The singer tragically passed away after falling from his third-floor balcony in Argentina earlier this year.
Authorities have reportedly charged five individuals in connection with Liam Payne’s death, including hotel staff and one of his friends.
In October, it was revealed that the former One Direction member had died while staying at the CasaSur Palemero hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
It appears that the 31-year-old and his girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, 25, were in the country to support his ex-bandmate Niall Horan, 31, who was on tour at that time.
Payne, who was on the third floor of the upscale hotel, is believed to have fallen from his balcony, which overlooked the hotel’s interior courtyard, around 5:07 PM local time (9:07 PM BST).
A post-mortem examination later indicated he died from ‘multiple traumas’ and ‘internal and external hemorrhage.’
On Sunday (December 29), local news outlet Infobae claimed that investigators had charged five people, including Rogelio ‘Roger’ Nores, who is said to be a friend of Payne.
According to News.com.au, Nores had left the singer at the hotel about an hour before he fell to his death on October 16.
It’s unclear if Nores has been arrested by the police, but reports say he’s facing charges of negligent homicide and is not allowed to leave the country, according to Metro.
Gilda Martin and Esteban Grassi, who manage hotels, are said to have been charged with manslaughter.
Additionally, waiter Braian Paiz and hotel staff member Ezequiel Pereyra are accused of providing drugs to Payne, as reported by the publication.
UNILAD has reached out to the International Criminal Police Organization and Argentina IPA for their take on the situation.
Nores has previously denied any involvement in the death of the former X Factor star.
In an interview for TMZ’s documentary, TMZ Presents: Liam Payne: Who’s to Blame, Nores stated that Payne was ‘in good spirits and perfectly balanced’ before his passing.
He mentioned (via E! News): “I visited his hotel three times that day and left just 40 minutes before this occurred. I could have never imagined something like this would happen.”
He mentioned, “I haven’t talked to any police or prosecutors since then,” expressing that he was ‘devastated by this tragedy’ and that he ‘misses’ his friend ‘every single day.’
In November, it came to light that three individuals were taken into custody, and police searched one person’s home in relation to Payne’s death. The public prosecutor’s office revealed that one suspect was ‘the person who was with the artist every day during his time in Buenos Aires,’ while the other two included a hotel worker and an alleged ‘drug dealer.’
Later that month, Payne’s remains were returned to the UK, and a private funeral was held at St Mary’s Church in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, located northwest of London.
Payne’s former One Direction bandmates, Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, and Louis Tomlinson, were present at the service.