A Man Posing as Liam Payne's Manager Is Being Investigated in Connection to His Death
One man is accused of "abandonment of a person."
Published Nov. 7 2024, 10:15 p.m. ET
On Oct. 16, 2024, fans of One Direction received devastating news. The body of former member Liam Payne was found in the courtyard of a hotel in Buenos Aires. He died from an apparent fall while on the third-floor balcony at the CasaSur hotel. He was only 31 years old.
In the wake of his death, investigators were able to cobble together the last few hours of his life, which were deeply troubling.
Police released a statement saying an employee of the hotel called them to report an "aggressive man who could be under the effects of drugs and alcohol," per Reuters.
A toxicology report later confirmed Liam had traces of alcohol, cocaine, and a prescription antidepressant in his body. Police opened up an investigation into his death which led to the arrest of two men.
Another man who claimed to be the entertainer's manager was also being investigated. Here's what we know.
A man calling himself Liam Payne's manager is being investigated by police.
According to Rolling Stone, Buenos Aires police arrested a hotel worker as well as an alleged drug dealer, on the evening of Nov. 6, 2024. Police believe these two individuals supplied Liam with the drugs that were found in his system.
Investigators also obtained permission to enter the home of an Argentinian businessman who claimed to be Payne's manager. Evidently, this man was seen spending time with Liam on the day he died. Not only that, authorities believe he was at the hotel when Liam fell and is now accused of "abandonment of a person," which could land him in prison for three to six years.
Several outlets reported that this faux manager knew Liam was struggling with drug use again, and failed to divulge this information to the singer's family.
When police reached out to him on the day of Liam's death, he did not respond. Instead, he got in touch the following day via an attorney. There was also a raid on several locations connected to the other people arrested.
Police confiscated "nine cell phones, three computers, two hard drives, and a jar of marijuana," per La Nacion.