Liam Payne’s Death: Hotel Staff Charged For Failure To Ensure Guest’s Safety

The manager of the Buenos Aires, Argentina, hotel where One Direction singer Liam Payne fell to his death has been charged. 

CasaSur Palermo, receptionist manager Esteban Reynaldo Grassi, has been charged for his involvement in the events leading up to Payne’s death, raising further questions about the circumstances surrounding the case.

Judge Laura Bruniard will decide on Dec. 19 if Grassi and a second hotel employee, operations manager Gilda Agustina Martín, will face formal criminal charges. Both employees have already been questioned via Zoom as part of the ongoing investigation. 

Argentina’s judicial system involves a preliminary investigation to determine whether there is enough evidence to bring formal criminal charges. If found guilty, the employees could face charges related to negligence or failure to ensure guest safety, both punishable under Argentine law.

On Nov. 7, Payne’s toxicology reports were released to the public. The findings revealed the singer had “alcohol, cocaine, and prescription antidepressants” in his system at the time of his death.

Three additional suspects are under investigation, with a decision on potential criminal charges expected after the New Year. Braian Nahuel Paiz, a 24-year-old waiter, admitted to using cocaine and taking whiskey shots with Payne two days before his death. Uriel Alejandro Astengo is accused of supplying drugs to Payne, while Rogelio “Roger” Nores, a close friend, was reportedly with Payne shortly before his fatal fall.

Authorities also released an emergency call to the police. 

“We have a guest who is [allegedly] high and drunk,” the hotel employee said. “When he is conscious, he is destroying his room, and we need you to send someone, please. We need you to send someone urgently because I don’t know if his life is in danger. He is in a room that has a balcony, and we are scared he might be endangering his life.”

Moments after the call, Payne fell from the balcony. Forty minutes earlier, Liam had been with Nores, hanging out in the lobby. “I never abandoned Liam,” Nores told police. When he left, “there were over 15 people at the hotel lobby chatting and joking with him.”

However, CCTV footage shows Payne being carried through the lobby by three employees before being placed in his room. The footage showed Payne allegedly fighting back, refusing to go in the room. A police report indicates that a black hat and a Louis Vuitton bag were found near Payne’s body when it was discovered. 

Payne’s memorial service was held last month at The Dorchester Hotel in London. One Direction members, his ex-wife Cheryl Cole and his young son, Bear Payne, were all in attendance, mourning the loss of the beloved singer.