Liam Payne‘s body will be released to his father, Geoff Payne, as funeral arrangements are underway in his home country of England. The news comes as Argentine authorities reportedly conducted a new round of raids related to their death investigation.
Multiple outlets reported that Liam’s body was being prepared for a U.K. transfer, signaling necessary toxicological and laboratory reports have been completed in connection with his death. Investigators believe the former One Direction singer was under the influence of drugs before he fell to his death from his third-story hotel balcony on Oct. 16.
Geoff arrived in Buenos Aires shortly after his son’s death and offered to help investigators, according to the prosecutor’s office. He has been in the country waiting for Liam’s body to be released. Sources told ABC News that the prosecutor’s office granted the release of Liam’s body to Geoff. The Daily Mail reports a memorial service will take place in the U.K. after the singer’s repatriation.
As for where the death investigation stands, TMZ claims police raided the homes of two employees of the CasaSur Palermo Hotel, which is where Liam was staying when he died. Authorities reportedly also raided the home of a local acquaintance of Liam’s after reviewing text messages between the two. Investigators are trying to determine how the singer procured drugs before his death. Police raided the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in October and purportedly obtained electronic evidence.
ABC News reports investigators homed in on a hotel employee after CCTV footage allegedly showed multiple exchanges between that person and a drug dealer before Liam’s death. The singer was reportedly seen twice in video footage sleeping in the hotel lobby with a bottle of whiskey in his hand. Liam had been open about his struggle with alcohol addiction and said in 2023 that he was six months sober. ABC’s police sources claim investigators do not believe the singer’s hotel fall was intentional.
Initial toxicology results showed Liam had “multiple substances” in his system, including traces of “pink cocaine” — a cocktail of several recreational drugs that can include MDMA (ecstasy), ketamine and caffeine in various amounts, per the National Capital Poison Center. Cocaine, benzodiazepine and crack were also discovered in his system, according to ABC News. A full autopsy report has yet to be released.
