Five people have reportedly been charged over the death of former One Direction star Liam Payne, who sustained fatal injuries after falling from a hotel balcony in October.

The 31-year-old musician died on October 16 after into the internal courtyard of the CasaSur hotel, located in the Palermo neighborhood of Argentina’s capital, Buenos Aires, resulting in “extremely serious injuries.” According to local authorities, medics confirmed his death on the spot.

Early toxicology reports showed that the had “multiple substances” in his system at the time of his death.

Why It Matters

Argentine news outlet Infobae reported on December 29 that five people have now been charged in connection to Payne’s death, including local businessman Rogelio “Roger” Nores, who previously described the late star as a “very dear friend.”

What To Know

Nores, who said that he left the CasaSur hotel 40 minutes before the singer’s death, is one of three people to have been charged with manslaughter. Nores has previously denied any wrongdoing.

Also facing manslaughter charges are hotel chief receptionist Esteban Grassi and Gilda Martin, who served as head of security at the time, per Infobae. According to the report, those charged are not in custody, but have been barred from leaving Argentina.

Braian Nahuel Paiz, a waiter who admitted to using drugs with Payne, has been charged with supplying narcotics for payment, while Ezequiel David Pereyra, an employee at CasaSur, has been charged with supplying drugs.

Liam Payne’s Death

Authorities were first alerted at 5:04 p.m. on October 16 by a 911 call from the hotel’s manager, who reported that a man was behaving aggressively and may have been under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Personnel from the 14B Police Station went to the hotel, along with a team from the Emergency Medical Attention System (SAME), who found Payne’s body in the courtyard.

SAME paramedics confirmed Payne’s death shortly after their arrival at 5:11 p.m. The head of the service, Alberto Crescenti, later provided details in a television interview, saying that Payne had fallen from a height of approximately 13 or 14 meters (around 43 to 46 feet).

“We were alerted via 911 about a person in the internal courtyard of the CasaSur hotel,” Crescenti said. “By the time our team arrived, the man had already passed. Unfortunately, his injuries were fatal, and there was no possibility of resuscitation.”

Payne’s funeral took place at St. Mary’s Church in Amersham in Buckinghamshire, England, on November 20.

Close friends to Payne as well as his former One Direction bandmates–Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, and Louis Tomlinson–were in attendance. , two sisters and his 7-year-old son, Bear, with his mother, Girls Aloud singer Cheryl. TV presenter and actor James Corden and , who created the X Factor show where One Direction was discovered, were also present.

What People Are Saying

Rogelio “Roger” Nores, businessman charged in Payne’s death, said in a TMZ interview: “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.

“I’ve given my statement to the prosecutor on October 17 as a witness and I haven’t spoken to any police officer or prosecutor ever since.

“I wasn’t Liam’s manager. He was just my very dear friend.”

Brian Nauel Paiz, waiter charged in Payne’s death, said on Argentine TV on November 9: “I never supplied Liam with drugs. Liam’s first contact with me was at my place of work. We swapped details and saw each other later that night. It was all normal. He came down from his hotel room to fetch me because I had got lost.

“We got together there and he showed me some of the music he was going to bring out. I’ve heard people saying he was taking drugs, but the truth is that when he got to the restaurant where I was working, he was already under the effects of drugs and he didn’t actually eat anything.”

“We took drugs together, but I never took drugs to him or accepted any money,” Paiz went on, saying that he smoked marijuana when they met a second time. “I never took drugs to him or accepted any money.

“I have messages where he’s offering me money, because he was apparently used to offering money for everything, but I never accepted anything.”

What Happens Next

The police investigation is ongoing; court dates have yet to be announced.