close
close

Liam Payne suspect speaks out during investigation into Singer's death

Liam Payne Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

One of the three suspects being investigated for alleged involvement in Liam PayneThe singer's death comes weeks after the singer's fatal fall.

During an interview with Argentina's Telephone notifications which aired on Saturday November 9th. Braian Nahuel Paizwho is accused of supplying Payne with narcotics, denied dealing drugs with the late musician. Paiz, a 24-year-old waiter, claimed he first met Payne while eating at the Puerto Madero restaurant where Paiz works in the weeks before his death.

According to Paiz, Payne was “already under the influence of drugs and not actually eating anything” at the restaurant.

He continued: “We exchanged details and saw each other later that night. Everything was normal.”

Liam Payne's boyfriend Roger Nores denies leaving singer before his death

Related: Liam Payne's 'heartbroken' boyfriend denies leaving singer before his death

Liam Payne's close friend Rogelio “Roger” Nores denied his involvement in the late singer's death. “I never let Liam down. I went to his hotel three times that day and left 40 minutes before this happened,” Nores told the Daily Mail in a statement on Thursday, November 7. “There were over 15 people in the hotel lobby […]

Paiz insisted: “I never supplied Liam with drugs,” adding that the two had arranged to meet at the Hyatt in Palermo on October 2nd. They met again on October 13th at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires.

“We did drugs together, but I never brought him drugs or accepted money,” he claimed, saying he still exchanged messages between him and Payne to arrange their second meeting.

Suspect in Liam Payne: Death Speaks His Voice 2
YouTube

On October 16, it was revealed that the former One Direction singer died after falling from the third floor balcony of the CasaSur Palermo Hotel. He was 31 years old. A partial autopsy found traces of “pink cocaine” – a mixture of methamphetamine, ketamine and MDMA – in his body at the time of his death, along with cocaine, benzodiazepines and crack cocaine.

The public prosecutor's office announced on Thursday, November 7, that three people – not identified at the time – had been charged with abandonment resulting in death and supply and distribution of narcotics. Prosecutor Andres Esteban Madrea demanded the deposition and arrest of the people in a 180-page indictment filed by the judge Laura Graciela Bruniard.

Nine raids were carried out as the investigation attempted to “reconstruct the days Payne spent at CasaSur”. “Judge Bruniard approved the searches requested by the prosecutor based on the evidence presented and took measures to notify the defendants and prohibit them from leaving the country,” it said in a statement. “Despite the weight of evidence – including visual, recorded, medical, scientific, documentary and witness evidence – investigators continue their work, including attempting to unlock Payne's personal laptop and other seized devices.”

Investigators spoke with hotel staff, family, friends and medical professionals and reviewed more than 800 hours of security footage, as well as guest records and restaurant bills.

The public prosecutor's investigation revealed “clear evidence of at least four cases of third-party supply of narcotics and other facilitation of addictive consumption by Payne's immediate environment during his stay at the hotel between October 13th and 16th.”

Liam Payne's death is not being treated as suicide, Argentine prosecutors reveal

Related: Liam Payne's death is not being treated as suicide, prosecutors reveal

Investigators have released an update on Liam Payne's death. A press release on Thursday, November 7, translated by the Argentine prosecutor, stated that the One Direction member's death is not being considered a suicide. “Although other medical background information from the victim's medical history still needs to be analyzed, the phenomenon of the absence of […]

Payne's death was caused by injuries “associated with a high fall,” including internal and external bleeding, ruling out the possibility of “self-harm or third-party involvement.” Payne showed a “lack of defensiveness” upon impact, suggesting he “may have fallen into a semi- or fully unconscious state.”

Us weekly confirmed on Wednesday, November 6, that Payne's body had arrived back in London on a flight from Buenos Aires. A day later, Payne's boyfriend Rogelio “Roger” Nores addressed his alleged involvement in the singer's death.

“I never let Liam down. I went to his hotel three times that day and left 40 minutes before this happened,” he said Daily Mail in a statement. “When I left there were over 15 people in the hotel lobby chatting and joking with him. I never imagined something like this would happen. … This tragedy truly breaks my heart and I have missed my friend every day.”

Payne is survived by his parents, two sisters and seven-year-old son Bear, whom he shared with his 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).