Two additional individuals have been charged in connection with the death of former One Direction singer Liam Payne, bringing the total number of accused to five.
Prosecutors in Argentina recently released an extensive update on their investigation into the tragic incident, which took place on October 16, when Payne fell from a third-floor balcony at the CasaSur hotel in Buenos Aires.
According to the report, Payne was heavily intoxicated and under the influence of drugs in the hours before his death, leaving him unconscious and unable to walk.
One of the accused, Payne's friend Roger Nores, has been charged with manslaughter. The judge asserted that Nores "abandoned" Payne despite being fully aware of his "state of intoxication, vulnerability, and helplessness."
Additionally, the hotel's manager, Gilda Martin, and receptionist, Esteban Grassi, are also facing manslaughter charges. Prosecutors allege the pair observed Payne's incapacitated state in the hotel lobby on the day of his death but took no action to assist him.
Two other individuals, Ezequiel Pereyra, a hotel employee, and Braian Paiz, a waiter, have been charged with drug supply offenses. Pereyra is accused of selling cocaine to Payne on October 15 and 16, while Paiz allegedly sold him drugs twice on October 14.
The judge's statement emphasized that all five individuals failed to protect the singer in his final hours.
The case is set to move forward in Argentina's court system, though none of the accused have entered a plea at this time.
