Last month, the world was shocked by the news that Liam Payne had died after falling off a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires on October 16. Following the news, many took to social media to show support for the singer, including his One Direction bandmates as well as Simon Cowell, who all penned heartfelt tributes. Now, the Argentina police are investigating the death further, and they are conducting raids of the homes of two hotel employees and a “friend” of Payne’s.
According to TMZ, the authorities are doing another round of raids as they reportedly went through the homes of two hotel employees as well as someone who is considered a “friend” of the One Direction member.
Apparently, sources told the outlet that the police identified Payne’s “friend” through text messages. They were looking through said phone to figure out who sold him drugs. Notably, after the performer’s death, an autopsy revealed that he had pink cocaine in his system. That is a mix of drugs that includes methamphetamine, ketamine, ecstasy and potentially more. His hotel room also had drugs littered around it.
According to the report, investigators didn’t find his “friend” at their home.
These are not the first raids to happen in regard to Liam Payne’s death. Last month, investigators raided the hotel where he died, CasaSur. They were looking for electronic and paper records as well as videos of the hotel.
At the time of his death, it was reported that Payne was seen the night before being escorted back to his room. Guests at the hotel explained he was “causing a disturbance” in the lobby and had to be moved in the ABC News documentary IMPACT x Nightline: One Direction: Liam Payne’s Final Days (which is available with a Hulu subscription). “Erratic behavior” and “a lot of noise” were also descriptions people used to explain how he was behaving in the hours before his death.
Along with these raids that happened, the police have reportedly been investigating the hotel as well. The report explained that they’ve been searching lockers of folks who work there and security footage is being looked at.
For the time being, no one has been arrested or charged. However, it is clear that police are determined to figure out what led to the "Night Changes" singer's death as well as who sold him the dangerous drugs that were found in his system.
In the weeks after his passing, many musicians have spoken about Payne; for example, Shawn Mendes paused his concert to address the 1D member. Along with that, Backstreet Boys member, AJ McLean opened up about his friendship with the singer, notably explaining that they had bonded over their shared struggle with addiction and sobriety journeys.
Overall, as many continue to grieve this tragic loss, there’s still a lot to learn about Liam Payne’s death. As we find out about new updates regarding what happened right before he died, we’ll be sure to keep you posted.
