Three People Detained, One Person’s Home Raided in Connection with Liam Payne’s Death

Argentinian Police have detained three persons of interest and raided the home of one — said to be acquaintance of Liam Payne — in connection to the former One Direction member’s death.

ABC World News and La Nación report authorities detained two hotel workers, in addition to a “friend” posing as Payne’s manager. Payne had allegedly spent time with the latter before his death on October 16. 

The pair of hotel workers are being accused of supplying Payne with the narcotics found in his system after he fell from the third floor of the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires. He was 31 years old.

La Nación identifies Payne’s “friend” as a businessman and accuses him of abandoning him, since he failed to tell Payne’s family that he was struggling and using drugs. 

A preliminary toxicology report released by the National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor’s Office confirmed he had “pink cocaine,” a recreational drug typically made up of Mdma, ketamine and methamphetamine, in his body at the time of his death.

Eight homes have been raided in relation to the three defendants in the case. 

A ninth raided location was the room of one of two women said to have been with Payne hours before his death. 

Police seized nine cell phones, three computers, two hard drives, and a jar of marijuana, per the newspaper.

Public prosecutor Andrés Madrea also recently confirmed to the BBC that Payne’s body was released to his family on November 6 after being held in Argentina while local authorities completed further toxicology and laboratory tests.

In the days following his death, each of the One Direction members shared personal tributes to Payne, as did the band as a whole. 

“In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say,” the band said. “But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly. The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever. 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.”