What we know so far about Liam Payne's sudden passing
Authorities are still investigating the death of former One Direction member Liam Payne, who fell from his hotel window in Buenos Aires in Argentina on Oct. 16 (Oct. 17, Manila time).
Payne's death at 31 years old came as unexpected and shocking to many.
The circumstances surrounding his death aren't fully known at the moment, but here's what has been established so far.
Payne posted about 'having a lovely day' before his 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 his girlfriend Kate Cassidy. In another story, he wrote, "Quality time," plus a smiling face with hearts emoji. It's unclear whether the stories were posted in real-time or late.
Cassidy reportedly left Argentina over the weekend. She has yet to issue a statement on Payne's death.
Hotel staff made two 911 calls minutes before Payne's fall
The chief receptionist of the Casa Sur Hotel, where Payne was staying, called 911 on that fateful night to complain about a "guest who is high on drugs and who is trashing the room," according to BBC, which obtained the call transcripts that have been translated from Spanish.
The staff said they needed "someone to come," though the line was cut and a second call was made.
"Well, we’ve got a guest who has had too many drugs and alcohol and, well, when he is conscious, he is trashing the entire room and we need you to send someone, please," the staff said in the second call.
The staff, unaware it was Payne, noted that the guest's life "may be in danger," as he is "in a room with balcony." He also noted that he had been in the hotel for two or three days.
After some confirmation, the call handler said they already reported the situation to the local authorities and the SAME (Sistema de Atención Médica de Emergencia; Emergency Medical Care System).
The staff clarified that it was only asking for the SAME, but the call handler pointed out that since the guest is under the influence of drugs and alcohol, the SAME "doesn't go in alone."
The handler told the staff that if the police arrive, he must explain what's going on and if the police need the SAME, they must call them.
Police rushed to the hotel past 5 p.m. and later confirmed they arrived just minutes before Payne's fall.
Prosecutors say Payne's death is 'suspicious'
SAME Head Alberto Crescenti told local television that Payne had suffered "very serious injuries incompatible with life as a result of his fall," adding "there was no possibility of resuscitation."
The injuries alone were enough to cause Payne's passing, but prosecutors said it was "suspicious," citing the likelihood of him drinking alcohol and taking drugs.
They also confirmed that Payne was alone at the time of the incident. It's unclear whether Payne's fall was intentional or accidental.
Authorities have ordered a toxicology report.
Pending the results, the police are trying to piece together Payne's final moments. They interviewed three hotel employees and two women who had visited Payne hours before his fall. The prosecution said the two women had left the hotel by the time of the incident.
Payne's hotel room in 'complete disarray'
The Associated Press reported that Buenos Aires police found Payne's room “in complete disarray.”
They saw “various items broken” and recovered packs of clonazepam (a medicine used to treat seizures and panic disorder), energy supplements, and other over-the-counter drugs.
Authorities also recovered a whisky bottle, a lighter, and a cellphone from the internal courtyard where Payne’s body was found.
They also suggested that Payne “was going through some kind of substance abuse episode.”
In a July 2023 video posted on YouTube, Payne talked about his battle with alcoholism and that he had been sober for six months at the time after receiving treatment.
Preliminary autopsy report
The cause of Payne's death has been revealed in a preliminary autopsy report.
In a press release, the National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor's Office No. 16 in Argentina announced that the singer died due to polytraumism or several traumatic injuries and internal and external hemorrhage.
"The forensic experts reported that the 25 injuries described in the autopsy are aligned with those caused by a fall from a height," they said. "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."
No evidence of foul play was found, they noted, adding that the way Payne landed on the ground "did not adopt a reflex posture to protect himself."
