Liam Payne had multiple drugs in body at time of death: Sources
Payne passed away on October 16 after he fell from the balcony of his hotel room, located on the third floor.
October 21, 2024, 10:09 AM
The results from the toxicology tests are shedding light on Liam Payne's unfortunate passing last week.
A preliminary examination revealed that the former One Direction member, who passed away at the age of 31, had various substances in his body when he tragically fell from the third-floor balcony of his hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on October 16, sources informed ABC News. Among these substances was "pink cocaine," a recreational drug often made by combining several drugs, including methamphetamine, ketamine, MDMA, and others. Additionally, cocaine, benzodiazepine, and crack were present, and an improvised aluminum pipe used for smoking drugs was also discovered in his hotel room, as per the sources.
According to sources who spoke with ABC News, Payne's body will stay in Argentina until the autopsy has been finished.
Liam Payne was present at The Fashion Awards 2022, which took place at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England, on December 5, 2022.
Before Payne passed away, hotel staff contacted the authorities and requested an urgent response because a guest was reported to be heavily intoxicated from drugs and alcohol.
"We have to dispatch someone quickly because I'm not sure if the guest is in a life-threatening situation. He's in a room with a balcony, and we're concerned he might take some action that could endanger his life," the staff member informed emergency responders.
When officials reached the location around seven minutes later, they discovered Payne's body in the hotel's inner courtyard, where he was declared dead on the spot, according to Alberto Crescenti, the head of SAME, Buenos Aires Emergency Medical Services, in a statement to ABC News.
An initial autopsy report from the Argentinian Public Prosecutor's Office revealed that Payne passed away due to "multiple traumas" and "internal and external bleeding." The report identified 25 injuries on his body. It noted that the injuries to his head were serious enough to be fatal, and indicated that his death was linked to the height from which he fell.
The Security Ministry of Buenos Aires previously informed ABC News that various substances and shattered items were discovered in Payne's hotel room.
An employee at the hotel is believed to have supplied Payne with drugs on the day of his death and has spoken to authorities, according to the Argentinian State Police in a report to ABC News. So far, that employee has not been taken into custody, and there are no charges against them at this moment.
