Buenos Aires hotel where One Direction’s Liam Payne passed away is searched by Argentine police

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — In a recent development, Argentine law enforcement officials have conducted a raid on a Buenos Aires hotel, where former One Direction member, Liam Payne, had ⁣been staying prior to his ⁤tragic death last week. Payne died after a fall from a third-floor balcony, according to a⁣ government spokesperson on Thursday.

On Wednesday night, a special police investigations unit, acting on orders from the public prosecutors’ office, descended on the Casa Sur hotel. The officers confiscated several items,‍ including computer hard drives and video footage from the hotel’s surveillance cameras. This information was ‍disclosed by ⁤a government official to the Associated Press, who wished to remain anonymous as they were not authorized to speak publicly.

Payne’s untimely death occurred on Oct. 16, following⁤ a fall from a third-floor balcony in the affluent, tourist-frequented Palermo ‍district. The autopsy report revealed that Payne succumbed to multiple injuries, along ⁢with ⁢internal and external bleeding caused by the fall. His body ‌was discovered in the hotel’s internal courtyard.

Initial investigations indicate that the singer was alone and possibly undergoing a “breakdown” due to ‍the consumption of unidentified substances. Post Payne’s death, police discovered substances in his hotel room, along with several damaged objects and furniture, ‌as⁣ per the public prosecutors’ office.

A preliminary toxicology ⁢report, published by local ⁣press on Monday and confirmed by a familiar source to the Associated Press, revealed the presence of cocaine in the singer’s system. However,⁤ the final results are not expected to be made public for several more weeks.

The ⁣Casa Sur hotel ⁤has since become a ⁤memorial site for Payne’s fans, who have been leaving flowers,⁤ candles, and photos of the singer around a tree at the hotel’s entrance.

Geoff Payne, the singer’s father, is currently in Buenos Aires to arrange for⁢ the repatriation of his son’s body, which is expected to be released around Oct. 28.

The Payne family, including his mother Karen Payne and his two sisters Ruth and Nicola Payne, have expressed their⁤ profound grief over the loss. His former bandmates, ⁣along with artists and celebrities from around the world, continue to mourn his passing.

One Direction, one of the most⁣ successful boy bands of recent ⁢times, announced an indefinite hiatus in 2016.‍ Following this, Payne, like his⁢ former bandmates Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, Niall Horan, and Louis Tomlinson, embarked on a solo career.

Payne had shared on his Snapchat account that he had traveled to‌ Argentina to attend Horan’s concert in Buenos Aires on Oct. 2. He posted videos of himself dancing with his⁢ girlfriend, American influencer Kate Cassidy, and singing along in the stands. Cassidy had left ⁣Argentina after the show, but Payne chose‍ to stay behind.