Police investigating the sudden death of One Direction star Liam Payne are searching for two ‘key witnesses’ who could be among the last people to see him alive.
The 31-year-old singer died instantly after suffering multiple injuries that led to ‘internal and external haemorrhaging’, when he fell from a third-floor balcony at a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Wednesday.
Argentine investigators are now hunting for two women who spent time with Payne at the Casa Sur hotel the night before his shock death.
Both women are said to have left the hotel yesterday after waiting for the star in the lobby, Argentine outlet Infobae reports.
There is no indication that the women could be involved in his death, but police hope they can help piece together Payne’s final moments before he plunged to his death at around 5pm local time.
Payne’s girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, had returned to Florida four days prior to his death, telling her followers ‘I just needed to go home’ after their planned ‘five-day trip’ was extended to two weeks.
Argentina’s prosecutor’s office say ‘everything indicates’ the singer was alone when he died, but an investigation is looking into the ‘possible involvement of third parties in the events prior’.
The prosecutor’s office said forensic reports showed no injuries were observed that suggest third-party involvement and that the autopsy is compatible with a fall from height.
Detectives added the singer could have fallen while either semi-conscious or completely unconscious and that a series of substances were seized from the hotel room ‘indicating previous situation of alcohol and drug consumption’.
As more details emerge from the hours before Payne’s death, one hotel guest staying in the same hotel as Payne recalled hearing ‘violent noises’.
It comes as:
The hotel balcony where Liam Payne fell to his death from in Buenos Aires, Argentina, yesterday is circled
Former One Direction singer Liam Payne has died aged 31 after falling from a balcony in Argentina
The first pictures of Liam Payne’s trashed Buenos Aries hotel room have been published by Argentinian press showing a smashed TV screen
The photos of the deluxe suite show pieces of aluminium foil scattered on the desktop and traces of white powder
A burnt candle and more aluminium foil were found in a bath tub in the suite
A purported final photograph of Liam Payne at the the Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires seems to show the former One Direction singer wearing a white sleeveless top with his tattoos visible
Liam Payne had been staying in Argentina over the last few weeks and was pictured engaging with fans
During his short stay in the city he took time to socialise with fans outside his hotel
During his short stay in the city he took time to socialise with fans outside his hotel
Last night, thousands of fans gathered outside the hotel where Liam Payne died
Some were pictured lighting candles and praying for the singer
Others held each sobbing as they paused to remember Mr Payne who was one fifth of the most succesful boy band of the 2010s
Liam Payne’s body has been transferred to the judicial morgue to be examined
Doug Jones told the BBC: ‘I thought they were working on the room. There was a lot of noise, like heavy lifting, like banging, a lot of loud, violent noises, I thought.
‘And I saw hotel people going in and out of that room, so I thought they were doing work on the room.
‘So about 4pm, 430pm, I started hearing some more noise, I was still doing work, and I heard a really loud, violent scream around 4.45pm, 5pm.’ He then realised something was wrong when he saw ‘the whole road was full of cops’.
Police were called to the hotel at around 5pm following reports of ‘an aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol’, but when they arrived they heard a loud sound in the inner courtyard. Payne died instantly from multiple injuries, including a fractured skull.
Detectives have reportedly seized a bottle of whiskey, a lighter, a phone and a notebook from the singer’s suite, local media reports.
It comes after Argentine media, including major broadsheets, published troubling images believed to be taken from Payne’s suite which shows white powder, burnt foil and a smashed up TV screen.
Payne was found dead by police who say they found the popstar’s medicines including clonazepam – a drug which is used to control epilepsy, involuntary muscle spasms and panic disorders.
There was a frantic call to 911 from hotel staff about ‘an aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol‘ who was ‘smashing up his room’ minutes before he died.
These photos inside the luxury suite, published by Argentinian magazine Clarin, appeared to confirm the troubling report about Payne’s mental state.
On a table, the surface was covered with tin foil, white powder, a lighter and scorch marks on the wooden surface.
A blackened aluminium drinks can lid appeared to have been heated and a smashed TV screen on a shelf bore the signs of a heavy impact whilst a half-empty Champagne flute was nearby.
More candle and aluminum foil remains were found in the bathtub of Payne’s suite, the bottom of which was stained and had some burns.
In a tape of the 911 call from the hotel manager to police, he could be heard saying: ‘I’m calling from the Casa Sur hotel in Palermo, we have a guest who is over the top with drugs and is breaking up the entire room.
‘We need someone to come.’
The call then cuts off and on a second call, the manager adds ‘when he is conscious he is breaking up the room.
‘We need you to send someone, please’
The emergency operator then asks the manager: ‘Under the influence of alcohol and narcotics?’
The manager’s response made his fears all too plain: ‘We need someone to be sent to us urgently, because I don’t know if the guest’s life is at risk.
‘The room has a balcony and we are afraid that they might do something’
Seconds later, it appeared it was too late to prevent the tragedy as the manager said with emotion in his voice: ‘Send only SAME, only SAME. [the city’s emergency paramedic service].
His girlfriend Kate Cassidy posted a picture of the pair on her Instagram last August
Just 48 hours before his death, on October 14, it emerged that Payne’s ex-fiancée, Ms Maya Henry , had started legal proceedings against him
A heartbreaking video shows Liam Payne singing and dancing at his former bandmate Niall Horan’s, where he later posted a picture with Niall to Snapchat captioned: ‘Reunited.’
Payne had arrived in South America with his girlfriend Kate Cassidy on September 30, staying in Argentina for two weeks after only planning to spend ‘five days’ there.
During their extended trip, Payne was reunited with Niall Horan after going to watch his former bandmate perform at the Movistar Arena, Buenos Aires, on October 2.
On October 12, Ms Cassidy, 25, returned home to Florida after saying ‘I just need to go home’ in a TikTok video, with Payne staying behind and checking into the £230-a-night Casa Sur hotel alone.
Just 48 hours before his death, on October 14, it emerged that Payne’s ex-fiancée, Ms Maya Henry, had started legal proceedings against Payne, accusing him of obsessively contact and ‘weaponising’ his fans against her.
Two days later, Payne posted several social media videos, including one where he jokingly called his girlfriend a ‘loser’ for going home. Hours later, police were called to the hotel following reports of an ‘aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol’.
The new photo broadcast on local network America TV appears to show Payne wearing a white sleeveless top with his tattoos visible. A presenter said it was the last time the former One Direction singer was seen alive before he got in a lift to his room.
As the news of the singer’s death began to filter out, fans began to arrive at the door of the Palermo hotel and held a candle-lit vigil outside and a collection of flowers and messages began to build up.
His body was transferred to the judicial morgue to be examined.
Liam’s family have said they are ‘heartbroken’ by his death aged 31, adding that the former One Direction star will ‘forever live in our hearts’.
A family statement said: ‘We are heartbroken. Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul. We are supporting each other the best we can as a family and ask for privacy and space at this awful time.’
Payne’s uncle Roger Harris also told MailOnline this afternoon: ‘We are all just deeply saddened and trying to come to terms with it. I just hope everybody gives them some privacy really and allows them to come to terms with it. That’s all I can say.’
The singer – who had been posing with fans in Buenos Aires in the hours before his death – suffered a fractured skull after falling from the third floor of Casa Sur Palmero Hotel in Argentina’s capital shortly after 5pm local time (9pm UK time) yesterday.
Another relative speaking at Payne’s family home in Wolverhampton – the city where he was born and grew up – told MailOnline: ‘We are utterly devastated by the news.’
Payne was raised in Wolverhampton by his mother Karen, a nurse, and father Geoff, a fitter. Early this morning, his older sisters, Nicola and Ruth, arrived at the house.
Liam Payne with his father Geoff and mother Karen after the X Factor final in London in 2010
As well as father Geoff and mother Karen, Payne had two sisters, Nicola (left) and Ruth (right)
Nine weeks ago, Liam Payne’s father Geoff posted a photo of his son and his dog as he penned in the caption: ‘#Like if you love my son!’ – a post which has since been flooded with tributes
Nine weeks ago Geoff posted a sweet image of his son and his dog as he penned in the caption: ‘#Like if you love my son!’ – a post which has since been flooded with messages of condolence for their family.
Neighbours said Payne’s parents left their £600,000 four-bedroom detached house last night at around midnight while Nicola and Ruth were seen entering the property at 9am this morning.
Last night, thousands of fans gathered outside the hotel, while emergency services worked at the scene around a central red tent at the location the star fell.
Some lit candles, some sang One Direction songs and others held each sobbing as they paused to remember Mr Payne who was one fifth of the most succesful boy band of the 2010s.
In order to control the crowd, Argentinian police were forced to form a line in front of the hotel to stop distraught local fans getting too close to the scene.
There has been an outpouring of tributes online, with fellow former X Factor contestants Jedwad writing: ‘RIP Liam Payne. Condolences to his friends and family.’
They added: ‘ Sending strength to Cheryl and his son Bear, and all the One Direction family.’
Ex-X Factor contestant and TV personality Rylan Clark said: ‘Extremely sad news. Very tragic and so young. RIP Liam x’
Singer Olly Murs, who starred on The X Factor the year before One Direction, said he was ‘lost for words’, describing Payne’s death as ‘devastating’ on Instagram.
‘We always had a good laugh when we saw each other, sometimes the catch ups were only short and sweet but when we did it was mostly about how annoyingly good his hair always looked, or our love for Becks, the old XF (X Factor) days and the tour we shared together,’ Murs wrote beside a picture of the pair.
‘Liam shared the same passions as me, the same dreams so to see his life now end so young hits hard, I’m truly gutted and devastated for his family and of course his son Bear losing a dad.’
Harry Styles’ mother Anne Twist posted a broken-hearted emoji on Instagram, captioning it: ‘Just a boy.’
Fellow former contestant Katie Waissel wrote: ‘My heart is completely torn to shreds right now, I am at an absolute loss for words.’
Former X Factor presenter Dermot O’Leary described shock reports of Liam Payne’s death as ‘the worst news’.
He said: ‘I remember him as a 14 year old turning up to audition on The X Factor, and blowing us away singing Sinatra. He just loved to sing.
‘He was always a joy, had time for everyone, polite, grateful, and was always humble.
‘Sending love and prayers to his family. Dx’
Paris Hilton wrote: ‘So upsetting to hear the news of Liam Payne passing. Sending love and condolences to his family and loves ones. RIP my friend.
Dermot O’Leary has led the tributes to his friend Liam Payne following the former One Direction star’s death
American singer-songwriter Charlie Puth also shared his heartbreak
Oasis singer Liam Gallagher has paid tribute to Liam Payne on X
Singer Boy George also paid tribute describing the news of his death as ‘awful’
The One Call Away singer wrote: ‘I am in shock right now. Liam was always so kind to me. ‘I am so upset right now, may he rest in peace. I am so sorry…’
There has been an outpour of tributes online, with fellow celebrities sending their condolences
Singer Charlie Puth has shared a series of photos and videos to his Instagram as he paid tribute to the late One Direction star.
The 32-year-old Light Switch hitmaker posted a sweet photograph of the pair, each pointing to the other and with their arms around one another.
He wrote to his 18.4million followers: ‘I am in shock right now. Liam was always so kind to me.
‘He was one of the first major artists I got to work with. I can not believe he is gone.’
Singer Max George has revealed he is ‘devastated’ at the news of Liam Payne’s death.
The Wanted 2.0 star wrote on X: ‘Liam was unbelievably supportive during one of the most difficult times in my life.
Local police have since launched into the 31-year-old’s sudden death, as tributes flood in in the wake of the tragedy.
A police statement from local police said they arrived to the hotel after they were ‘informed of an aggressive man who may have been under the effects of drugs and alcohol’.
City ambulance service provider spokesman Alberto Crescenti said Mr Payne had fallen around 40 metres and suffered ‘severe injuries which were incompatible with life.’
He said: ‘The alarm was raised at 5.04pm local time saying a person was lying in an internal patio at Casa Sur.
‘At 5.11pm an ambulance arrived and the man was certified dead.
‘Afterwards we found out he had been a famous singer. Unfortunately the injuries he had suffered as a result of the fall proved to be fatal. There was no possibility of resuscitating him.’
The star’s final Snapchat post showed him happily posing with his partner Kate Cassidy as they looked into a mirror – a picture which was originally taken last August.
Further posts from the final moments of the star’s life showed him enjoying lunch in his hotel room, where he revealed the pair had been ‘waking up at 1pm every day’ and deciding on Forest Gump as a Halloween costume.
A further tragic selfie was captioned: ‘Lovely day in Argentina’ before the star shared a photo of his hotel, writing: ‘Happy I got some time away’ followed by a heart emoji.
He shared a further photo with Kate captioned: ‘Quality time.’
First responders arrive at the hotel where Liam Payne, former One Direction member, was found dead, in Buenos Aires
Police stand guard outside CasaSur Palmero Hotel where Liam Payne was found
Droves of fans have arrived at the scene in Buenos Aires in the wake of Liam Payne’s death
Pictured: A forensic technician using his phone outside the hotel in the wake of the popstar’s sudden death
Fans place candles outside the hotel where Liam Payne was found dead
Fans of singer Liam Payne light candles in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Emotional fans pictured outside the Casa Sur Palmero hotel this evening
One fan sitting on the curb in tears after the news of Liam Payne’s death
Liam’s supporters embrace one another outside the hotel in Buenos Aires
Fans continue to light candles outside of the Argentinian hotel
Despite the adoration, the band ultimately finished in third place on the X Factor but shortly afterwards Cowell a reported £2million Syco contract
Liam Payne’s ex-fiancée Maya Henry has broken her silence following the singer’s sudden death.
A source close to Henry has told DailyMail.com: ‘Right now she is obviously in shock.’
The model only found out when a member of her team was contacted by a reporter.
Liam began his pursuit to stardom when he initially auditioned for X Factor in 2008.
At only 14-years-old Liam impressed judges with his own version of Fly Me To The Moon by Frank Sinatra – but was later eliminated from the show.
However Payne gave his singing career another go auditioning for the competition again in 2010, where he quickly shot to fame as part of One Direction.
He and his former bandmates Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson, were brought together by Simon Cowell and former judge Nicole Scherzinger who saw their potential as a group.
After just a few weeks of getting to know each other and non-stop rehearsing, the group impressed Simon at their Judge’s Houses audition and sailed through to the live shows.
The pop Svengali later admitted to Rolling Stone that it took him ‘about a millionth of a second’ to spot the group’s worldwide potential.
The fan reaction was instant too, with 1D hysteria soon dwarfing the show. Despite the adoration, the band ultimately finished in third place on the X Factor but shortly afterwards Cowell sealed their fate by signing the fivesome to a reported £2million Syco contract.
Keen to capitalise on the boys’ already devoted fanbase, Cowell moved quickly with recording for the band’s debut album beginning in January 2011.
A further tragic selfie was captioned: ‘Lovely day in Argentina’
Payne was seen contemplating a Forest Gump Halloween costume – he would die just 15 days before the holiday
The star heartbreakingly said he was ‘happy to have some time away’ less than an hour before he fell to his death
Reps for Liam Payne’s ex- fiancée Maya Henry told DailyMail.com: ‘Right now she is obviously in shock.’ (pictured: Payne and Henry in 2019 at Paris Fashion Week)
By September of that year One Direction’s first single was released with What Makes You Beautiful soaring to number one on the UK Singles Chart, after becoming the most pre-ordered Sony Music Entertainment single in history.
Their debut album, Up All Night was also a best seller, becoming the UK’s fastest-selling debut album of 2011, with the record leading to their first tour which kicked off in the UK that December.
After Malik announced his departure from the band in 2015, the band members went their separate ways.
During their time as a group, One Direction won five Brit Awards, four MTV Video Music Awards, amassed over three billion YouTube views and sold 50 million records worldwide.
After releasing five albums with one of the biggest boybands of all time, Liam released his first solo album titled LP1 in 2019.
His singles Strip That Down co-written with Ed Sheeran climbed its way to number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart that same year.
Over the course of his music career, the popstar collaborated with the likes of J Balvin, French Montana, Dixie D’Amelio and A Boogie Wit da Hoodie.
He was previously in a relationship with British pop sensation Cheryl Cole and the pair welcomed their son Bear Grey on March 22, 2017. The parents later split in 2018.
He was previously in a relationship with British pop sensation Cheryl Cole and the pair welcomed their son Bear Grey on March 22, 2017
Liam pictured with his son Bear as a newborn
After Malik announced his departure from the band in 2015, the band went their separate ways
After releasing five albums with one of the biggest boybands of all time, Liam released his first solo album titled LP1 in 2019
Over the course of his music career, the popstar collaborated with the likes of J Balvin, French Montana, Dixie D’Amelio and A Boogie Wit da Hoodie
Following his romance with Ms Cole, Liam had an on-and-off relationship with ex-fiancée Maya Henry, and the pair called it quits in May, 2022.
He leaves behind his parents, Geoff and Karen Payne, his son Bear, seven and his two older sisters, Ruth and Nicola.
MailOnline has approached Liam Payne’s representatives for comment.
‘I will never forget that. My thoughts are with his family, friends and fans at this horrendous time. Rest in peace Liam.’
Stephen Bartlett penned: ‘I cannot believe what I’m reading about Liam Payne. Absolutely heartbreaking.’
Martin Lewis wrote: ‘Shocking and tragic. Rip. I don’t know him, but this felt like a gut punch reading about such a young man. Thoughts with his loves ones.
MTV released the following tribute: ‘We’re deeply saddened to learn of Liam Payne’s tragic passing today. During this difficult time, our hearts remain with his family, loved one, and fans.’
The Brit Awards said: ‘We’re incredibly sad to learn of the tragic passing of Liam Payne. Our thoughts and prayers are with his friends and family at this time.’
Spotify also added: ‘ We are deeply saddened by the news of Liam Payne’s passing. Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and the many fans who loved and supported him.’
