A judicial officer confirmed a judge’s ruling on Monday regarding two individuals placed in pre-trial detention following the death of Liam Payne, who fell from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires in October. One of the detainees was a hotel employee, while the other was a waiter Payne encountered at a restaurant. Both are charged with supplying drugs and must appear before the judge.
In addition, three others have been charged with manslaughter, including a businessman and two hotel managers who were with Payne during his stay. Unlike the detainees, these individuals are not being held in custody. Toxicology reports revealed traces of alcohol, cocaine, and a prescribed antidepressant in Payne’s system at the time of his death.
An autopsy indicated that Payne’s injuries were not the result of self-harm or external violence, and he appeared to lack the reflexes needed to protect himself during the fall, suggesting he might have been unconscious. Argentine prosecutors have ruled out suicide as a cause of death. Payne, aged 31, was a former member of One Direction, one of the most successful boy bands, which went on hiatus in 2016, prompting Payne and his bandmates to pursue solo careers.