A new report into tragic death reveals the former singer had a blood alcohol level three times the US legal driving limit when he died after falling from a Buenos Aires hotel balcony last October.
The National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor’s Office has shed new light on the circumstances surrounding Payne’s tragic death aged 31.
According to the post-mortem findings, Payne succumbed to multiple injuries with high levels of alcohol and cocaine detected in his system.
“The autopsy revealed that the death was caused by multiple trauma and internal and external bleeding. It was also determined that the musician had alcohol concentrations of up to 2.7 grams per litre in blood at the time of death, plus cocaine metabolites, methylergonovine, benzoylecgonine, cocaethylene and the medication sertraline.”
Experts warn that a blood alcohol level of 2.7 grams per litre, equating to 0.27%, can induce severe confusion and disorientation. Concentrations surpassing 0.3% could lead to poisoning, while anything above 0.4% poses a fatal risk.
Liam Payne died in South America following alcohol and drug use. (Image: GETTY)
Previous reports had indicated the presence of cocaine and antidepressants in Payne’s bloodstream. A BAC of 0.27% is well over the United States’ driving limit threshold set at 0.08%.
The ongoing criminal investigation into the death of Liam at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires on 16 October 2024 has seen a significant development. Liam’s friend, Rogelio ‘Roger’ Nores, and four others were initially facing charges related to his death.
However, appeal court judges have recently exonerated three of them, overturning an earlier decision to charge them. Roger’s lawyer, Rafael Cuneo Libarona, spoke out about the reversal of the manslaughter charge.
Handout photo released by the Buenos Aires Police showing a candle and traces of white powder on a table of the hotel room where late British musician Liam Payne was staying in Buenos Aires on October 16, 2024. Payne suffered multiple traumas and internal and external hemorrhaging after falling from the balcony of his room on the third floor of the Casa Sur hotel in central Buenos Aires on Wednesday night, an autopsy found. (Photo by Handout / Buenos Aires Police / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE – MANDATORY CREDIT AFP PHOTO / Buenos Aires Police – NO MARKETING – NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS – DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS (Photo by HANDOUT/Buenos Aires Police/AFP via Getty Images) (Image: Buenos Aires Police/AFP via Gett)
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He had contested prosecutors’ allegations that his client, as the Strip That Down singer’s representative, had neglected his duty of care. He said: “We are happy to have reversed the decision by 360 degrees.”
He added: “We have always maintained that Rogelio Nores was not responsible for Liam Payne’s death. He was only his friend and had no duty or legal obligation to ensure his safety.|
The appeal court judges ruled that Roger did not contribute to his friend “obtaining and consuming alcohol”, nor could he have done anything in the hours leading up to Liam’s death to prevent it.
Alongside Roger, Esteban Grassi, the chief receptionist at Casa Sur Palermo Hotel who made a 911 call before Liam died, and the hotel’s head of security, Gilda Martin, were also cleared of manslaughter.
The judges concluded there wasn’t sufficient evidence they exhibited “thoughtless, reckless, or merely negligent behaviour” in their actions leading up to his death.
Waiter Braian Nahuel Paiz, 24, and hotel worker Ezequiel David Pereyra, 21, remain behind bars after their appeal was dismissed, facing charges of supplying drugs to Liam with potential sentences ranging from four to 15 years if found guilty.