Three people charged in the investigation of former One Direction singer Liam Payne’s death in Buenos Aires last October were cleared on Thursday.

Payne died in October 2024 when he fell from the balcony of his room at the CasaSur hotel in the central Buenos Aires neighborhood of Palermo. The investigation into the 31-year-old’s death has found no evidence of foul play. 

However, Payne’s friend and travel companion Rogelio Nores, as well as CasaSur managers Esteban Grassi and Gilda Martín, had been charged culpable homicide last December by Judge Laura Bruniard, who also froze part of their assets. In Argentine law, culpable homicide is to cause a person’s death due to recklessness, negligence, or incompetence while fulfilling professional or caring duties.

In the ruling, the 5th Court of the Criminal and Correctional Appeals Chamber court said that Nores did not play a role in Payne’s death, despite the appearance of being his manager or carer and the fact that the businessman was aware of the singer taking substances during his stay in the hotel. 

“Nores had not taken any special professional obligations that could have required specific knowledge that may link his actions in a way that is relevant and accountable to Payne’s death,” the ruling said, rejecting Judge Bruniard’s initial charges.

The ruling adds that while “it is probable” that if Nores had stayed with Payne, the pop star might not have taken such large quantities of alcohol and drugs, the signer could have also managed to “get ahold of the substances anyway.”

The judges also ruled out Grassi and Martín had any accountability for Payne falling from his balcony after hotel staff, including Grassi, had carried him to his room on the third floor after Payne started screaming and thrashing the lobby.

According to the ruling, there is no evidence that Nores, Grassi, and Martín engaged in “conduct that was illegal, contrary to guidelines, misguided, unconscionable, reckless or merely negligent.”

The ruling also mentions the unclear circumstances of Payne’s death. It highlights his cause of death and the presence of substances like cocaine and the antidepressant sertraline — contrary to anonymous reports saying that Payne had consumed “pink cocaine.” But “it is unknown whether he fell from a clumsy movement of his own on the railing, or if it happened because he lost consciousness.”

The ruling upheld charges against waiter Braian Nahuel Paiz and hotel employee Ezequiel Pereyra for allegedly providing Payne with drugs. They were arrested following police raids at their homes in early January.

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, help is available. In Argentina, you can phone the 24/7 141 helpline, and in Buenos Aires City you can call 108 (select option three for assistance regarding addictions specifically)