The prosecutor’s office in Buenos Aires has filed charges against five people involved in the death of former One Direction frontman Liam Payne, who fell from a third-floor balcony of a streete-front hotel in October. They include the hotel manager, the head of the lobby, two hotel workers who supplied Payne with drugs, and a close friend of Payne’s.
Alcohol, cocaine and prescription antidepressants were found in Payne’s system, according to an autopsy report. Gilda Martin, the hotel manager, and Esteban Grassi, the lobby receptionist, face manslaughter charges after they witnessed Payne being led upstairs while intoxicated and knew that Payne’s room had a balcony facing the street, which could be dangerous to the unconscious.
“The right thing to do is to keep the guest in a safe place and instruct someone to accompany him,” the prosecution said. Penn traveled to Buenos Aires in October to see his former bandmate perform, and close friend Rogelio Nores arranged the singer’s trip and accompanied him to the U.S. Embassy to renew his O-1 visa.
Payne’s O-1 visa, which is available to artists, athletes and other prominent people, was about to expire and he had to renew it so he could return to Miami to meet his girlfriend, who left Argentina on Oct. 12. Payne was kept for additional tests for substance abuse issues, sources said, and the tests came back clear. Payne was supposed to meet with embassy staff on October 17 and get a visa the next day.
The prosecution initially charged Lores, a close friend of Payne, with “abandonment resulting in death,” which was later changed to manslaughter. The former carries a heavier sentence of five to 15 years in prison.
The prosecution contends that Laures took Payne back to room 310, failed in his duty of care, assistance, and assistance, left the scene and abandoned Payne knowing that he had a history of substance abuse, and that Laures was placed on a restricted leave of absence.
However, Loures and the hotel manager, the lobby manager three people were not detained by the police, a hotel employee and a waiter have been detained so far, two people on the 15th and 16th respectively to provide drugs to Payne.