Two more hotel workers charged in Liam Payne's death
A judge in the case of Liam Payne charged two more workers of the Buenos Aires hotel where the singer fell to his death.
Rolling Stone reported that a new filing on Dec. 9, Monday, listed CasaSur Palermo manager and its receptionist head, who called 911, as “imputados” or “people charged” in the case.
It's unclear what they're charged for, but the document asks them to be notified of it.
“Since there is sufficient reason to suspect that they have participated in the investigated act, we ask that the following people give a statement,” the filing read.
The judge has also called for all suspects to be questioned as part of the investigation.
Two individuals accused of giving drugs to Payne will be interrogated separately on Dec. 17 as well as his friend who was accused of abandonment of a person followed by death on Dec. 18 and the two hotel employees on Dec. 19. They may refuse to answer questions via their attorneys.
After the interrogation, the judge must determine whether they should be further prosecuted or dropped from the case unless there's no evidentiary support for either decision.
As of Tuesday morning, Dec. 10, the receptionist head continues to work at the CasaSur hotel, according to Rolling Stone. The outlet didn't mention the manager's status.
The filing came days after the lawyer of Payne's friend accused prosecutors of "serious irregularities." The lawyer said the prosecutors had failed to review footage for a camera near the site where Payne hit the ground.
The lawyer also accused a prosecutor of privately meeting with the hotel restaurant manager who had access to the camera in question.
Payne fell to his death from a hotel balcony in October. He was 31.
His room was found destroyed, with broken objects and furniture, along with alcohol and suspected drugs.
Officials determined that Payne died from multiple traumas and internal and external bleeding caused by the fall. He “did not adopt a reflexive posture to protect himself and ... he may have fallen in a state of semi- or total unconsciousness,” they said.
As the investigation into his death is ongoing, the prosecution said it was considering ruling out the possibility of suicide, because “in the state [Payne] was going through, he did not know what he was doing nor could he understand it.”
His body was delivered to his father, Geoff Payne, last November after an autopsy report, including several toxicology tests, showed Payne had traces of alcohol, cocaine, and a prescription antidepressant in his system in the moments before his death.
Payne's funeral was held on Nov. 20 at St. Mary's Church in Amersham, Buckinghamshire. Aside from his parents, his girlfriend Kate Cassidy and ex Cheryl Tweedy were there. His former One Direction bandmates Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, and Louis Tomlinson were also spotted at the private service.
