Liam Payne's Tragic Death Latest: One Direction Singer's Medical Cause of Death Confirmed as 'Polytrauma' Three Months After His Drug-Fueled Balcony Plunge
Payne's cause of death was listed as polytrauma.
Jan. 8 2025, Published 11:09 a.m. ET
Liam Payne's official cause of death has been revealed to be "polytrauma" – a term for multiple traumatic injuries that have been sustained to a person's body and organs, RadarOnline.com has learned.
The One Direction star died after plunging off a balcony in his hotel in Buenos Aires in October.
The singer fell to his death in October from a hotel balcony.
Payne's medical cause of death was confirmed after a UK inquest by Dr. Roberto Victor Cohen.
The 31-year-old singer died on October 16 after falling from the third-floor balcony of a hotel in Argentina's capital.
At a hearing on Wednesday to present the findings, it was revealed Payne was formally identified "with the assistance of the funeral directors in Buckinghamshire, England."
Senior Coroner Crispin Butler said during the hearing: "Whilst there are ongoing investigations in Argentina into the circumstances of Liam's death, over which I have no legal jurisdiction, it is anticipated that procuring the relevant information to address particularly how Liam came by his death may take some time through the formal channel of the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office."
Payne was staying at a hotel in Buenos Aires.
According to the National Library of Medicine, Polytrauma is the leading cause of mortality in young adults. Often, it is the result of high-speed car accidents or other events that put severe trauma on a person's head.
The NLM states: "Trauma-related injuries are a major public health concern due to their associated morbidity, high disability, associated death, and socioeconomic consequences."
In a military setting, polytrauma is often a result of a blast-related event. Traumatic brain injury also frequently occurs in military polytrauma patients, as well as amputation, burns and spinal cord injuries.
He was said to be high on drugs before the fall.
Payne was staying at the Casa Sur hotel in South America when he fell to his death. He reportedly has been on a drug and alcohol fueled binge before unknowingly falling from the third floor balcony.
Five people have been formally charged in with his death — including the late One Direction singer's close friend Roger Nores and several hotel workers.
Manslaughter charges were handed out to the hotel's manager, Gilda Martin, and the chief receptionist, Esteban Grassi. In addition, the One Direction singer's close friend Roger Nores was also charged with manslaughter after he left Payne alone at the hotel just 40 minutes before the tragic incident occurred.
Hotel employee Ezequiel Pereyra and Argentinian waiter Braian Paiz were charged with supplying narcotics for payment.
The One Direction singer was just 31.
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According to court documents, Pereyra allegedly sold Payne cocaine on October 15 and 16, while Paiz also allegedly distributed cocaine to the singer twice on October 14.
Paiz also reportedly admitted to using drugs, including cocaine, with Payne.
Nores has been hit with a manslaughter charge for allegedly "failing to fulfill his duties of care, assistance, and help" and "abandoning" Payne despite being aware he "suffered from multiple addictions."
The Argentinian businessman, 31, previously denied ditching the singer in November.
He claimed: "I never abandoned Liam. I went to his hotel three times that day and left 40 minutes before this happened. There were over 15 people at the hotel lobby chatting and joking with him when I left. I could have never imagined something like this would happen."
