Who Is Roger Nores, Liam Payne's Alleged Manager, Charged in Singer's Death

Rogelio "Roger" Nores, Liam Payne's friend and alleged former manager, is among five people who were charged on Monday in the singer's death.

Why It Matters

Payne, who was 31, died on October 16 after he had fallen from a third-story balcony at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, according to local officials.

The singer died from "multiple trauma" and "internal and external hemorrhage" sustained from the incident, according to the preliminary autopsy report. A toxicology report found that the singer had alcohol, cocaine and prescription antidepressants in his system.

Payne was a member of the band One Direction, which gained worldwide success after performing on the X Factor in 2010. He went on to pursue a solo career after the band went on hiatus in 2016.

What To Know

The prosecutor's office announced on Monday that it charged three people for negligent homicide and two people for supplying narcotics.

Prosecutors presented the evidence they collected to a judge on Friday who decided to move forward with the case.

Who Is Roger Nores?

The press release from the prosecutor's office refers to Nores as "R.L.N." Prosecutors said he was Payne's companion during the trip.

The press release states that "R.L.N." abandoned the singer despite having knowledge of his addictions to alcohol and cocaine. Prosecutors said "R.L.N." left the hotel 50 minutes before the deadly incident.

Nores is a 35-year-old businessman and first met Payne in 2020 at a dinner hosted by the former editor of British Vogue, according to The Sun.

The outlet said Nores has been working as Payne's manager before resigning earlier this year.

Nores has denied working as Payne's manager and said he was "a very dear friend." He also denied having any involvement in Payne's death.

Who Were the Other People Charged in Liam Payne's Death?

Several hotel employees, including the manager and head of reception, and a local waiter were also charged.

What People Are Saying

A magistrate judge in a statement: "I believe that at that point, given the result of the autopsy, Payne's state of vulnerability was evident. N. could not trust that the rest of the hotel staff would act appropriately."

What Happens Next

The judge has decided to move forward with the case. "R.L.N." who is originally from the United States, was barred from leaving Argentina.

If convicted, Nores is facing one to five years in prison.

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Singer Liam Payne is seen at Hyde Park in London. Rogelio "Roger" Nores, Payne's friend and alleged former manager, is among five people who were charged on Monday in the singer's death. KGC-254/STAR MAX/IPx