Buenos Aires police raided the hotel on Wednesday night where British singer Liam Payne, former member of the boy band One Direction, died a week ago at the age of 31 after falling from the third floor of his room.
Investigators went to the CasaSur hotel “to carry out a search ordered by the prosecutor’s office (…) in order to seize elements of interest for the investigation,” a police source told AFP on condition of anonymity.
Television images showed several agents working with computers in the hotel reception.
Investigators are examining mobile phones, computers and security camera videos and have collected “numerous witness statements to reconstruct the victim’s last hours and the course of events,” prosecutors said Tuesday.
Toxicological studies not completed
The police operation comes a day after Argentine prosecutors met with the musician’s father, Geoff Payne.
“The representative of the Public Ministry informed the father (of Liam Payne) that the toxicological and histopathological studies complementary to the autopsy were not yet completed and that their results were necessary to decide on the delivery of the body,” the prosecutor explained on Tuesday. in a press release.
Although there is no set deadline for the delivery of the results of the toxicological studies, a source from the Public Ministry told AFP that they could be ready this week.
“Pink Cocaine”
The pop star died on Wednesday at the age of 31 after falling from a hotel balcony, following “multiple traumas” and “internal and external hemorrhages.”
Preliminary autopsy results determined that he was alone at the time of the tragedy and that he was going through “some sort of substance abuse crisis,” according to prosecutors.
On Monday, US media revealed that, according to preliminary toxicology reports, Liam Payne had used several drugs, including “pink cocaine”, a mixture of drugs that includes methamphetamine, ketamine and MDMA.
The singer’s death on October 16 unleashed a wave of tributes from his fans around the world.
Source: BFM TV
