Liam Payne Was Trying to Escape From His Hotel Balcony When He Fell to His Death, New Evidence Reveals
While initial reports said Liam Payne "jumped" from the third floor balcony of his hotel room at CasaSur — and police later claiming he "fell" — new evidence hints the late One Direction singer may have been trying to escape when he plummeted to his death on Wednesday, October 16, at age 31.
According to witnesses, the police report, a 911 call and surveillance footage, Payne was causing a scene in the hotel lobby while noticeably under the influence before three employees carried him up to his room just minutes before he lost hist life. At the time, he was believed to be conscious and able to hold his head upright after standing on his own moments prior, per a news publication re-examining the evidence.
Upon arrival at his hotel room, Payne was resisting and fought against them, seemingly not wanting to go inside — however, the staffers had a master key to open the door and put the "Teardrops" singer inside before moving a mirror from the wall directly outside of his room in an apparent effort to avoid damage to it, a surveillance video showed.
The hotel seemed to know Payne might use the balcony to try to escape, as the manager admitted during a 911 call: "I don't know whether his life may be in danger. He is in a room with a balcony, and, well, we're a little afraid ..."
Evidence strongly points to Payne having an escape plan, as a bag was strapped around his shoulder at the time of his death — something he didn't have on him in the lobby — in addition to a hat he must have put on inside of his room.
He also appeared to try reaching the second floor balcony at first before having a shorter jump to the ground, as a brown leather bag was discovered on the floor of the balcony below his hotel room with a note that said "for Liam," along with several pill containers and a bottle of Jack Daniel's.
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The report seemed to assume he dropped the bag to the second floor before trying to maneuver himself to the balcony below him.
Sources with direct knowledge on the situation told the news publication they believe Argentinian law enforcement members are trying to protect the hotel, with insiders claiming management at the property should be held responsible for allegedly caring more about keeping peace in their lobby and public places than Payne's life and safety.
Payne — who hated being locked up in hotel rooms ever since his time in One Direction — previously used a balcony to escape as recently as mid-September, when he used a garden hose to lower himself from the balcony of a Florida rental house after his bodyguard forced him inside of a room on suspicion the pop star was using drugs, the sources noted.
The late boy band member was recently laid to rest, with former One Direction members Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson all attending the funeral on Wednesday, November 20.
TMZ spoke to sources and obtained police reports examining Payne's death.