Liam Payne's 'friend,' 2 hotel staff under investigation over singer's death—report
A "friend" of Liam Payne, along with two hotel workers, are reportedly being investigated in connection with the singer's sudden passing.
Entertainment portal TMZ reported that authorities in Argentina early this week raided the homes and lockers of the staff of the hotel where Payne died after a fall in October. They likewise checked and reviewed videos captured by the CCTV in the establishment at the time of his death.
It's believed that the two employees were in touch with Payne before he passed away, according to the report.
Police also conducted a raid in the house of the late musician's unnamed friend, but the latter was not there when it happened. The media outlet reported that investigators were able to identify Payne's "pal" who may have sold him drugs via text conversations from the singer's mobile phone.
Several media outlets reported on Oct. 17 that Payne was found dead after falling from his hotel window in Buenos Aires. He was 31.
"The forensic experts reported that the 25 injuries described in the autopsy are aligned with those caused by a fall from a height," the National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor's Office No. 16 said in a release. "They also pointed out that the head injuries were sufficient to cause death, while the internal and external hemorrhages in the skull, thorax, abdomen and limbs contributed to the mechanism of death."
Hours before his passing, Payne posted now-deleted videos as story entries on the messaging platform Snapchat. As spotted by multiple media outlets like Page Six, the singer shared a selfie video with a text caption that read, "Lovely day in Argentina," followed by a red heart emoji. He was seen spending time with Cassidy. It's unclear whether the stories were posted in real-time or late.
Payne was part of One Direction along with Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, and Niall Horan. It was formed in 2010 and became known for various hits such as What Makes You Beautiful, Little Things, and Best Song Ever, among others.