Nearly two years after Liam Payne’s death on October 16, 2024, newly revealed sworn witness statements have added significant detail to the final hours leading up to the former One Direction star’s fatal fall from a third-floor balcony at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. While the testimony does not change the established cause of death, toxicology findings, or the official timeline, it offers investigators and the public a clearer picture of Payne’s behavior, state of mind, and interactions shortly before the tragedy.
The statements come as drug-supply charges against two hotel workers remain active in Argentina and a full UK inquest continues to await further evidence, with another pre-inquest review scheduled for December 2026.
This is, unfortunately, far from the only case where a public figure’s private struggles have become the subject of ongoing, painstaking scrutiny long after their death. Check our feature on Marilyn Monroe’s Life and Death: The Disturbing Journey Behind Hollywood’s Brightest Icon, which examines another Hollywood tragedy that continues to raise difficult questions decades later.
Newly Released Testimony Sheds Light on Liam Payne’s Final Hours
Liam Payne, the former One Direction singer, died at the age of 31 after falling from the third-floor balcony of his hotel room at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires.
Toxicology results later confirmed cocaine, alcohol, and the sedative Klonopin (clonazepam) were present in his system at the time of his death.
As investigations continued, hotel workers Ezequiel Pereyra and Braian Paiz were charged with allegedly supplying drugs in connection with the case. Both men deny the allegations. They spent months in custody before being released on bail while awaiting trial.
The latest developments stem from sworn statements obtained shortly after Payne’s death from two women identified as escorts Aldana Serrano and Lucila Goitea, who investigators treated as key witnesses.
According to their testimony, Payne contacted one of the women through WhatsApp after finding her profile online. He reportedly sent photographs of himself in bed inside the hotel room, along with a video confirming his identity before inviting them to visit.
Because Payne spoke English while the women spoke Spanish, they said they communicated using a translation application.
Cases involving unresolved circumstances and difficult, sensitive details are sadly not uncommon in true crime coverage. Check our feature on The Black Dahlia Case: The True Story of Elizabeth Short and America’s Most Haunting Unsolved Murder for another case that has remained painfully unresolved for decades.
Timeline: What the Witnesses Said Happened Inside the Hotel Room
| Time | Event |
| Around 11:30 a.m. | Aldana Serrano and Lucila Goitea arrive at CasaSur Palermo after showing identification at reception. |
| Approximately two hours | The women say they had consensual sex with Payne once, using protection. |
| During visit | A $5,000 payment was agreed upon, but Payne reportedly could not complete an international bank transfer because he had no accessible cash. |
| Shortly afterward | Payne allegedly offered his gold Rolex watch, reportedly worth around £30,000, instead of cash. |
| Following disagreement | Witnesses say Payne smashed the watch before punching the hotel television three times. |
| Later | Payne reportedly calmed down, fell to his knees, sang his own songs, asked for cocaine, and pleaded with the women not to leave. |
| Around 4 p.m. | The women briefly returned to retrieve belongings and said Payne apologized for his earlier behavior. |
| Approximately 5:07 p.m. | Payne suffered the fatal balcony fall. |
According to the statements, Payne attempted to pay the agreed $5,000 fee through an international bank transfer but was unable to complete it because he had no accessible cash.
He then allegedly offered the women his gold Rolex watch, valued in reports at around £30,000.
When they insisted on receiving money instead, the statements claim Payne smashed the watch, reportedly saying:
“I can get ten more like it.”
The witnesses further alleged Payne then punched the hotel television three times, explaining that he could afford to destroy items because he could simply replace them.
After the outburst, they described a dramatic shift in his behavior.
According to their testimony, Payne fell to his knees, pleaded with them to remain in the room, admitted that money did not make him happy, drunkenly sang his own songs, and asked for cocaine.
Before leaving, the women informed hotel staff downstairs about the damaged television and the unpaid fee. They also reported Payne pacing and behaving erratically as he briefly followed them downstairs before returning to his room.
When they returned at around 4 p.m. to collect belongings they had left behind, they said Payne apologized for his earlier behavior before they departed.
The women later learned of Payne’s death through social media before providing sworn statements to Argentine police that same evening.
The sensitive details surrounding a public figure’s final hours have similarly come under close, careful examination in other high-profile cases. Check our feature on Michael Jackson’s Untold Story: The Mysterious Rise, Glory, Scandals, and Legacy of the King of Pop for a look at another entertainer whose private struggles have been the subject of continued public discussion.
A Rapid Downward Spiral Before the Fatal Fall
The witness accounts fit into the broader sequence already established by investigators.
Payne had arrived in Buenos Aires roughly 16 days before his death while waiting for his US visa renewal.
For approximately the first two weeks, he was reportedly sober and spending time with then-girlfriend Kate Cassidy and Argentine businessman Rogelio “Roger” Nores.
After Cassidy left for Miami on October 14 and Nores also departed, investigators believe Payne’s condition deteriorated.
Before moving into CasaSur Palermo, Payne had reportedly been asked to leave the five-star Park Hyatt Hotel after allegedly damaging his room and confronting staff while intoxicated.
He subsequently checked into the four-star CasaSur Palermo Hotel, where the fatal events unfolded.
Earlier hotel guest accounts and prosecutorial summaries released during 2024 described Payne appearing heavily impaired in the lobby during the afternoon of October 16. Witnesses reported he appeared unable to stand and was assisted or carried back to his room by hotel staff.
Investigators also reported evidence inside the room consistent with substance use.
Importantly, official findings have not classified Payne’s fall as a deliberate act, while investigations into the circumstances surrounding the death—including the alleged facilitation of drugs—have continued.
Cases involving a rapid, unexpected decline before a tragic outcome are, unfortunately, a recurring theme in true crime reporting. Check our feature on The Shopping Cart Killer Case: The Real Story Behind Lifetime’s “The Dating App Killer” for another case that unfolded with similarly disturbing speed.
Legal Proceedings Continue as Investigators Examine New Witness Evidence
The newly disclosed sworn statements do not alter the official toxicology findings or the established sequence of events surrounding Payne’s death.
Instead, they provide additional contemporaneous witness testimony describing his mental and physical condition during the final hours before the balcony fall.
Meanwhile, drug-supply proceedings involving Ezequiel Pereyra and Braian Paiz remain ongoing in Argentina, with both men continuing to deny the allegations.
Payne is survived by his son, Bear, whom he shared with Cheryl, while his estate and related legal matters have continued to be managed by family representatives.
International cases involving disturbing circumstances and lengthy legal proceedings have also drawn significant, sensitive coverage elsewhere. Check our feature on Hello Kitty Murder Case: Full Story of Hong Kong’s Most Shocking True Crime for another case that shook the public and remained under legal scrutiny for years.
What’s Next: UK Inquest Awaits Further Evidence From Argentina
The investigation remains active on both sides of the Atlantic.
A full UK inquest has not yet concluded, with a further pre-inquest review scheduled for December 2026 as coronial authorities continue awaiting additional material from Argentina.
As legal proceedings continue, the newly revealed witness testimony is expected to become part of the broader evidentiary record examining the final hours before one of music’s most shocking tragedies.
Disclaimer: This article is based on thoroughly researched reporting from the following sources: the Mail on Sunday exclusive (published around August 2, 2026), with consistent details reported by the Evening Standard, The Mirror, The Sun, Yahoo News, and The Express Tribune. Background information regarding Liam Payne’s death, toxicology findings, hotel timeline, legal proceedings, and the UK inquest has been compiled from BBC reporting, local Argentine coverage, and subsequent verified updates. The legal proceedings referenced remain ongoing, and official findings may be updated as additional evidence becomes available.
Source links:
Primary reporting on the sworn statements (Mail on Sunday exclusive and major follow-ups):
Background on the death, toxicology, hotel timeline, and related proceedings:
Image Credit:
- Soccer Aid for UNICEF (YouTube video screenshot), Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
Leave a Reply