Liam Payne had just been seen greeting fans and spending time with his girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, in Argentina in early October 2024. But tragedy struck when he was found dead in Buenos Aires. The late 31-year-old singer’s death has broken One Direction fans’ hearts around the world. And although his cause of death was seemingly from falling off a balcony, fans are wondering what happened to Liam in his final moments. Now that a partial autopsy report has been revealed, some questions have been answered.
Hollywood Life has compiled all updates so far from Liam’s autopsy report.
Liam Payne’s Cause of Death
Liam died on October 16, 2024, after falling from the third floor of his room at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel. According to a statement obtained by Telemundo, the Sistema de Atencion Medica de Emergencia explained, “In the afternoon, police personnel from Precinct 14B were directed to the hotel by a 911 call reporting an aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.”
As heard in the hotel’s 911 call to police, an employee informed emergency services, “We have a guest overloaded with drugs and alcohol. And, well, when he is conscious, he is breaking the whole room. We need you to send us someone urgently because we don’t know if the guest’s life is at risk. He is in a room that has a balcony. And … we’re a bit afraid that he does something that could put his life at risk.”
Liam Payne’s Preliminary Autopsy Report
In the autopsy report obtained by TODAY, the Argentina National Prosecutor’s Office noted in a press release that Liam died from “polytrauma and internal and external bleeding.” The release also noted that “a series of substances were seized from the musician’s room, which would prove a previous situation of alcohol and drugs consumption.”
The prosecutor’s office called Liam’s death “doubtful/undetermined,” which indicates that his death is currently inconclusive. However, it also pointed out the evidence proves “that the musician was alone when the fall occurred, and that he was going through some kind of breakdown as a result of substance abuse.”
Furthermore, the autopsy report revealed that the late “Teardrops” artist died after sustaining “multiple traumatic injuries” and “internal and external bleeding” as a result of the fall. Officials discovered around 25 injuries, including ones to Liam’s skull, which “contributed to the mechanism of death,” the press release noted.
ABC News later reported that a partial autopsy had been performed in Argentina, and it confirmed that Payne had multiple drugs in his system — including crack, benzodiazepine and “pink cocaine” — in his system when he died. Pink cocaine is commonly known as a mixture of several drugs, such as methamphetamine, MDMA, ketamine and more.
Why Was Liam Payne in Argentina?
In early October, Liam was spotted attending his former One Direction bandmate and friend Niall Horan‘s concert. As seen in viral social media clips, Liam politely greeted fans from the box suite he was sitting in.
Liam was also enjoying time with his girlfriend, Kate, as seen in his last Snapchat videos. The two appeared to be on vacation, but Kate left Argentina and returned to Florida. In a TikTok video she shared before Liam’s death, Kate explained that their Argentina trip wasn’t supposed to be more than a few days.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
