Liam Payne, a former member of One Direction, died a week ago after falling from the balcony of the CasaSur Palermo Hotel, which was recently raided by Buenos Aires authorities.
On October 16, the 31-year-old British musician passed away after falling from the balcony of his hotel room on the third level. According to an autopsy, Payne may have fallen while “semi-conscious or unconscious,” and as a result of the fall, he sustained several injuries, including a skull fracture.
As per an Argentinian newspaper LA NACION statement, “Personnel from the Special Investigations Division and the Special Technological Investigations Division were deployed [Wednesday] afternoon to the CasaSur Hotel in Palermo where the singer Liam Payne lost his life last week to carry out a raid […] to obtain elements of interest for the investigation.”
Investigators reportedly seized computers, phones, and other devices from the hotel, along with significant “documents and videos” from the lobby and patio. According to a second insider who spoke to Us Weekly, the main goal of the operation was to determine whose employees were on duty on October 16 and the days before Payne’s stay.
Citing the Dove soapbox that is thought to have been used to smuggle drugs to the singer, authorities suspect hotel staff may have contributed to Payne’s drug supply. In order to help with the inquiry, the insider went on to say that “the hotel must provide” further security camera footage. Payne had “multiple substances in his system” at the time of his death, according to a toxicology study. These included crack cocaine, benzodiazepines, races of pink cocaine, a recreational drug that had a combination of methamphetamine, ketamine, MDMA, and other chemicals.
Police officers are seen moving in and out of the hotel lobby and going through documents as part of their investigation in photos obtained during Wednesday’s raid. Payne and Kate Cassidy, his girlfriend, had been lodging at the motel. Payne apparently started acting strangely after Cassidy left.
The hotel manager then reported that Payne was “high on drugs and alcohol” and called 911. Payne was discovered in the hotel courtyard shortly after he had fallen from his balcony.