Liam Payne’s Death Not Ruled as Suicide by Prosecutors, Fatal Fall Caused by Drug Side Effects

Liam Payne’s fatal fall from a third floor balcony was not ruled a suicide.

Law enforcement sources confirmed Liam’s death was caused by the side effects of the drugs he took, TMZ reported on Friday, November 8.

Liam died at 31 years old after he fell from his balcony at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on October 16. He suffered “multiple traumas” and “a hemorrhage, internal and external” which led to his immediate death, according to a press release by the National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor’s Office No. 14 on Thursday, November 7.

According to the release, Liam’s official toxicology report revealed that “in a period of 72 hours [he] only had traces in his body of alcohol, cocaine and a prescription antidepressant.”

In addition, officials ruled that “all the injuries that Payne presented were compatible with those caused by a fall from a height and that self-harm of any kind was ruled out,” as was the “physical intervention of third parties.” Since the musician “did not adopt a reflex posture to protect himself during the fall,” it “can be inferred that he could have fallen into a state of semi or total unconsciousness,” according to the autopsy.

“This situation would also rule out the possibility of a conscious or voluntary act on the part of the victim, since, in the state he was going through, he did not know what he was doing nor could he understand it,” officials added.

Witnesses told TMZ that the “What Makes You Beautiful” singer was acting “erratic” in the hotel lobby on the day of his death and claimed he “smashed his laptop and had to be carried back to his room.”

A hotel employee later called 911 with concerns about a guest — who was not identified as Liam — fearing they might fall from their hotel balcony. The employee said the guest had “overindulged on drugs and alcohol,” adding, “When he is conscious he breaks, he is breaking the whole room. Well, we need you to send someone, please.”

Liam was dead by the time authories arrived on the scene. Buenos Aires police said that Liam’s fall from the third-floor balcony resulted in “extremely serious injuries” and medics confirmed his death on the spot. “There was no possibility of resuscitating him,” the authorities reported.

A partial autopsy and toxicology later revealed Liam had multiple drugs in his system at the time of his death, sources told ABC News on October 21. This included “pink cocaine” — a recreational drug typically mixing methamphetamine, ketamine and MDMA — as well as cocaine, benzodiazepine and crack, sources said. An aluminum pipe was also reportedly found in Liam’s hotel room.

Liam was spotted with two unidentified women before his death, though they were not with him at the time of the fatal fall. The women were questioned and classified as “key witnesses,” but are not considered suspects.

In the weeks following the investigation into Liam’s death, three arrests have been made in connection with the case. “Police detained two hotel workers accused of supplying the drugs,” ABC World News Tonight confirmed on Wednesday, November 6. “And raided the home of a friend, also detained.”