Five people have been charged in relation to the death of Liam Payne.
The 31-year-old singer tragically fell from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on October 16. A toxicology report revealed that the former One Direction member had ingested alcohol and several drugs before his death, which reportedly occurred after hotel staff locked him in his room due to his erratic behavior.
Court documents obtained by Page Six indicate that hotel manager Gilda Martin, receptionist Esteban Grassi (who called 911 prior to Payne’s death), and friend Rogelio “Roger” Nores have been charged with manslaughter. Hotel workers Braian Paiz and Ezequiel Pereyra face charges for allegedly supplying drugs to Payne.
Two of the accused remain in custody and have been ordered to appear in court within 24 hours. A judge will decide whether the individuals will face prosecution, be dropped from the case, or if there is insufficient evidence to proceed.
All five individuals had court appearances earlier this month.
Nores, who had assumed a manager-like role for Payne, is also accused of failing to inform the singer’s family about his relapse and not responding to police calls regarding Payne’s death. Although he maintains his innocence, Nores could face up to 15 years in prison if found guilty.
Paiz, a 24-year-old waiter who admitted to using cocaine with Payne, has denied claims that he sold or supplied drugs to the singer in an interview with TMZ.
Payne was buried on November 20. His former One Direction bandmates, Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik, attended the funeral.
