Several people have been charged and arrested in connection to the death of Liam Payne.
In October 2024, Payne died at age 31 after falling from a third-floor balcony at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires. Following his death, an investigation was conducted and the hotel was searched multiple times.
According to a preliminary autopsy, Payne’s cause of death was cited as “multiple traumas” which included hemorrhages in his chest, skull and abdomen. A partial autopsy reportedly found “pink cocaine” — a mix of methamphetamine, ketamine and MDMA — cocaine, benzodiazepine and crack in Payne’s system.
In November 2024, the prosecutor’s office charged three individuals — who were not named at the time — with abandonment leading to death and the supply and facilitation of narcotics. According to a 180-page indictment, the suspects included a “companion” of Payne, a hotel employee and a narcotics supplier. Prosecutor Andrés Esteban Madrea requested that the suspects provide a deposition and be placed under arrest.
Everything to Know About Liam Payne’s Death Investigation
The following month, a local Argentinian news outlet reported that five people were charged in connection to Payne’s death. Payne’s friend Roger Nores was among those facing manslaughter charges, along with two CasaSur Palermo employees Esteban Grassi and Gilda Martin. Braian Nahuel Paiz, a waiter, and CasaSur employee Ezequiel Pereyra were charged with allegedly supplying drugs to Payne ahead of his death. All five individuals were summoned to appear in court.
Keep scrolling for a break down on who’s been charged in the case and what their current status is:
Braian Nahuel Paiz
At the beginning of the investigation, Paiz was immediately deemed a suspect. Paiz, a waiter who was accused of supplying Payne with narcotics, ultimately denied dealing drugs to the late musician. Paiz claimed he met Payne when he dined at the restaurant where Paiz worked at in Puerto Madero weeks before his death.
While Payne dined at the establishment, Paiz alleged the singer “was already under the effects of drugs and he didn’t actually eat anything.” However, the duo exchanged information and met up another time.
“We took drugs together, but I never took drugs to him or accepted any money,” Paiz claimed in a November 2024 interview with Argentina’s Telefe Noticias.
That same month, Paiz exclusively told Us Weekly that he wanted to aid the authorities in their ongoing investigation.
“I want to contribute everything: my phone, everything to the investigation,” Paiz said. “I have nothing that can harm me. … The other thing is to contribute what I saw personally and what I experienced firsthand.”
In December 2024, Paiz was charged with allegedly supplying drugs to Payne. Us confirmed in January 2025 that he was arrested and could face between four and 15 years in prison.
Ezequiel Pereyra
Pereyra, who was a CasaSur employee, was charged with allegedly supplying drugs to Payne before his passing. Local outlets reported Pereyra was arrested in January 2025, nearly one week after Paiz, per CBS News.
Roger Nores
Nores, who was a close friend of Payne, was accused of abandoning Payne ahead of his death and was charged with manslaughter. Nores has vehemently denied the allegations.
“I never abandoned Liam. I went to his hotel 3 times that day and left 40 minutes before this happened,” Nores told the Daily Mail in a November 2024 statement. “There were over 15 people at the hotel lobby chatting and joking with him when I left. I could have never imagined something like this would happen.”
In December 2024, Nores testified regarding Payne’s drug use and claimed his struggles continued despite seeking treatment.
“Because of his addictions, Payne continued to attend rehab centers of his own free will in an attempt to overcome them,” Nores said in a court filing. “Unfortunately, these treatments were not successful and his addiction worsened as he began to use harder drugs, such as heroin.”
While Nores has been charged with manslaughter, he has not been arrested.
Esteban Grassi
Grassi served as the hotel’s receptionist. Grassi has been accused of asking others to take Payne to his room before his death and subsequently charged with manslaughter. Grassi has not been arrested.
Gilda Martin
Martin worked as a manager at the CasaSur Palermo hotel. Grassi was charged with manslaughter for allegedly failing to stop Payne from being taken to his hotel room before his deadly fall, per the BBC. An arrest has not been made.
