Recently discovered prosecution documents reveal details of Liam Payne’s final hours, including allegations that he repeatedly contacted hotel staff asking for alcohol and drugs, At the same time, he was said to have offered an escort $5,000 to visit him.
Singer One Direction died on October 16 after falling from the third-floor balcony of the CasaSur Palermo hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
He is 31 years old.
Since his death, authorities have begun a thorough investigation into the circumstances of his death, charging five individuals, including hotel employee and Argentine businessman Roger Nores, who denies I’m a suspect.
Esteban Grassi, the hotel’s head receptionist and one of the defendants, alleged that Payne repeatedly called the receptionist for assistance in obtaining cocaine. Grassi recalled that after he refused to help, Payne allegedly insulted him, saying he was “useless.”
Text messages provided to prosecutors and released by journalist Mauro Szeta allegedly show Payne offering an escort, Aldana Serrano, $5,000 to “party.” One text read: “I have all day… I’ll give you 5,000… dollars. You come to my hotel, we party, just you and me.” When he noticed that Serrano’s WhatsApp profile photo included another woman, Payne asked: “Who is your friend, do you want to take her with you?” Serrano replied: “We’re both $5,000, the two of us are together all day.”
Grassi also detailed a previous encounter where Payne allegedly asked a waiter for cocaine, allegedly becoming angry when he was refused. “He invited me into his room, which was a disaster, and asked if I could get him cocaine,” the waitress texted Grassi. “I said, ‘I’m sorry sir, but neither I nor any of the staff can help you with that type of service.’ He called me ‘useless’ and told me to get out of his sight.”
The investigation revealed that Payne had been drinking and had traces of cocaine in his system at the time of death. Toxicology reports also pointed to the presence of antidepressants, and a psychiatrist had warned a month earlier about the dangers of mixing drugs with alcohol.
The ongoing case continues to scrutinize the roles of hotel staff and Nores, who allegedly acted as Payne’s de facto manager during his stay. Nores denied these claims and insisted he was not responsible for Payne’s death. Prosecutors are considering “negligent homicide” charges against the staff who allegedly moved Payne to his room rather than seek immediate medical attention during a critical moment.
Payne’s family, devastated by the tragedy, banned Nores from attending his funeral. His father, Geoff Payne, has since visited Buenos Aires to personally address the investigation, while fans continue to mourn the passing of the beloved star, holding vigils to honored him outside the CasaSur hotel.
— Originally published on Enstarz
Tags Liam Payne, Medicine