Six people who allegedly witnessed Payne in the hours before his death spoke to local police in Buenos Aires on Thursday as part of the investigation into the singer’s death.
Two women, the musician’s manager and three hotel employees gave statements to the city police, authorities told CNN this Friday (18), while investigators work with the Public Ministry to reconstruct the events.
The women who testified were with the British singer in his hotel room, but had already left when his death occurred, according to the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
As the reality of Liam Payne’s death sets in, his family, friends and former One Direction bandmates are still trying to make sense of the devastating loss, while authorities move forward with their investigation into the circumstances surrounding Payne’s final moments and fatal fall. .
Payne died on Wednesday after falling from the third floor of the Hotel CasaSur Palermo 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.
The Argentine Public Ministry said on Thursday that “everything indicates that the musician was alone when the fall occurred.”
The District Attorney’s Office also suspects that Payne, who was previously open about his struggle with addiction and his mental health, was potentially “going through some type of substance abuse episode” at the time.
A photo released by Buenos Aires police on Wednesday shows a table in Payne’s hotel room with items scattered across it, including unidentified white powder, crumpled aluminum foil and a lighter. Some charred marks are also visible on the table.
They also suspect he may not have been fully conscious at the time of the fall. “Due to the position in which the body was found and the injuries from the fall, it is assumed that Payne did not adopt a reflexive posture to protect himself and may have fallen into a state of semi or total unconsciousness,” the report said.
Marcelo Roma, the prosecutor responsible for the investigation, confirmed that the preliminary autopsy report determined that Payne’s death was caused by multiple serious injuries and “internal and external bleeding” as a result of the fall.
The results of toxicology tests to determine whether Payne was under the influence of alcohol or other substances at the time of his death are still pending.
On Wednesday, Buenos Aires police initially responded to the hotel after an employee requested urgent police assistance via a call to help a hotel guest who was “overloaded on drugs and alcohol” and whose life they feared was “in danger.” risk,” according to the emergency call obtained by the local affiliate of CNN All News.
A report later released by the Public Prosecutor’s Office stated that a number of substances were seized from Payne’s room that may “indicate a previous situation of alcohol and drug consumption.”
It is still unclear whether Payne jumped from his bedroom balcony or fell accidentally.
Buenos Aires police previously told the Associated Press in a statement that they believe the first hypothesis, but did not give details on how they reached that conclusion and referred the CNN to the prosecutor’s office for more information.
“We will miss him very much”
Payne’s family said in a statement that they are “heartbroken” by his death, according to UK news agency PA Media.
“Liam will forever live in our hearts and we will remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul,” the statement read. “We are supporting each other as best we can as a family and ask for privacy and space at this terrible time.”
Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik – the remaining members of One Direction – honored their friend and former bandmate on Thursday with a collective statement and several individual mementos.
“We are completely devastated by the news of Liam’s death,” the band’s joint statement read. “The memories we shared with him will be cherished forever.”
The quartet added: “We will miss him terribly. We love you, Liam.”
One Direction was formed in 2010, brought together at the time by producer Simon Cowell after he noticed each member’s musical talents when they auditioned individually for the UK version of “The X-Factor”.
After they became a group, they soared in popularity and became known for hit songs including “What Makes You Beautiful”, “Best Song Ever” and “Story of My Life”.
Known as 1D to their avid fans, they became the first band to have their first four albums claim the top spot on the Billboard 200.
Having sold more than 70 million records worldwide, One Direction remains one of the best-selling boy bands of all time.
In 2015, Malik left the group and a year later, they disbanded after announcing they would be going on an “indefinite hiatus.” All five former members have gone on to solo careers, including Payne, who released his most recent single, “Teardrops,” in March.
“Liam was an incredible songwriter with a great sense of melody, we always talked about getting back in the studio together to try and recreate the songwriting chemistry we built in the band,” Tomlinson wrote on his Instagram page on Thursday.
Payne, Tomlinson continued, was “the most vital part of One Direction. His experience since he was young, his perfect tone, his stage presence, his gift for writing. The list goes on. Thank you for shaping us, Liam.”
Malik also shared the same sentiment when he paid tribute to Payne on Thursday.
“When it came to music, Liam, you were the most qualified in every way,” Malik wrote, addressing Payne directly. “I was always happy to know that no matter what happened on stage, we could always count on you to know which way to go.”
Horan said he is “absolutely devastated by the passing of my incredible friend,” in a statement posted to his Instagram account on Friday.
“Liam had an energy for life and a passion for his work that was contagious. He was the brightest in every room and always made everyone feel happy and safe,” Horan wrote. “I feel so lucky to have seen it recently. Unfortunately, I didn’t know that after saying goodbye and hugging him that night, I would say goodbye forever. It’s heartbreaking.”
On Friday, Cowell broke his silence on Payne’s death, writing on his verified Instagram, “You never really know how you feel about someone until a moment like this happens” and adding that he is “devastated.” Heartbroken. And I feel empty. And I want you to know how much love and respect I have for you. Every tear I shed is a memory of you.”
Later in his post, Cowell wrote that Payne had come to see him last year.
“Not for a meeting. Just to sit and talk. And we remember all the fun times we had together. And how proud you were to be a father. After you left, I remembered that you were still the sweet, kind boy I knew 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 other people happy,” Styles wrote in a separate statement posted to his Instagram page on Thursday. “It was an honor to be by his side as he did it.”
(With information from Alli Rosenbloom, Dan Heching, Sandra Gonzalez, Sol Amaya and Ana Melgar, from CNN )
This content was originally published in Possible witnesses to the death of Liam Payne give a statement to the police in Buenos Aires on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
