3 people charged in connection with singer Liam Payne's death: NPR

BUENOS AIRES – Three people have been charged in connection with the death of Liam Payne, a former member of the music group One Direction who died last month after falling from the balcony of his hotel room in Buenos Aires, Argentine prosecutors said Thursday.

Prosecutor Andrés Madrea charged the three suspects, whose identities were not disclosed, with the crimes of “abandonment of a person followed by killing” and “supply and facilitation of the consumption of narcotics,” the prosecutor's office said. Madrea also requested their arrest before Judge Laura Bruniard, who ruled that the three should not be allowed to leave the country.

Payne fell from the balcony of his room on the third floor of his hotel in the posh Palermo district of the Argentine capital. His autopsy revealed that he died of multiple injuries and external bleeding.

Prosecutors also said Payne's toxicology tests showed his body had “traces of alcohol, cocaine and a prescribed antidepressant” in the moments before his death.

Investigators said hours after Payne's death that he was alone when he fell. But prosecutors said Thursday that one of the defendants was often with the singer during his time in Buenos Aires. The second is a hotel employee who allegedly gave Payne cocaine during his stay between October 13 and 16. And the third is a drug dealer.

The charges in the Payne case bear some similarity to the US cases arising from the death of “Friends” star Matthew Perry a year ago. The actor's personal assistant and a longtime friend are among those accused of supplying him with ketamine in the final months of his life, leading to his overdose of the anesthetic.

Three young men have also been charged in connection with the 2018 opioid overdose death of rapper Mac Miller.

Local authorities collected Payne's cell phone records, forensic materials and witness statements, among other information. They have yet to unlock the singer's damaged personal computer and other confiscated devices.

Payne's autopsy revealed that his injuries were not caused by self-harm or physical interference by others. The document also states that he did not have the reflex to protect himself when he fell, suggesting he may have been unconscious.

Argentine prosecutors also ruled out the possibility that Payne could commit suicide.

One Direction was one of the most successful boy bands of recent times. In 2016, an indefinite hiatus was announced and Payne – like his former bandmates Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson – pursued a solo career.

The singer had posted on his Snapchat account that he traveled to Argentina on October 2 to attend Horan's concert in Buenos Aires. He shared videos of himself dancing and singing along in the stands with his girlfriend, American influencer Kate Cassidy. Cassidy had left Argentina after the show, but Payne stayed behind.