Police in Argentina investigating the death of Liam Payne have raided the homes of two hotel employees and a ‘friend’ of the former One Direction singer, it has been reported.
The raids were carried out on Tuesday night, while lockers of the workers at the hotel where the 31-year-old died were also searched, law enforcement sources in Buenos Aires told TMZ.
Police believe the employees had been in contact with Liam before he plunged to his death from a third-floor balcony at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel last month.
According to TMZ’s report, Liam’s ‘friend’ was identified by police by looking at messages on his phone to see who sold him drugs.
However, it is understood the person officers were looking to speak to was not at home during the raid last night.
Liam Payne (pictured) died last month after the he fell from the balcony of his third floor hotel room in Buenos Aires
Aerial view of the hotel where British singer Liam Payne died in Buenos Aires
Payne had been on holiday in South America with girlfriend Kate Cassidy (left)
Liam Payne’s last post on Snapchat before he fell to his death from the third floor of a hotel
This development comes after police raided the same hotel late last month and seized electronic and paper records.
Argentinian officers were following up on allegations that staff had sold Liam drugs in the hours leading up to his death.
A post-mortem examination in the wake of his death determined that the 31-year-old’s cause of death on October 16 was from the head injuries sustained during his fall.
Prosecutors have since explored the theory that Liam was in ‘a state of semi or total unconsciousness’ during an apparent drug-fuelled episode on the morning of his death.
A hotel reception worker made a distressing 999 call requesting ‘urgent’ assistance after Payne had been acting erratically and was escorted back to his hotel room.
The hotel worker made two calls, saying in the first: ‘We have a guest who’s off his head on drugs and is destroying everything in his room. We need someone to come.’
He then phoned back after the line went dead, saying: ‘I don’t know if the guest’s life is in danger. The room has a balcony and we are afraid he might do something.’
Forensic police arrive at the hotel where Liam Payne died in Buenos Aires
Liam rose to fame with band One Direction. He is pictured with bandmates (left-right) Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik
Liam Payne in the CasaSur Hotel lobby in Buenos Aires just minutes before his death
Payne was said to have been ‘acting erratically in the hotel lobby and smashed his laptop’ before he ‘had to be carried back to his room’, according to local media.
Seconds later the employee, who identified himself as Esteban, added: ‘Just send an ambulance, only an ambulance.’ Workers had heard a loud sound in the courtyard before the singer’s body was discovered just after 5pm local time (9pm UK time).
The singer had travelled to Argentina earlier last month for his ex-bandmate Niall Horan’s concert.
His girlfriend Kate Cassidy had been with him on the trip but left two days before he died.
She posted a heartbreaking tribute saying she had been at a ‘complete loss’ following his death.
Kate continued: ‘Thank you for all of the kind words and love that has been sent my way. I have been at a complete loss.
‘Nothing about the past few days have felt real. I ask and pray that you’ll give me the grace and space to navigate this in private.
‘Liam, my angel. You are everything. I want you to know I loved you unconditionally and completely. I will continue to love you for the rest of my life. I love you Liam.’
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
