The National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor’s Office confirmed in a statement that 25 injuries were “compatible with those caused by a fall from a height” and that Payne’s head injuries alone were “sufficient to cause death”. Internal and external bleeding throughout his body also contributed to his death.
Police responded to a 911 call to a hotel in the Palermo neighbourhood of Buenos Aires. Photo / Getty Images
The investigation into his death, which includes several witness interviews, shows that he was likely alone at the time he fell.
Investigators have seized substances from the hotel room and a toxicology report is pending.
Earlier, local police confirmed they were called to the hotel in the capital’s Palermo neighbourhood where they were notified of an “aggressive man who could be under the effects of drugs and alcohol”, Reuters reported.
Liam Payne rose to fame as a member of boy band One Direction, alongside Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Harry Styles. Photo / Getty Images
“The hotel manager said he heard a loud noise at the back of the hotel, and when police arrived they found that a man had fallen over the balcony in his room,” the statement said.
Citing audio obtained from the Buenos Aires security ministry, Reuters reported that police received a call from an employee at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel “requesting urgent help with an intoxicated guest”.
Payne, 31, was confirmed dead on Wednesday after falling from the third-floor balcony of his hotel room just after 5pm (local time).
“Liam James Payne, composer and guitarist, former member of the band One Direction, died today after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Palermo,” the police statement said, AFP reported.
It comes as Payne’s family have shared a tribute to the star, saying in a statement: “We are heartbroken. Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul.
“We are supporting each other the best we can as a family and ask for privacy and space during this awful time.”
