Liam Payne
Joseph Okpako/WireImage
Three people have been charged in connection to the death of Liam Payne. On Thursday, the local prosecutor’s office confirmed that it had charged a hotel worker, an alleged drug dealer, and a friend of Payne, accusing all three of supplying Payne with narcotics before his fatal fall at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel last month.
The first person charged is a man who was with Payne “on a daily basis” during the singer’s time in Argentina. He’s accused of abandonment of a person followed by death, and the supply and facilitation of narcotics. He could face 5 to 15 years in prison.
A hotel worker was also charged with providing cocaine to Payne twice while Payne was at the hotel, while an alleged drug supplier, was accused of supplying the drugs Payne consumed on Oct. 14. Both the alleged dealer and worker face two charges of supplying narcotics to the singer.
La Nación reports that the first person charged is Payne’s businessman friend, who had presented himself as Payne’s manager in Argentina, although he was not. Several outlets also reported that the friend had failed to tell Payne’s family that he was having issues with drugs. According to La Nación, investigators tried calling the friend on the day of his death, but he never showed up. The following day, he spoke to police through an attorney.
According to the prosecutor’s office, authorities went through 800 hours of footage and dozens of interviews to bring the charges. Authorities also raided nine locations, and, per La Nación, seized nine cell phones, three computers, two hard drives, and a jar of marijuana, per the outlet.
The new investigation updates come as Payne’s body was transferred to Great Britain on a British Airways flight for funeral services. The prosecutor’s office said it was able to do thanatological, forensic, and laboratory studies on Payne before allowing his father Geoff to return with Payne’s body to England.
According to a post-autopsy report last month, confirmed by prosecutors Thursday, the former One Direction member died of multiple traumas, internal and external bleeding, and a cranial injury as a result of his fall.
CasaSur Palermo Hotel was raided for the first time late last month with authorities taking in videos and documentation for its investigation. “We are heartbroken,” Payne’s family said in a statement last month. “Liam will forever live in our hearts, and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny, and brave soul. We are supporting each other the best we can as a family and ask for privacy and space at this awful time.”
This story was updated Thursday at 3:25 p.m. ET to include official confirmation of the charges.
From Rolling Stone US.
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