Two women understood to have spent Liam Payne's final hours with him have been named as they speak out about their experience with the former One Direction star.
Liam, 31, died instantly after he fell from a balcony at the CasaSur Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Wednesday (October 16). The Teardrops hitmaker fell from around 13 or 14 metres, sustaining "very serious injuries incompatible with life."
The Sun has now reported the singer welcomed Aldana Serrano, 31, and Lucila Goitea, 27, to the hotel at around 11.30am. They then departed the luxury venue at 4pm.
Both women have now been questioned by police. A source said: "Aldana and Lucila are absolutely devastated by what happened after they left the hotel.
"They co-operated with the police as soon as they were contacted and wanted to help with the investigation as much as possible. Police have the girls' phone numbers and they will contact them as and when they need if they feel they need any more information."
Aldana and Lucila were named by Argentinian TV journalist Mercedes Ninci as the women who were allegedly in Liam's hotel. Reports suggest Liam argued with one woman over money in the hotel's lobby.
Another guest at the hotel, US national Michael Fleischmann, claims he saw Liam boasting about his vast fortune. He said Liam could be heard saying: "I’ll give you $20,000 (£15,300) just because I can. I have $55million (£42.2million) and I like to help people."
The news comes following an update on Liam's autopsy. New reports have suggested Liam's remains could stay in Argentina for between 10 and 15 days as toxicological tests are run.
His body will be repatriated to England and returned to his family in England once the results of the tests have been determined. Liam's father, Geoff Payne, travelled to the South American nation where his son died to identify the body and organise arrangements for Liam's repatriation. He was pictured at CasaSu Hotel, surrounded by mourners who had left flowers and notes, the Daily Star previously reported.
The funeral would then not take place until next month once Liam's body has been given back to his family. The British Embassy told Argentinian newspaper Clarín: "We are supporting Liam Payne's family and are in contact with local authorities."
The preliminary results of an autopsy by the Forensic Medical Corps at the Judicial Morgue on Viamonte Street found the Teardrops hitmaker died from "multiple traumas" immediately after the fall, resulting in "internal and external bleeding." The report said a toxicological and anatomical-pathological study of his blood and urine were being carried out to determine whether there were traces of drugs in Liam's system.
Following his death, Liam's family issued a statement saying: "We are heartbroken. Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul. We are supporting each other the best we can as a family and ask for privacy and space at this awful time."
Liam's former bandmates – Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik, who were brought together on The X Factor in 2010 – issued a joint statement on Thursday night (October 17). "We're completely devastated by the news of Liam's passing," it read.
"In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say. But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly.
"The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever. For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends, and the fans who loved him alongside us. We will miss him terribly. We love you Liam."
English (US) ·