Liam Payne's final moments: this is what investigators found

New details have been revealed about the tragic death of Liam Payne, the former member of the band One Direction who passed away at age 31 on October 16, 2024.

Payne died after he fell from the balcony of his third-floor hotel room in Buenos Aires. Until now, it was unclear why or how he could have fallen off. However, sources indicate to the entertainment portal TMZ that the artist, apparently upset and under the influence of substances, was trying to escape from his room.

According to footage posted by TMZ, employees at the CasaSur Palermo hotel moved Liam to his room just moments before the tragedy. Surveillance videos show three staff members carrying the singer from the hotel lobby to his room while he was conscious but confused.

The singer had been acting disruptively in the hotel lobby. He appeared to be under the influence of some substance, according to sources in TMZ.

The sources also told the news outlet that the artist did not like being locked in hotel rooms. It was something he remembered from his time in One Direction. Payne had difficulty dealing with the memories of that time.

According to TMZ, in September of this year, Payne had already tried to escape from an apartment balcony. At that time, the singer's bodyguard suspected that Payne was abusing drugs and locked him in a room in a rental house in Florida. Liam escaped through the balcony, using a garden hose to reach the ground.

In Buenas Aires, a month later, surveillance footage shows that Payne refuses to enter his room. Despite his resistance, employees use a master key to force their way in, TMZ reports.

The staff removed the mirror outside the singer's room, presumably to prevent Payne from damaging it.

In the minutes before Payne fell off the balcony, hotel staff called the emergency services. They expressed concern for his wellbeing. In fact, the staff members said they feared he might use the balcony as an escape route, putting his life at risk.

The tragedy occurred when Liam tried to get down from the third to the second floor of the hotel. He was carrying a bag slung over his shoulder. This suggests that he decided to escape after he entered the room, as he had not carried that bag with him when he was in the hotel lobby.

Police said Payne was probably trying to make his jump less risky by going from the third-floor balcony to the second floor before jumping.

The theory was supported by police when, two days after the accident, they found a bag on the second-floor balcony with a note addressed to Liam.

Inside the bag were several pills and a bottle of Jack Daniel's. Its location indicated that Payne first threw the bag over the balcony and then tried to jump after it himself.

The coroner's report suggests that Liam may have been unconscious at the moment of the fall. However, he was still conscious when he put the bag on his shoulder and walked to the balcony from his room.

On TMZ, a source suggests that Argentine authorities have been trying to protect the hotel against any liability claims. They have investigated three people: a friend of the singer (Roger Nores), a waiter, and a former employee who allegedly supplied him with the drugs.

In addition, the source believes the hotel was more concerned about the disturbance and possible property damage Payne was causing than about the singer's safety.

TMZ reports that the CasaSur Palermo hotel has avoided making any official comments on the incident.

The singer's family held a funeral for Liam Payne on Wednesday, November 20. The time between his death and the funeral was prolonged due to the investigation in Buenos Aires and the transport of the body to England.

Among those in attendance were former One Direction bandmates Harry Styles (photo), Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, and Zayn Malik.

Also in attendance were Payne's girlfriend Kate Cassidy (photo) and his ex-partner Cheryl Cole, with whom he has a son.

Payne's coffin arrived at the church in a hearse pulled by a white horse. Atop it were two wreaths spelling out the words "son" and "dad."

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