Prosecutors in Argentina have charged three individuals in reference to the loss of life of former One Route singer Liam Payne, officers mentioned on Thursday.
Payne, 31, died on October 16 when he fell from a balcony of the Casa Sur Palermo resort in Buenos Aires.
One individual, who authorities say frolicked with Payne each day whereas he was in Buenos Aires, is charged with abandonment of an individual adopted by loss of life, a cost that carries a sentence of 5 to fifteen years in jail, in line with a information launch from Argentina’s Nationwide Prison and Correctional Prosecutor’s Workplace launched Thursday.
Natacha Pisarenko / AP
The opposite two charged are accused of supplying Payne with medicine, together with cocaine, and have been charged with two acts every of supplying narcotics. Officers didn’t say what the sentence for these fees could possibly be.
One of many individuals charged with supplying narcotics is a resort worker, the prosecutor’s workplace mentioned. The three individuals charged have been notified of the costs, the prosecutor’s workplace mentioned, and have been prohibited from leaving the nation.
Not one of the suspects had been recognized by identify.
The discharge additionally acknowledged that Payne died from a fall, and had not jumped from the balcony. Officers had not beforehand confirmed which model of occasions had occurred, however the prosecutor’s workplace mentioned that Payne was doubtless “not totally acutely aware or was experiencing a state of noticeable lower or lack of consciousness” on the time of the autumn.
“For the prosecution, this example would additionally rule out the opportunity of a acutely aware or voluntary act on the a part of the sufferer,” the prosecutor’s workplace mentioned.
The investigation included 9 raids on properties within the area and dozens of interviews with resort employees, Payne’s household and buddies and consultants within the fields of drugs, biochemistry and psychiatry, the prosecutor’s workplace mentioned. Investigators additionally reviewed greater than 800 hours of video footage from the resort and public roads and performed a forensic evaluation of Payne’s mobile phone to evaluate his digital footprint within the interval main as much as his loss of life.
An post-mortem was additionally performed. After that, Payne’s physique was returned to his father, Geoff Payne, who had been in Argentina for the reason that day after his son’s loss of life.
Toxicology assessments performed as a part of the post-mortem confirmed that Payne “solely had traces” of drug use in his system. There have been “traces” of alcohol, cocaine and a prescription antidepressant, the prosecutor’s workplace mentioned. Medical consultants discovered that Payne solely had accidents from his fall.
The entire info gathered by investigators was summarized right into a 180-page report offered to Decide Laura Bruniard, who oversees prison circumstances. Bruniard accredited the costs in opposition to the three individuals, however the investigation will proceed, the prosecutor’s workplace mentioned, as investigators proceed to attempt to entry Payne’s different private gadgets.
