Argentina police raid Liam Payne’s hotel where singer fell to his death, demand more security footage
Liam Payne’s Argentina hotel room has been raided by cops, who are on the hunt for “new intel” about the staffers working on the day of the One Direction singer’s death.
Officials were searching for documents within the Casa Sur’s registration books as part of the raid, in addition to information stored in its computers, Us Weekly reported.
The 4-star Buenos Aires hotel “must provide” more security camera footage from Oct. 16 — the day Payne plunged to his death at age 31, insiders told the outlet.
He died instantly of massive internal and external injuries and had a toxic mixture of drugs in his system at the time of his death.
The raid comes just one day after the singer’s heartbroken father, Geoff Payne, said he was cooperating with officials investigating his son’s death.
The singer’s bodyguard, Paul Higgins, has been assisting police in reviewing security footage at the hotel, alongside Payne’s father. Higgins was also seen questioning several hotel staffers.
Geoff, 66, had been warned he could have to wait for up to 10 days to take his son’s body home.
The elder Payne has since vowed to remain with his son until he can return him to the UK.
The pop star’s body is being held in a morgue while the Argentine Ministry of Justice officials continue investigations.
The father of three, who shares Liam and his sisters, Ruth Gibbins and Nicola Payne, with his wife Karen, last week visited the hotel where his son died and thanked fans for their heartfelt tributes.
Earlier this week, a preliminary autopsy report from the Argentinian Public Prosecutor’s Office found that Payne died of “multiple traumas” and “internal and external bleeding.”
In addition to the pink cocaine, also called Tusi — a combination of methamphetamine, ketamine and ecstasy — the drugs detected in his bloodstream through toxicology screening included benzodiazepine, crack, and cocaine.
A makeshift aluminum pipe for ingesting the substances was also found nearby, ABC News reported.
Witnesses also said Payne was acting erratically in the hours before his death.
A frantic hotel manager called police in Buenos Aires shortly before his death, alerting them that someone under the influence of drugs and alcohol was trashing the room and potentially endangering his life.