Getty ImagesThree people have been charged in connection with the death of One Direction star Liam Payne, Argentine authorities have announced.
Payne died on 16 October after falling from a hotel balcony in the capital, Buenos Aires.
On 6 November, his body was released to his family to be flown back to the UK, having previously been held while toxicology and laboratory tests were carried out.
Here’s what we know so far about the police investigation and the circumstances surrounding Payne’s death.
Why was Liam in Argentina?
Payne was visiting his former bandmate Niall Horan, who was in the country on tour.
He posted on Snapchat earlier in October that he was visiting Horan for a catch-up, saying: “It’s been a while since me and Niall have spoken, we’ve got a lot to talk about.” He added: “No bad vibes or anything like that, but we need to talk.”
Payne attended Horan’s show, posting social media videos of himself and girlfriend Kate Cassidy singing and dancing at the concert.
He documented much of his trip on Snapchat, including pictures of food, plans to play polo, and jokes about his hair.
We also know the pop star visited a friend’s house in Argentina in the days before he died, again with Cassidy.
But when Payne fell to his death, Cassidy had already left the country.
What happened on the day he died?
Payne had been staying in the upmarket Casa Sur hotel for three days before his death.
A call was made to emergency services around 17:00 local time (21:00 BST) on 16 October by staff, with requests to respond to a hotel guest “who is overwhelmed by drugs and alcohol” and “destroying his room”.
“I don’t know if the guest’s life is in danger. But he has a room with a balcony and we’re a little afraid that he might do something life-threatening,” said the hotel’s front desk manager in a second call.
Hotel staff on the emergency call highlighted that Payne was “destroying his room”, and police say they found the room in “total disorder”.
Local media later published pictures purportedly from his room, showing a TV with a broken screen, multiple bottles, cans, candles, aluminium foil and a half-full glass of champagne.
Payne’s room was on the third floor and had a balcony about 14m (45ft) above an interior courtyard.
It is thought he fell from the balcony at about 17:07 local time.
Police arrived minutes later. Hotel staff told them a loud sound had been heard in the courtyard, where Payne’s body was discovered.
He was pronounced dead at the scene, with the emergency services saying there had been “no possibility of resuscitation”.
What have official tests revealed?
An autopsy, which was carried out that evening, established that Payne suffered “multiple traumas” and “internal and external haemorrhaging”, with 25 injuries that were “consistent with a fall from a great height”.
On 7 November, the prosecutor’s office said toxicology tests revealed traces of alcohol, cocaine and a prescription antidepressant in his body.
They also ruled out self-harm or physical intervention by a third party.
They said Payne didn’t adopt a posture to protect himself from the fall. That, along with other information, led them to conclude he was unconscious or semi-conscious when he fell.
They ruled out “a conscious or voluntary act”, saying he didn’t know what he was doing or didn’t understand it.
Prosecutors also said they had examined more than 800 hours of video footage from security cameras in the hotel and public roads; and had examined calls, messages and social media activity on Payne’s phone.
They also received dozens of testimonies from hotel staff, family members, friends and medical professionals. Among those interviewed were two women who had been with the singer at his hotel but left before his death.
What are the charges?
One person has been charged with the abandonment of a person followed by death – which has a sentence of up to 15 years in prison – and the supply and facilitation of drugs.
A hotel employee and a third person have also been charged with supplying drugs, the National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor’s Office said.
None of those arrested have been named.
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