The cause of death for English singer and former One Direction member Liam Payne — who died on Wednesday at the age of 31 after jumping from a hotel balcony in Argentina — has been revealed.
A preliminary autopsy found that Payne died of trauma, as well as internal and external bleeding, after he jumped from a third story balcony at the CasaSur CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, according to Argentina’s National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor’s Office.
The prosecutor added that as a matter of protocol, the incident is being investigated as a “doubtful death,” despite everything indicating “that the musician was alone” and “going through some type of outbreak as a result of substance abuse” before plummeting from the balcony.
Payne’s death occurred at 5:07 p.m. on Wednesday in Buenos Aires, the prosecutor’s office said.
Minutes before the former One Direction singer’s fatal descent, authorities received an emergency call asking “for help for a guest who was under the influence of drugs and alcohol and who had destroyed some objects in the room,” the local prosecutor noted.
But by the time authorities arrived at the scene, Payne was already dead after having “jumped from the balcony of his room,” Pablo Policicchio, the communications director for the Buenos Aires Security Ministry, told Associated Press on Wednesday night.
From there, Payne’s body was taken to the city’s judicial morgue, where forensic medical professionals performed an autopsy between 9:45 p.m. and 11:05 p.m.
Complimentary histopathological, biochemical, and toxicological studies were requested by the Buenos Aires medical examiners, which may confirm or contradict their initial findings, they said.
“At this point, the analysis of the stomach content, alcohol and toxins in the blood, vitreous humor, bile, nasal swab and urine for the determination of alcohol and toxins was requested,” the prosecutor’s office said.
Forensic experts added that the 25 injuries detailed in the preliminary autopsy are compatible with those resulting from a fall from a height.
They also said the cranioencephalic injuries were suitable enough to cause death, while internal and external bleeding in the skull, thorax, abdomen, and limbs contributed to the death. An inspection of Payne’s hands found that no defensive injuries were present.
Moreover, the position in which Payne’s body was found indicated that the former One Direction member “did not adopt a reflex posture to protect himself and that he may have fallen into a state of semi or total unconsciousness,” the report added.
Meanwhile, an inspection of the inside of Payne’s hotel room revealed substances believed to be narcotics and alcoholic beverages were present. “Several objects and furniture” inside the hotel were room were also “destroyed,” the prosecutor said.
Authorities tested the substances found in Payne’s room to determine whether they are narcotics, but the results of that test are still pending, the prosecutor’s office noted.
Five witnesses — three hotel workers and two women who had been with Payne earlier in his room, but were not present when the fatal jump transpired — were interviewed by authorities at the scene.
“Beyond reconstructing the circumstances of the musician’s death, the investigation is also aimed at determining the possible intervention of third parties in the events prior to the death of the victim,” the prosecutor’s office said.
As Breitbart News reported, Payne died on Wednesday at the age of 31, after having struggled with alcohol and prescription drug additions, among other troubles.
In July of last year, Payne told his fans he had been sober for six months after spending nearly 100 days at a rehab facility, and that he planned to go back on tour soon, without being on the influence of substances, saying, “I definitely don’t need those things anymore — the party’s over.”
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Payne also cited the “scramble to stay relevant” — as well as the desire to be a better father to his young son — as additional reasons that led up to him needing “to go away to get better.”
“I’m actually going back on stage sooner than you think,” the former One Direction member — who also had a career as a solo artist — said at the time. “I would have never thought this time last year I’d be saying that, but it’s quite amazing, really.”
“Am I scared? Yes, a little bit,” the singer added, noting that this would be the first time he’d perform “in this frame of mind” without “having anything to lean on.”
“It does sound quite daunting,” Payne said, adding, “But I’m sure I’ll be fine — those famous last words.”
Payne is survived by his 7-year-old son, Bear Grey Payne.
Alana Mastrangelo is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.
