More details about the sudden death of famed One Direction star Liam Payne are coming to light. According to initial toxicology results, the 31-year-old died with cocaine in his system, The Associated Press reported.
Final toxicology results are still pending and not expected to be made public for weeks, but the preliminary report “suggested evidence of exposure to cocaine,” an official explained to the outlet before stressing that the initial results were not an accurate reading of the amount that was circulating in his blood when he died.
In addition, the official spoke to the outlet under the condition of anonymity. A preliminary autopsy report released last week revealed that the One Direction singer died from “polytrauma” and “an internal and external hemorrhage.”
Payne died Oct. 16 as a “result of the fall he suffered from the balcony of the third floor room of the hotel in the Buenos Aires neighborhood of Palermo where he was staying,” according to the National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor’s Office No. 16, temporarily headed by Marcelo Roma. He was 31.
Since news of the British musician’s death was reported, many stars in the industry have paid tribute to Payne, including Justin Bieber, who was among one of many icons to mourn the loss of Payne.
On Monday, Bieber shared a somber fan-made video on Instagram dedicated to Payne, encouraging followers to remember they “are allowed to grieve as a fan. You are allowed to love someone you’ve never met. You are allowed to admire someone for their art. You are allowed to cry, to pray, to feel like a part of you is gone.” He captioned it, “Rest Easy Liam.”
LIAM PAYNE, ONE DIRECTION SINGER, DEAD AT 31
Circumstances surrounding Payne’s death are still being investigated as a “dubious” death, although it appeared as though Payne had been alone when the fall occurred and that the musician was “going through some type of outbreak resulting from substance abuse,” according to the preliminary report.
Authorities confirmed Payne died after 5 p.m. at the Casa Sur hotel in the Palermo district, located on Costa Rica Street. An employee called the emergency line to ask for help for a guest who was “under the influence of drugs and alcohol who had destroyed some objects in the room.”
Upon arrival, officials discovered that “Payne had already fallen from the balcony of his room and died at the scene as a result of the severity of his injuries.”
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The Buenos Aires police said they found Payne’s hotel room “in complete disarray” with “various items broken.” Packs of clonazepam (commonly sold under the brand name Klonopin and works as a central nervous system depressant), energy supplements and other over-the-counter drugs were found strewn among his belongings, according to The Associated Press. Forensics teams also reported that a whiskey bottle, lighter and cellphone were retrieved from the internal courtyard where Payne’s body was found.
His body was then transferred to the Judicial Morgue, where an autopsy was performed between 9:45 and 11:05 p.m. Medical examiners requested histopathological, biochemical and toxicological testing.
“At this point, analysis of stomach contents, alcohol and blood toxins, vitreous humor, bile, nasal swab and urine was required to determine alcohols and toxins,” the report stated.
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Forensic experts reported finding 25 injuries “compatible with those caused by falling from a height,” according to the autopsy. They also noted that “craniocerebral lesions were adequate enough to cause death, while internal and external hemorrhages in the skull, thorax, abdomen and limbs, they contributed to the mechanism of death.”
In 2008, Payne was discovered by Simon Cowell while auditioning for “The X Factor” when he was 14. Despite being cut, he returned to the show two years later and joined Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson to form a supergroup that later placed third in the competition.
One Direction signed with Cowell after “The X Factor” and became one of the bestselling boy bands of all time.
The group found global fame for its hits, including “What Makes You Beautiful,” “Story of My Life” and “Best Song Ever.” They released five chart-topping albums in five years after competing on “The X Factor” and embarked on four world tours.
Payne had one child, a 7-year-old son, Bear, with ex-girlfriend Cheryl Cole.
