Three people have filed charges over Liam Payne's death in Buenos Aires

CNN
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Three people have been charged in Argentina with crimes related to the death of Liam Payne, a former member of the boy band One Direction, according to prosecutors.

The 31-year-old British pop star died on October 16 after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The late singer had alcohol, cocaine and a prescription antidepressant in his system before his death, Argentine prosecutors also said Thursday.

The toxicology results indicated that Payne “may have fallen into a state of partial or total unconsciousness,” it said.

Prosecutors also said medical examinations confirmed the singer's injuries were “consistent with those caused by a fall from a height.” Investigations have ruled out self-inflicted injuries or the intervention of other people, the office added.

Investigators interviewed two female companions who were with Payne in the hours before his death, a source familiar with the case told CNN on Friday. The women, both 25, said they did not see Payne using drugs in their eyes, but he did consume alcohol, the person added.

What we know so far about Liam Payne's death

Payne rose to global fame as part of One Direction, the hugely popular boy band formed on the 2010 British version of X Factor. The group, which included members Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Zayn Malik, announced an “indefinite hiatus” in 2016.

He had spoken openly about his struggles with substance abuse and his mental health. In the summer of 2023, Payne said he was sober for six months after completing treatment at a US facility. Payne's tour was scheduled to begin in South America in September of that year, but he had to postpone the planned dates after suffering from a kidney infection.