Liam Payne: Five Charged In Connection With One Direction Star’s Fatal Fall From Hotel Balcony

Five people have been charged in connection with Liam Payne‘s death in Argentina, according to local media reports.

The One Direction star died in October after falling from the third-floor balcony of hotel Casa Sur in Buenos Aires, sending shockwaves through the world of music.

Argentinian media outlets Clarín and Infobae are now reporting that among those charged with manslaughter is Rogelio “Roger” Nores, who has claimed to be a close friend to Payne and was with him on the day of his death.

Others charged with manslaughter reportedly include hotel manager Gilda Martin and hotel employee Esteban Grassi. Two other hotel employees, Braian Paiz and Ezequiel Pereyra, have been charged with supplying drugs.

Laura Bruniard, a judge in the Criminal and Correctional Court Number 34, moved forward with the prosecutions. It was revealed in November that three people had been charged over Payne’s death but they were not identified at the time.

The One Direction star died after suffering a serious skull fracture. He was just 31. The singer’s funeral was held in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, in November.

In a statement last month, Nores denied any involvement in the tragedy. “I never abandoned Liam, I went to his hotel three times that day and left 40 minutes before this happened,” he said. “I could never have imagined something like this would happen.”