Liam Payne Death Case: Charges Dismissed

Five months after One Direction alum Liam Payne's fatal fall from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires while intoxicated, three of five individuals charged in relation to his death have had their charges dropped. Argentina’s Court of Appeals ruled that the charges against Payne's friend Roger Nores, along with hotel staff Gilda Martin and Esteban Grassi, were dismissed.

Nores told Rolling Stone, "Glad this is finally over. I’m happy I’m now going to be able to travel to the UK and say goodbye to my friend."

In the ruling, judges said Nores was not responsible for Payne “obtaining and consuming alcohol,” nor could he have prevented Payne’s death.

While acknowledging Nores could have potentially stopped Payne from obtaining substances if he had stayed with Payne all night, the judges conceded, "It cannot be ruled out that, even if he had taken those extreme precautions… that [Payne] would have managed to obtain the substances anyway, as is common among addicts, even when they are under the loving care of their family."

The judges also reportedly cited an email Nores had sent Payne’s father Geoff Payne in Aug. 2024—two months before his death—in which he expressed concern for his friend’s health.

“Despite accusing Nores of failing to communicate and raise alarms with the victim’s family,” the ruling reads, “they remained silent about the email through which the accused had expressed his concerns and warned that he would not be able to look after Payne’s health.”

Hotel manager Martin and receptionist Grassi—who were charged after bringing an intoxicated Payne back to his room only for him to later fall from the balcony—were likewise cleared after judges ruled there was insufficient evidence that the pair acted in “thoughtless, reckless, or merely negligent behavior.”

The ruling notes of the three individuals, "the formation of this case does not affect their good name and honor."

Two additional hotel workers, Ezequiel Pereyra and Braian Paiz—who were charged with supplying cocaine to Payne—remain behind bars and await trial.