On October, 16, the late One Direction star Liam Payne died after falling from a third-floor balcony at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Five people have since been charged in connection to his death: his close friend Rogelio ‘Roger’ Nores, two employees at the hotel, and two hotel managers.
Nores is charged in relation to his friend’s death
Nores, who was one of Payne’s closest friends, is accused of negligent homicide after having left the CasaSur Palermo Hotel 40 minutes before the singer fell to his death.
He is reportedly banned from leaving Argentina but is not believed to be in custody.
Two of the hotel’s employees were charged
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Two hotel workers were also charged in the case. One was Braian Paiz, a waiter who was charged with supplying Payne with narcotics for payment and who had also admitted to using drugs, including cocaine.
The other is Ezequiel Pereyra who has also been charged with supplying drugs at the hotel.
Hotel managers were also charged in the case
Two of the CasaSur Palermo hotel managers, Gilda Martín and Esteban Grassi have also been charged with manslaughter.
According to Infobae, the four hotel employees and Payne’s friend, Nores, are set to appear in court with only Piaz and Pereyra being ordered into custody.
Payne was only 31 when he died
The One Direction singer was only 31 years old when he fell to his death and had a seven-year-old son with the singer and TV personality Cheryl.
Since the singer’s fall, Payne’s friend Nores has denied being a suspect in his death.
Police had launched an investigation
The day the singer died, a 911 call was made warning that he had been displaying aggressive behavior and could be under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
The chief receptionist claimed the singer would constantly call to ask for alcohol or where he could get cocaine.
A psychiatrist had emailed Nores
It was also reported that a psychiatrist had emailed Nores saying that it was ‘impossible’ to keep trying to help Payne with his mental health if he kept mixing antidepressants with alcohol.
The two alleged dealers and former employees at the hotel, Piaz and Pereyra, said they were practicing their right to remain silent.
Piaz had previously spoken to the news
Piaz had told an Argentine TV journalist that he had taken marijuana and that Payne had been snorting cocaine at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel.
However, he later denied this in his interview with Guillermo Panizza on Telefe Noticias, saying that he had never given the singer drugs or accepted any money.
Payne’s friend also insisted he wasn’t mistaken
Nores, who is fighting back accusations that he abandoned his friend during a time of need, has previously claimed his innocence after coming under investigation.
In a statement he released in November, Nores said, “There were over 15 people at the hotel lobby chatting and joking with him when I left.”
Nores claimed he hadn’t anticipated it
“I could have never imagined something like this would happen,” Nores said before continuing, “I gave my statement to the prosecutor on October 17 as a witness and I haven’t spoken to any police officer or prosecutor ever since.”
“I wasn’t Liam’s manager. He was just my very dear friend,” he added.
Tests showed what was in Payne’s system
The two charged hotel managers were among the three pictured carrying the singer back to his room from the hotel lobby a short while before his fall.
Tests were conducted on Payne’s body and have shown that he had binged alcohol and cocaine before his death, with traces of antidepressants in his system as well.
