Police Raid Homes of Friend, Hotel Staff in Investigation of Liam Payne’s Death

Police in Argentina have reportedly raided the homes of two hotel employees and a friend of British singer Liam Payne as part of an ongoing investigation into his death last month. The 31-year-old former One Direction star tragically died on October 16 after a fall from a third-floor balcony at CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires.

According to sources, including TMZ, officers conducted the raids Tuesday night, also searching the lockers of hotel employees who had contact with Payne in his final hours. Investigators believe the two employees and the friend had communicated with Payne before his fatal fall, and they are examining whether anyone may have provided him with drugs prior to the incident.

The raids come after police previously seized records and electronics from the hotel last month. Argentine authorities are probing allegations that hotel staff may have sold Payne drugs, with investigators following leads found on his phone.

Autopsy results confirmed that Payne died from head injuries consistent with a fall. Prosecutors have proposed that he may have been in a “state of semi or total unconsciousness” due to an alleged drug-related episode when the fall occurred.

Reports indicate that hours before his death, Payne had been acting erratically. According to local sources, a hotel receptionist named Esteban placed two urgent calls for assistance. “We have a guest who’s off his head on drugs and is destroying everything in his room. We need someone to come,” Esteban reportedly stated. In a second call, he expressed concerns for Payne’s safety, saying, “The room has a balcony, and we are afraid he might do something.”

Local media reports Payne had been observed acting strangely in the hotel lobby, where he reportedly smashed his laptop and had to be escorted back to his room. Just moments later, a loud noise was heard in the courtyard, where Payne’s body was discovered. The investigation remains ongoing as authorities continue to gather evidence and interview potential witnesses.