Liam Payne’s October 2024 death, when he fell from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, left fans with questions. Now, Argentinian officials are attempting to find answers through their investigation. Prosecutors have indicted five people in connection to Payne’s death, including hotel workers, alleged drug dealers, and a friend who spent time with Payne in Argentina. Here’s what we know about their charges and what’s next.
Who has been arrested?
Five people were indicted in Argentina on December 27 for their involvement in Payne’s death. The manager and receptionist of the hotel where Payne died, Gilda Martin and Esteban Grassi, were both charged with negligent homicide for a professional, along with Payne’s friend, Rogelio Nores, the New York Times reported. Those three have not been arrested, but Nores, who lives in the U.S., has been ordered to stay in Argentina. Prosecutors claim Martin and Grassi saw Payne intoxicated and unable to stand in the lobby and should have gotten him medical care. Instead, they say, Grassi told three employees to take him to his room, where he later fell from the balcony. Nores, meanwhile, was allegedly with Payne throughout his time in Buenos Aires and reportedly posed as his business manager. Prosecutors claim he knowingly left Payne alone while he was under the influence of alcohol and drugs. They previously intended to charge him with abandonment of a person followed by death, a more serious charge.
Another hotel employee, along with a waiter, were charged with supplying narcotics to Payne. The hotel employee, Ezequiel Pereyra, and the waiter, Braian Paiz, were both arrested in November, per Buenos Aires’s La Nación and Rolling Stone. An autopsy previously found that Payne had a number of drugs, including a mix of substances known as “pink cocaine,” in his system when he died. Drugs and drug paraphernalia were found in Payne’s Buenos Aires hotel room.
What have the suspects said?
Multiple suspects have not been reached since the indictments, per the Times. An attorney for Paiz disputed his client’s arrest, telling the Times, “There is no danger of flight.” He said Paiz is not guilty, and he plans to appeal the charge.
Nores previously denied being under investigation, telling the Daily Mail he was “heartbroken” by Payne’s death. “I never abandoned Liam, I went to his hotel three times that day and left 40 minutes before this happened,” he said November 7. “There were over 15 people at the hotel lobby chatting and joking with him when I left. I could have never imagined something like this would happen.” Nores, who also denied being Payne’s business manager, said at the time he had not spoken to police or prosecutors since giving a statement the day after Payne’s death on October 17.
What happens next?
Following the indictment, lawyers for the defendants can appeal their charges, per the Times. Afterward, prosecutors will decide whether to bring a trial after collecting evidence. If convicted, the negligent homicide charge carries a sentence of one to five years in prison. The narcotics charge, meanwhile, carries a sentence of four to 15 years and cannot be suspended.