Police have raided Liam Payne’s hotel room in Argentina, in the hunt for “new intel” regarding the staff members working on the day the former One Direction singer died. Authorities searched the Casa Sur Hotel for documents from the registration books and information stored in its computers, according to Us Weekly.
Sources told the outlet that the 4-star hotel in Buenos Aires is required to provide additional security camera footage from October 16, the day Payne died aged 31. The One Direction star died instantly from the severe internal and external injuries he suffered, and at the time of his death, had a lethal combination of drugs in his system.
Police Look for More Detail
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The raid came just a day after the singer’s grieving father, Geoff Payne, announced that he was cooperating with authorities in the investigation into his son’s death. Paul Higgins, the singer’s bodyguard, has been helping police review the hotel’s security footage, working alongside Payne’s father.
Higgins was also spotted questioning several hotel employees. Geoff, 66, was informed that he might have to wait as long as 10 days to bring his son’s body home.
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The elder Payne has vowed to stay with his son until he can return him to the UK.
The pop star’s remains are being kept in a morgue while officials from the Argentine Ministry of Justice continue their investigations.
The father of three, who has Liam and two daughters, Ruth Gibbins and Nicola Payne, with his wife Karen, visited the hotel where his son passed away last week and expressed his gratitude to fans for their touching tributes.
Mystery Remains Unsolved
Earlier this week, a preliminary autopsy report from the Argentinian Public Prosecutor’s Office determined that Payne died from “multiple traumas” and “internal and external bleeding.”
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In addition to pink cocaine, also known as Tusi—a mixture of methamphetamine, ketamine, and ecstasy—the toxicology screening revealed the presence of benzodiazepine, crack, and cocaine in his bloodstream.
According to ABC News, a makeshift aluminum pipe used for consuming the substances was found nearby. The drugs were reportedly supplied to Payne in a Dove Soap box by the hotel staff.
Witnesses reported that Payne was behaving erratically in the hours leading up to his death.
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A worried hotel manager contacted the police in Buenos Aires just before his death, informing them that a man under the influence of drugs and alcohol was damaging the room and possibly putting his life at risk.
