Multiple people have reportedly been charged in connection to Liam Payne‘s death at age 31.
Five charges have been filed, according to a local news outlet in Argentina. Among those facing manslaughter charges are Payne’s friend Roger Nores, the receptionist at CasaSur Palermo Hotel Esteban Grassi, and the hotel’s head of security Gilda Martin.
The waiter Braian Paiz and CasaSur employee Ezequiel Pereyra were accused of allegedly providing drugs to Payne before his death. All five individuals summoned to court as a result of the charges.
In November, news emerged that three individuals were charged in relation to Payne’s death. The prosecutor’s office disclosed that the three were accused of abandonment leading to death and the provision and facilitation of drugs. A 180-page indictment requested depositions and arrests, outlining efforts to “reconstruct the days Payne spent” at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel.
Nine raids were conducted in Buenos Aires City, and investigators gathered testimonies from hotel staff, family, friends and medical professionals. More than 800 hours of footage from security cameras and other public cameras were reviewed amid the investigation. The prosecutors found “clear evidence of at least four instances of narcotics supply from third parties and other facilitation of addictive consumption by Payne’s direct circle during his stay at the hotel between October 13 and 16.”
Payne was found dead on October 16 after falling from a third-floor hotel balcony. A preliminary autopsy cited “multiple traumas” as the cause of Payne’s death, including hemorrhages in his chest, skull and abdomen, and multiple drugs were reportedly found in his system. The incident was not ruled a suicide.
Nores previously spoke out regarding his alleged involvement in Payne’s death, telling the Daily Mail in November that he “never abandoned” the former One Direction singer. “There were over 15 people at the hotel lobby chatting and joking with him when I left. I could have never imagined something like this would happen. … I’m really heartbroken with this tragedy, and I’ve been missing my friend every day,” he claimed.
Earlier this month, Nores reportedly filed a complaint alleging that the CasaSur Palermo Hotel didn’t properly protect Payne during his stay. “A world-famous person was staying with obvious signs of being going through a crisis caused by drug intake at that very moment, and they did not even make an effort there to make up for their legal omission of having a 24-hour doctor,” read documents obtained by TMZ.
Nores claimed that the hotel manager was aware that Payne was intoxicated and argued a doctor should have been present from the time the singer checked in. He further accused the staff of doing nothing to help Payne before his fatal fall.
In a subsequent court filing obtained by Rolling Stone, Nores testified about Payne’s history with drug use. “I was a friend who loved him very much, who helped him selflessly in everything I could, who spent my own money to help him, and even then it was not enough,” he claimed. “I do not consider that I deserve the accusation that is being leveled at me.”
Nores claimed that Payne was previously “close to death” following an incident in September 2023 that left him hospitalized in Milan. He was allegedly hospitalized twice more in London that year.
“Professionals had to resort to resuscitation maneuvers to save his life, without his family or friends being able to do anything to avoid these situations or help him,” Nores claimed.
Payne was laid to rest in England one month after his death. He is survived by his parents, sisters and son Bear, whom he shared with ex Cheryl Cole.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
