The British singer died in Argentina on October 16 at the age of 31. Liam fell to his death from the third-floor balcony of the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires. He was intoxicated by alcohol and drugs. On the day of the artist’s death, a Rolex watch worth £33,000 (about 4.5 million rubles) was seen on his wrist. However, after the star’s death, it disappeared without a trace. It turned out that two girls had been in the singer’s room during the day.
Argentine media reported that Payne had promised them £5,000, but they had not received all of their money. Both call girls later told prosecutors that “gentleman” Liam had knelt in front of them and said, “I love you.”
During questioning, they said that the VIP client had been unable to pay them either in the room or in the lobby because he had no cash. He allegedly promised them his Rolex watch. Then a friend of the former One Direction singer, Roger Nores, arrived to try to resolve the conflict. One of the girls said she had forgotten her makeup bag in the artist’s room, and she was allowed to return to get it. No one has seen the watch since. Forty minutes later, Liam was dead.
“Based on the images we have analyzed, Payne was wearing a Rolex watch on the day of his death. It was on his wrist, and he was wearing it for at least two to three hours before he died,” the detective working on the case said. Police searched the room and the homes of several people known to have been in contact with Liam on the day of the tragedy, including premises associated with two escorts, but found nothing. The call girls, whose names are not being released by police, are currently being considered witnesses rather than suspects in the case, but they are understood to have hired a lawyer. Hours before his death, Liam ordered two bottles of champagne, a bottle of whiskey and withdrew $300 from his account. Prosecutors are considering the theory that the money was intended to pay for drugs.
Payne behaved violently, smashing his laptop in the lobby before several men carried the singer to his room. Hotel staff called emergency services twice, saying the guest had taken too many drugs and alcohol and was trashing the entire room. Shortly after, Liam died. Prosecutors have ruled out suicide. They said Payne was unconscious or semi-conscious, and did not know what he was doing or was unaware of his actions. Three people, including a hotel worker, have since been charged in connection with Payne’s death. One has been charged with endangering a person resulting in death, a charge that carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. The other two are suspected of supplying drugs. The singer was laid to rest at a private funeral in Buckinghamshire on November 20. One Direction fans want a permanent memorial in Liam’s hometown of Wolverhampton.
