Investigators not yet ready to release Liam Payne’s body to his family
Initial toxicology results show Liam Payne had cocaine in his system when he died
By Artemis Moshtaghian, Manuela Castro, Federico Jofre, Michael Rios, CNN
(CNN) — Investigators looking into the death of singer Liam Payne said they are not yet ready to release his body to his family, pending further toxicology reports, according to a statement from prosecutors in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Geoff Payne, father of the former One Direction singer, arrived in Buenos Aires on Friday.
“The representative of the Public Prosecutor’s Office informed the father that the toxicological and histopathological studies complementary to the autopsy have not yet been completed, and that their results are necessary to decide on the release of the body,” a spokesperson for the Public Prosecutor’s Office told CNN in a statement Tuesday. “He also informed him that the prosecution is not aware to date of other studies or laboratory analyses and has not released any type of specific technical report outside the exclusive framework of the investigation and the judicial process corresponding to the case.”
Final toxicology report findings are not expected to be released for some weeks, but the initial report “suggested evidence of exposure to cocaine,” according to an Associated Press report, citing an Argentinian official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief journalists.
“Due to the need to respect the memory of the victim, everything that arises in the context of the investigation will first be reported to the family,” the Public Prosecutor’s Office added in their statement.
The circumstances surrounding the former One Direction star’s fatal fall from a third floor balcony at CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires last week remain under investigation by authorities.
“Everything indicates that the musician was alone when the fall occurred,” the public prosecutor’s office in Argentina said Thursday.
Payne, 31, was previously open about his struggle with addiction and mental health.
Payne’s former bandmates – Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik – released a statement last week honoring the man they called a “brother.”
“The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever,” their joint statement said.
The investigation
On Wednesday, Buenos Aires police responded to the hotel after a staffer requested urgent police assistance via a 911 call to help with a hotel guest who was “overwhelmed with drugs and alcohol” and whose life they feared was “at risk,” according to the emergency call obtained by CNN’s local affiliate Todo Noticias.
Marcelo Roma, the prosecutor in charge of the investigation, last week confirmed the preliminary autopsy report that determined Payne’s death was due to multiple serious injuries and “internal and external hemorrhage” as a result of his three-story fall.
Officials investigating the incident also suspect he may not have been fully conscious at the time of his fall. “Due to the position in which the body was found and the injuries from the fall, it is presumed that Payne did not adopt a reflexive posture to protect himself and may have fallen in a state of semi or total unconsciousness,” the report read.
A picture released by police in Buenos Aires on Wednesday showed a table in Payne’s hotel room with items scattered across it, including unidentified white powder, crumpled tinfoil and a lighter. Some charred marks are also visible on the table.
Payne’s father, Geoff Payne, traveled to Buenos Aires on Friday, visiting the hotel where his son died. Visibly emotional, Geoff Payne thanked the fans gathered outside the hotel, expressing his gratitude for their overwhelming show of support.
Over the weekend, One Direction supporters paid tribute to the singer in memorials held around the world.
Payne is survived by a 7-year-old son named Bear, whom he shared with singer Cheryl Cole.
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