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3 people face charges as his body returns to UK

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Three people have been charged in the death of 31-year-old singer Liam Payne on October 16 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

On Thursday, the local prosecutor's office announced that the investigation into the circumstances of the former One Direction star's fall from a hotel balcony resulted in three suspects being criminally charged “with the offenses of abandonment of a person after death, delivery and Mediation of narcotics”.

Prosecutor Andrés Esteban Madrea, head of Argentina's National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor's Office, said in the statement that one of the suspects was a person who allegedly accompanied Payne on a daily basis during his time in the city of Buenos Aires. They are charged with “abandonment of a person resulting in death,” which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.

The second person is a hotel employee who is accused of supplying the singer with cocaine twice during his stay, and the third person is said to have supplied drugs twice on October 14, two days before Payne's death. Both are accused of “the crime of supplying narcotics.”

After a more than two-week investigation involving raids, cell phone analysis and toxicology tests, Payne's body was released last weekend to his father, Geoff Payne, who had flown to Argentina after his son's death.

Alcohol, cocaine and antidepressants were found in Payne's system; No foul play suspected

According to prosecutors, Payne's stay at the Hotel Casa Sur began on October 13th. Investigators believe that at least four shipments of narcotics were delivered to the singer in the days before his death.

The internal and external injuries Payne suffered were “consistent” with a fall from a third-story balcony, according to Madrea, and third-party involvement was ruled out. Tests revealed that Payne had traces of alcohol, cocaine and a prescription antidepressant in his system in the 72 hours before his death.

Investigators currently believe he was in a state of partial or complete unconsciousness at the time of his fall and are ruling out the possibility that the fall was voluntary.

The statement said: “From the beginning of the investigation and within a few days, comprehensive and careful measures were taken to understand the circumstances of the artist's death.” According to the statement, this included several dozen witness statements, including hotel employees, family and friends, medical professionals, Biochemist and psychiatrist.

“A detailed analysis of more than 800 hours of video footage from various surveillance cameras in the hotel and others on public streets was also carried out,” the statement said.

In investigating what led to Payne's death, Argentine authorities “conducted the forensic extraction of the contents of (Payne's) cell phone. Their calls, messages, chats in messaging applications and social networks were then analyzed.”

Liam Payne was six months sober in his latest YouTube update

Payne has spoken openly in recent years about addiction and the mental health struggles he experienced at the height of One Direction's fame.

In a July 2023 video, his last video blog, Payne revealed that he went to a “wonderful place” in Louisiana for almost 100 days to “clear his head.” He also shared at the time that he had not consumed alcohol for almost six months.

“I kind of had to leave to get better, let’s say,” he said. “The whole thing got to the point where it was just a matter of staying relevant.”

Payne rose to global fame as part of the now-disbanded pop group One Direction, which was formed in 2010 as part of the British show The X-Factor. The band also included Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson.

Their first single, “What Makes You Beautiful,” became a worldwide hit, and after releasing five albums in five years, the band went on an indefinite hiatus in 2016 following their fifth album, “Made in the AM.” All members – including Malik, who left the band. He founded the group in March 2015 and subsequently pursued solo careers.

Payne released several hit singles after the break and released his first solo album “LP1” in December 2019. His 2017 track “Strip That Down,” released with Quavo, reached the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. His other hits included the Rita Ora duet “For You,” which appeared on the “Fifty Shades Freed” soundtrack, and the Zedd collaboration ” Get Low.”

His last release, a single titled “Teardrops,” revealed lyrics about feeling “broken” in the midst of heartbreak. Last month, music producer Sam Pounds announced that his song with Payne, “Do No Wrong,” would be released posthumously. Hours later, Pounds announced his decision to delay the release to give Payne's family time to mourn the singer.

Payne is survived by his seven-year-old child Bear, whom he shared with British singer Cheryl Cole; his parents, Karen and Geoff Payne; and his sisters Ruth Gibbins and Nicola Payne.

(This story has been updated to add new information.)

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance use disorders, you can call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). The service is free, confidential and available in English and Spanish.

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