original abandonment charge.

Nores told Daily Mail he "never abandoned” Payne and that he wasn’t his manager.

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As the prosecutor's office noted in its Nov. 7 release, "exhaustive and meticulous actions and measures were taken to clarify the circumstances" around Payne's death.

These include, the release continued, "several dozen testimonies" from hotel employees, family, friends, medical professionals, biochemists and psychiatrists. What's more, the release added, a "detailed analysis of more than 800 hours of video footage from various security cameras in the hotel and others on public roads" was conducted.

But that's not all. "The forensic extraction of the contents of the deceased musician's cell phone was also carried out," the release said. "From this, his calls, messages, chats on messaging applications and social networks were analyzed."

In addition, the release said "several gigabytes of data extracted from other cell phones were obtained and examined, such as that of the hotel reception and those of witnesses who voluntarily offered them to corroborate their statements."

Other information examined, the release added, included "a record of the guests and orders at the hotel bar/restaurant" to see who visited Payne as well as what they ate and drank.

Plus, the prosecutor's office said "nine raids were requested at homes" in Buenos Aires. 

However, the Nov. 7 release noted "the investigation must continue, since, among other procedures, the unlocking of the victim's personal netbook - which is broken - and other devices seized in the investigation are still in progress."

Instagram/Kate Cassidy

Payne had been vacationing in Argentina with girlfriend Kate Cassidy and had documented their trip prior to his death.

Photos and videos shared to the "Strip That Down" artist's Snapchat account showed the couple spending quality time together, eating breakfast, talking about his plans to ride horses and having what he described as a "lovely day" in Argentina days before his fatal fall, per screenshots obtained by NBC News. The final photo shared to Payne's Snapchat account on the day of his death was a photo of him and Cassidy in their swimsuits.

Payne and Cassidy had noted on social media that she was heading back to Florida to be with their dog Nala while he was staying in Argentina.

"I was so ready to leave," Cassidy said in an Oct. 14 TikTok video that showed her traveling back to the U.S. "Honestly, love South America but I hate staying in one place for too long. And we were supposed to be there for, like, five days, turned into two weeks, and I was just like, 'I need to go home.'"

After Payne's death, Cassidy expressed how she was at a "complete loss" and how "nothing about the past few days have felt real."

"Liam, my angel," she wrote in part of an Oct. 18 Instagram post. "You are everything. I want you do know I loved you unconditionally and completely. I will continue to love you for the rest of my life. I love you Liam."

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After Payne's death, his One Direction bandmates Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan expressed their heartache.

"We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing," the group wrote on Instagram in a joint message Oct. 17. "In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say. But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly."

One Direction was formed on The X Factor in 2010, and achieved huge success before the band members parted ways in 2015. 

"The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever," Styles, Malik, Tomlinson and Horan continued. "For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends, and the fans who loved him alongside us. We will miss him terribly. We love you Liam."

In addition to the group statement, the four singers released individual tributes.

"The bond and friendship we had doesn't happen often in a lifetime," Horan, who hosted a concert in Buenos Aires on Oct. 2 that Payne had attended, wrote in part of an Oct. 18 Instagram post. "I feel so fortunate that I got to see him recently. I sadly didn't know that after saying goodbye and hugging him that evening, I would be saying goodbye forever. It's heartbreaking."

Malik also announced on Oct. 19 that he's postponing the U.S. leg of his tour "given the heartbreaking loss experienced this week." 

Several stars, family members and friends have also honored Payne (read their tributes here).

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