More than a year after Liam Payne’s death, new photographs and documents from the Argentine investigation are offering a closer look at the former One Direction star’s final hours. The material, reportedly obtained by the Daily Mail, includes more than 3,000 documents and photographs connected to the investigation into his death at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires on October 16, 2024. Liam, who was 31, died after falling from the third-floor balcony of the hotel.
The night before his death
The Daily Mail report states that the newly released photographs show Liam behaving erratically inside the hotel. One image appears to show him swinging around a pole at the property the night before his death. Other photographs reportedly capture hotel employees bringing alcohol to his room.
The images add to earlier reports about Liam’s alcohol consumption and drug use in the days leading up to his death. Investigators had previously said that both substances played a role in the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
Payne’s final morning
On the morning of October 16, Liam was reportedly seen meeting two sex workers in the hotel lobby. The women later spoke to investigators about their interaction with the singer and became part of the inquiry into his final hours. According to their accounts, Liam sang for them during their time together and also asked about getting narcotics. Their statements have been considered alongside other evidence gathered by investigators about his condition that day.
As the hours passed, Liam’s behaviour reportedly became more concerning to hotel employees. One member of staff eventually contacted emergency services because of fears that Payne could hurt himself. The concern was reportedly made more serious by the fact that his room had access to a balcony. Investigators have since examined the possibility that Payne may have been attempting to leave the room using the balcony shortly before he fell.
However, the exact sequence of events remains unclear, and the new material does not provide a definitive answer about what happened in those final moments.
His final days in Argentina
Liam had arrived in Argentina a little over two weeks before his death. During the earlier part of the trip, he stayed at the Park Hyatt with his girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, and businessman Rogelio “Roger” Nores. Reports suggest that Liam had been sober for much of the beginning of the trip. However, Kate left Argentina for Miami on October 14, just two days before his death.
Soon after, Liam reportedly left the Park Hyatt following an incident involving damage to property and a disagreement with hotel staff. He subsequently checked into the CasaSur Palermo Hotel, where he spent the final days of his life.
Liam Payne passed away two days later. According to the Buenos Aires police force, “they were alerted to an aggressive man that may have been under the influence of drugs and alcohol” at a hotel in Buenos Aires’ green Palermo district. The hotel manager told investigators that he had heard a loud noise at the rear end of the hotel, while the arrival of police saw a dead man lying on the floor of the balcony from his room, according to the statement.
Liam Payne left behind his 7-year-old son, Bear, with ex-partner Cheryl Cole.