Wow! There has been a big update in Liam Payne‘s death investigation.
Three out of five people charged with Liam Payne’s death have been cleared, according to a rule from Argentina’s Court of Appeals obtained by Rolling Stone on Wednesday. Those let off the hook are the One Direction star’s friend Roger Nores and hotel staff Gilda Martin and Esteban Grassi, all of whom were charged with negligent homicide.
Related: One Direction Fans Could Not Handle Grammys’ Liam Payne Tribute
Because Roger left Liam alone at his hotel shortly before his death, he’d been accused of abandoning the artist. He maintained his innocence throughout the whole investigation, even describing how he’d helped to get Liam clean recently. And now the authorities are on his side. According to the ruling, judges determined Roger was not responsible for the singer “obtaining and consuming alcohol” — nor could he have prevented the pop star’s death.
While the judges acknowledged that had Roger been at the hotel he may have been able to stop Liam from obtaining substances, the judges couldn’t say for sure, noting:
“It is possible that, if he had stayed in his company at all times, [Payne] would not have obtained the drugs and alcohol in the quantities necessary for the state of intoxication he exhibited at the time of his death. It cannot be ruled out that, even if he had taken those extreme precautions… that [Payne] would have managed to obtain the substances anyway, as is common among addicts, even when they are under the loving care of their family.”
The judges also insisted Roger’s “situation” was no different from Liam’s family’s responsibility in helping him with his addiction issues, citing an email that Roger sent to Liam’s father Geoff Payne in August 2024 — just two months before his fatal fall — that expressed concerns for his pal’s health. The filing pointed out:
“Despite accusing Nores of failing to communicate and raise alarms with the victim’s family, they remained silent about the email through which the accused had expressed his concerns and warned that he would not be able to look after Payne’s health.”
BTW, Roger — who was banned from the funeral — has filed a defamation lawsuit against Liam’s dad. In light of the positive ruling, the Argentinian businessman told Rolling Stone:
“Glad this is finally over. I’m happy I’m now going to be able to travel to the UK and say goodbye to my friend.”
As mentioned, two hotel staffers’ charges were also dropped. Gilda Martin was the hotel manager and Esteban Grassi was the receptionist. They were charged after bringing the Strip That Down crooner, who was intoxicated, back to his room — where he ultimately fell from his balcony. Judges ruled that there was insufficient evidence that they acted in “thoughtless, reckless, or merely negligent behavior.”
Discussing all three individuals, the ruling stated that the “formation of this case does not affect their good name and honor.” That said, if requested by the chamber prosecutor or Payne’s estate, there is still a chance to appeal the acquittal of the accused.
This seems to suggest that authorities are honing in on hotel workers Ezequiel Pereyra and Braian Paiz, who were charged with selling drugs to Liam. According to Rolling Stone, they’re still behind bars and awaiting trial.
Whoa. Thoughts on this ruling, Perezcious readers?
[Image via WENN]
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