A second suspect has been arrested in relation to the investigation into the death of British singer Liam Payne, who died in Buenos Aires last October.
Payne, 31, fell to his death from a third-floor balcony at the Hotel CasaSur in the Palermo neighbourhood of Argentina’s capital city.
Autopsy results later revealed that the former One Direction chart-topper had consumed cocaine, alcohol and a prescription antidepressant before falling to his death.
The investigation into his death, which began on October 16, 2024, has led to the indictments of five individuals, two of whom were ordered to give themselves up to the authorities.
Last week, 24-year-old waiter Brian Paiz was arrested by City police officers at his home in Buenos Aires Province.
On Monday, Ezequiel Ezequiel Pereyra, a hotel employee of the CasaSur hotel, presented himself Monday to police in Barracas, south of Buenos Aires, becoming the second detainee.
Prosecutors say both are accused of supplying the victim with drugs in the days leading up to his death. The duo could be jailed for between four and 15 years if convicted.
Three other suspects, identified by prosecutors by the initials ‘R.L.N.’, ‘G.A.M.’, and ‘E.R.G.’ have been charged with manslaughter due to negligence, prosecutors confirmed last week in a statement.
Local media identified those individuals as Rogelio Nores, Payne's friend and businessman; Gilda Martín, the manager of the Hotel CasaSur; and hotel manager Esteban Grassi.
They face between one and five years in jail if found guilty.
For now, Judge Laura Graciela Bruniard has decided that only Paiz and Pereyra should be remanded in custody for now.
Nores has been banned from leaving the country as one of his conditions for bail. He has been accused of failing to provide proper care and abandoning his friend, despite being aware of his condition and addiction issues.
Martín and Grassi were also criticised by prosecutors for their inaction and failure to ensure Payne's safety, despite recognising his vulnerable state.
Both were deemed to have created an "unacceptable legal risk" by allowing him to return to a room with a balcony.
In a statement published by her court last week, Bruniard said the former singer “could not fend for himself” and that his death was caused by multiple trauma and “internal and external haemorrhaging.”
She also noted the “presence of cocaine and alcohol in large quantities” in the singer’s body when he died.
Judge Bruniard has concluded that Payne attempted to leave the room via the balcony, which resulted in his fatal fall.
Payne had spoken publicly about struggling with substance abuse and coping with fame from an early age.
His death prompted a global outpouring of grief from family, former bandmates and fans, with thousands gathering in cities around the world to offer their condolences.
In Buenos Aires, outside the hotel where he died, thousands of fans gathered to make a makeshift shrine to the star. Remnants of the tributes left by fans remain there today.
Payne was part of one of the highest-grossing live acts in the world in the 2010s, but his band One Direction went on indefinite hiatus in 2016. He enjoyed some solo success before his career stalled.
– TIMES/NA/AFP
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