The National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor’s Office No. 14 confirmed that the former One Direction star had up to 2.7 grams of alcohol per litre in his blood at the time of death.
Liam Payne passed away after falling from the balcony of a hotel. (Photo Credits: Instagram)
Everyone has been waiting for answers and now, new findings have finally emerged, shedding light on the circumstances surrounding Liam Payne’s tragic passing. On Friday, 21 February, the National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor’s Office No. 14 issued a press release confirming that the former One Direction star had “alcohol concentrations of up to 2.7 grams per litre in blood at the time of death.” Payne, who passed away in October after falling from a balcony at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Argentina, also had “cocaine metabolites, methylecgonine, benzoylecgonine, cocaethylene and the medication sertraline” in his system, according to the translated report.
According to Alcohol.com, a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 2.7 grams per litre equals 0.27% and it can cause severe confusion, dizziness and disorientation.
The press release also confirmed the prosecution of Braian Paiz for supplying drugs in exchange for money, contradicting his earlier claims that he had provided them free of charge. As per the judge’s statement, “the evidence gathered reveals the onerous nature of the deliveries and enables the confirmation of the prosecution ordered by the previous instance,” reports People.
Security footage played a crucial role in substantiating these claims. Upon arriving at the hotel in the early hours of 14 October, Payne was seen heading to the reception desk to request money, the release stated. A police report from Paiz’s residence noted that “all the inhabitants/families of the place have as their main livelihood the sale of narcotic material.”
Additional revelations came from messages exchanged between Payne and Paiz, where the latter, who had previously stated that the drugs were “a gift,” sent a text reading, “The guy with the cigar just answered me, come later if you want.”
To this, Payne responded, “I have 100 US dollars,” as reported by People.
Back in November, the prosecutor’s office had already disclosed toxicology findings, revealing that in the 72 hours leading up to his death, Payne had “alcohol, cocaine and prescription antidepressants” in his system.
“This conclusion was reached after the complete toxicology tests on urine, blood and vitreous humour,” the report read.
Payne, aged 31, died on 16 October 2024, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. A preliminary autopsy attributed his cause of death to multiple injuries and “internal and external” haemorrhages. In January, an inquest at Buckinghamshire Coroner’s Court in the UK confirmed that he had succumbed to “polytrauma.”
The toxicology report also concluded that Payne was “not fully conscious” during his fatal fall from the third-floor hotel balcony.
Following the incident, three individuals were arrested and charged with manslaughter in Argentina. However, on 21 February, the prosecutor’s office confirmed that charges against his friend Roger Nores, as well as CasaSur Palermo Hotel employees Gilda Martin and Esteban Grassi, had been dropped after a court hearing. The trio had initially faced potential sentences of one to five years if found guilty, as per the BBC.
