Three charged in death of former One Direction star Liam Payne: officials

Argentinian authorities charged three unidentified people in the death of former One Direction member Liam Payne, who died last month after falling from a balcony in Buenos Aires. 

Payne, who rose to global fame as part of the boy band One Direction in 2010, died on Oct. 16 when he fell from the balcony of the Casa Sur Palermo hotel with trace amounts of alcohol and drugs in his system. He was 31 at the time.

The three people were not named, but one person was an employee at the hotel. One of the suspects, described as someone who spent time with Payne every day that he was in Argentina, was charged with abandonment of a person followed by death. The charge carries a maximum sentence of five to 15 years in prison, CBS News reported.

The other two suspects, including the hotel employee, were charged with supplying Payne with cocaine, and have been charged with two acts each of supplying narcotics.

Argentinian prosecutors also confirmed that Payne's death was caused by a fall from the balcony, rather than jumping himself. They do not believe Payne was fully conscious at the time.

"For the prosecution, this situation would also rule out the possibility of a conscious or voluntary act on the part of the victim," the prosecutor's office said. 

The three suspects have been notified of the charges, and have been ordered not to leave the country, prosecutors said.

Payne is survived by his son named Bear, who was born in 2017 to Payne and singer Cheryl Cole.

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.