Alex McCurthy
Argentine Official Finally Speaks Out About Death of Pop Star, Revealing Details Anonymously Because the Final Toxicology Results Have Yet to Be Published.
Early reports by various sources claim that former One Direction member Liam Payne had crack cocaine and methamphetamine drugs in his system as he tumbled from a balcony in a hotel in Argentina. The 31-year-old British singer died after falling out of a hotel room on the third floor in Buenos Aires, an event which sent shock waves and put most of his fans around the globe into mourning.
ABC News and TMZ reported that mixed drugs were in Payne’s toxicology tests, including “pink cocaine,” a cocktail of drugs made up of methamphetamine, ketamine, and MDMA. The media indicated that officials who have seen preliminary toxicology results reported that crack cocaine and benzodiazepines were in Payne’s system.
Another anonymous official, speaking with the Associated Press, confirmed the presence of cocaine in Payne’s system but suggested that the preliminary results would likely not give a clear image of what amount of the drug was in his blood at the time of his death. It will take another few weeks before the final toxicology results are published, which can better give a view of the assessment.
Meanwhile, investigators in Argentina have consistently pursued the determination of what caused the sudden death and the controversial nature of its happening. Autopsy on Payne showed injuries consistent with falling from a great height, and the officials declared that it is not a case of foul play. The public prosecution believes that the events that led to the fall indicate Payne could have been in “semi or total unconsciousness” at the time of his fall from the balcony because of a drug-induced breakdown.
It was reported that evidence of substance abuse, including what appeared to be narcotics and alcohol, were said to have been discovered among broken furniture and other items inside the hotel room of Payne as found by investigators. Local media photos indicated that there was powder that resembled cocaine on the table and a smashed television screen. Among the items found in possession of Payne were a blister pack of clonazepam, a prescription drug for the treatment of anxiety and for seizures.
The manager of the hotel was said to have called 911 just hours before his death, warning authorities of a guest acting aggressively and apparently under the effects of drugs and alcohol. Now investigators will be trying to determine who provided Payne with the drugs he took at the CasaSur hotel in Palermo, a fashionable neighborhood in Buenos Aires. Police interrogated several people, including three employees of the hotel and two women who had visited Payne’s room hours before the fatal incident.
While fans around the world mourn, tributes are coming in from fans and also in the pop music world. Millions of fans around the world followed Payne, part of the breakout group One Direction, and many have held vigils for him.
Payne’s father, Geoff Payne, is staying in Buenos Aires and has been cooperating with prosecutors and other local officials in the repatriation of his son’s remains. The authorities are believed to release Payne’s body next week to enable the grieving father to take his son back home for his funeral in England. Over a few hundred Directioners met in cities worldwide on Sunday to commemorate and pay respects to the late singing heartthrob as evidence of his long-lasting impact on people who have followed his career.
With the process of the investigation still ongoing and the final toxicology results not yet publicly known, the fans as well as the rest of the world must wait for answers to questions surrounding the tragic loss of Liam Payne.
