5 Charged in Death of One Direction’s Liam Payne

In October, One Direction singer Liam Payne had been in Argentina to reportedly catch up with one of his former bandmates.

The world was stunned when he was later found dead, which was originally suspected of being a suicide, but there have now been five people charged in his death.

He Was Seen

Payne was staying at the Casa Sur Hotel at the time of his death, reportedly in town to catch the concert of former bandmate Niall Horan.

Payne had been active on social media leading up to his death, saying that he had some things to discuss with Horan, noting that they needed to catch up and that there were no bad vibes.

Payne was spotted in the hotel lobby, reportedly having problems standing upright and completely out of control.

According to reports, hotel cameras spotted him being drug into his room, unconscious, by three people.

Setting the Scene

One of the people who reportedly helped drag Payne into his room was chief receptionist Esteban Grassi.

Grassi then called emergency services, reporting that a guest was "overwhelmed by drugs and alcohol" and "destroying his room.”

In a second call, he stated, "I don't know if the guest's life is in danger. But he has a room with a balcony and we're a little afraid that he might do something life-threatening.”

Payne was then found on the ground in the courtyard, having reportedly fallen from his third-story balcony. This is why people initially thought that Payne had committed suicide, but that was a narrative that would not hold for very long.

Arrests Made

When police arrived at the hotel, they found the room in disarray, but it was quickly reported that police were leaning away from a suicide and investigating Payne’s death as a homicide.

It is now being announced that five people have been arrested in connection to the death, including a hotel employee named Ezequiel Pereyra.

One of the others arrested is reportedly a waiter, Braian Paiz, who Payne had met at a restaurant, both of whom have been charged with supplying Payne with drugs.

The other three were two additional hotel employees, including the General Manager of the hotel, Gilda Martin, and a businessman who was reportedly traveling with Payne in Argentina. The GM was charged for not having put Payne in a safer place, as it had been noted that his balcony could present a danger in his condition.