Liam Payne: The unanswered questions. As police investigate the pop star’s death, GRANT TUCKER reveals ten key lines of inquiry – from the critical witness to the role of a soap packet and why he was alone

It has been more than a week since the tragic death of Liam Payne, a member of one of the most successful and beloved boy bands in living memory, One Direction.

While fans around the world struggle to come to terms with the untimely death of the 31-year-old lad from Wolverhampton, Argentinian police are continuing their investigation.

But as toxicology reports emerge and a clearer picture is drawn about exactly what happened in the hours preceding Payne’s fatal fall from a 49ft balcony on October 16, fans and police are still asking several major questions…

1. Why was he left alone in Argentina?

Liam with his girlfriend Kate Cassidy, who flew back to Miami while he stayed at the hotel

The singer flew out to Buenos Aires in September with his girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, to attend his former bandmate Niall Horan’s concert in the Argentinian capital, and to renew his US visa while he was there.

Liam was videoed greeting fans at Niall’s concert on October 2 and was later seen dancing and singing along to the music.

He had planned to fly back to Kate’s home state of Florida, but his visa application, which required him to leave the States and apply from another country, was initially refused because he admitted to having abused alcohol and drugs. This meant Payne was forced to undergo psychiatric and medical tests.

The setback extended their trip by more than a week.

Kate shared on social media that she flew back to Miami on October 12, while Payne stayed behind.

On October 14, she confirmed she had left Liam alone. In a video blog she said: ‘I was so ready to leave. Honestly love South America but I hate staying in one place for too long. And we were supposed to be there for, like, five days, turned into two weeks. I was just like, “I need to go home.”‘

Kate has not elaborated on why she left the singer on his own, but a friend told the New York Post that she agonised over the decision. Of her thought process at the time, the friend reportedly said: ‘She can’t leave, or else who knows what will happen? And if she leaves, what will he do?

‘So she tells him she wants to leave, this is after a week. He begs her to stay. She keeps extending her trip, a day, two days. And he just wants her to stay, stay, stay.

‘But she has other responsibilities, other things that she’s supposed to be doing. So she finally had to make a decision.’

Liam’s US visa was eventually cleared and he was due to have his passport stamped on Friday – two days after he died.

2. Why wasn’t Liam’s bodyguard with him?

Liam’s Bodyguard Paul Higgins was tour manager to One Direction, pictured with Simon Cowell in 2010

Liam usually travelled everywhere with Paul Higgins, a heavily built 6ft Irish bodyguard, who was a father figure to him after acting as One Direction’s tour manager until 2014.

Known as the boyband’s ‘second dad’, Higgins was brought on as Liam’s security advisor when he stepped down as tour manager.

The pair became incredibly close friends with Liam attending his wedding.

Throughout the past year the bodyguard had accompanied Liam on various trips, including to the US and Saudi Arabia.

But Higgins did not go with him to Buenos Aires.

It is not known why – but a Payne family spokesman said that Higgins is ‘grieving and coming to terms with everything’ himself.

The bodyguard has been praised by fans for flying out to Argentina with Liam’s father, Geoff Payne, to provide support as they bring Liam’s body home.

One person said: ‘He was more than their head of security and tour manager, he was their [One Direction] on-the-road dad. And seeing him protect Geoff when he went to see his son is absolutely gut-wrenching.’

3. Who did he buy the drugs from?

A picture of Liam’s hotel room with the Dove packet, right, said to have contained drugs

According to Argentinian media, Liam’s post-mortem revealed he had consumed a cocktail of drugs including ‘pink cocaine’ – containing methamphetamine, ketamine and MDMA – along with crack cocaine and benzodiazepine.

Now some members of staff at the Casa Sur Hotel are under police investigation on suspicion of supplying the drugs to Liam in the days leading up to his death.

The men are accused of smuggling various narcotics into his suite via a Dove soap packet.

Sources say that Liam had been clean from drugs while living in the US for a month, and had been taken on by a new psychiatrist in Miami, where he hoped to start a new life with Kate.

But while he was in Buenos Aires, he was allegedly preyed on by drug dealers while staying at the Casa Sur Hotel, which pushed him into a relapse.

He was dropped by his record label, Universal Music, just days before his death, putting an end to his plans for a second solo album.

A close friend told the Mail: ‘He went to Argentina to renew his US visa where he had to undergo a medical examination because of his history with alcohol and drugs.

‘The results of the tests were good. Liam was 100 per cent sober. But when he checked in at the hotel, at some point someone there started giving him drugs.

‘Liam had tried really hard to get clean, then they preyed on him. These people only care about money. They didn’t care about his health.’

4. Why was he hanging out with ‘Roger’?

In the days after the One Direction star’s death, all eyes were on the mysterious ‘Roger’ – a man photographed hanging out with Liam in Buenos Aires, including at the Niall Horan concert.

Many pointed out the pair had spent a lot of time together – ‘Roger’ had joined Liam in the studio the same month – with some speculating their relationship went beyond friendship.

But Liam was quick to point out their close friendship was purely platonic and said: ‘It’s not true, unfortunately. If I was, I might go for him, but I’m not, so I won’t and he’s not – so I know he won’t.’

‘Roger’ was seen with Liam heading to his hotel room just hours before his death – before storming out and sharing his frustration at Liam’s drug use to other guests.

One guest, ‘Rebecca’, revealed: ‘Liam was making a big show of introducing himself to everyone and so Roger introduced himself to the group and said, “Hi, I’m Roger.”

‘Roger seemed definitely irritated with Liam because Liam was clearly high. Roger was rolling his eyes at Liam and then he gave us a look as if to say, “Err sorry, can you believe this guy?”

‘Roger was holding the lift door open urging Liam to go to his room. Then they took the elevator up to the third floor.

‘He was acting normally. Roger was just a member of Liam’s entourage who was trying to manage this rock star who was being impossible.

‘Some time later Roger stormed out of the hotel and apologised [to staff] for Liam’s behaviour. He said, “I’m sorry about Liam, he just gets so high.” Roger then walked out and left the hotel.’

‘Roger’ has since been identified as Rogelio Nores, 35, an Argentinian businessman.

Since identifying him, the police have interviewed Rogelio who remains a critical witness in the authorities’ investigations.

5. What was the email he read before smashing his laptop?

One of the last women who saw Liam alive revealed the singer had received an email just minutes before he died that caused him to fly into a rage and smash his laptop.

After opening the email, he shouted ‘F*** this s**t mate!’ and smashed his computer on the ground, according to the young woman ‘Rebecca’ who was staying at the same hotel as Liam and was one of the last people to speak to him.

Moments before his death, she saw him lying on the sofa in the lobby reading through his emails before becoming visibly upset and declaring: ‘I used to be in a boy band – that’s why I am so f***ed up’.

Liam then headed upstairs and, less than half an hour later, ambulances and police had arrived after the star plunged into the hotel’s courtyard.

A mobile and laptop from his hotel room have been seized by police.

6. How did he fall?

Liam’s father Geoff Payne outside the Casa Sur hotel in Buenos Aires, where his son fell to his death

In the hours after his death, it was widely believed that Liam jumped off his third floor balcony, with some speculating he was trying to reach the swimming pool that lay below, after he was reportedly denied access to it by hotel staff due to his inebriated state.

However, it has since been confirmed that he fell backwards, possibly after falling unconscious, sustaining multiple injuries on the back of his head and dying instantly.

The toxicology report read: ‘Due to the position in which the body was found and the injuries from the fall, it is presumed that Payne did not adopt a reflexive posture to protect himself and may have fallen in a state of semi or total unconsciousness.’

The autopsy further revealed that the singer was likely alone when the fall occurred and ‘he was going through some kind of breakdown as a result of substance abuse’.

After forensic experts analysed the singer’s hands, they did not find any defensive injuries, which led them to believe that ‘the injuries on the body were vital and produced at the same time, and that no injuries were observed that could suggest the intervention of third parties’.

7. Was he really alone?

Liam, pictured in 2019, is said to have told one woman, ‘I used to be in a boy band – that’s why I am so f***ed up’

Two women have gone on the record to say they were with the star on the day he died, but left his hotel an hour before his fall.

Aldana Milagros Serrano and Lucila Marianela Goitea were seen with the singer and when interviewed told authorities they ‘drank alcohol’ with him before getting in an argument about pay and storming out.

Arriving at the hotel, Aldana and Lucila – who met for the first time at Liam’s hotel – claimed they let staff take photos of their ID cards before they went up to his room.

One hotel guest told the Mail they saw Liam outside the hotel room just hours before his death arguing with a woman in the street about money.

They said: ‘He appeared a little wild and repeatedly told the woman: “I’ll give you $20,000 just because I can… I have $55million and I like to help people.”‘

The guest went on to allege Liam ‘seemed very upset’ and ‘agitated’ during the incident, adding that he was ‘walking around and pacing’ and ‘seemed very energised’.

An investigation insider said: ‘They left prior to 4pm from Payne’s room and left the actual hotel around that time because there was a problem, as Payne did not want to pay them.’

The women were questioned by the police but are not considered suspects.

8. When will the body be repatriated?

Despite Liam’s father Geoff, 66, flying out to Argentina last Friday to organise the repatriation of his son’s body, we still do not know when he will return to the UK to be laid to rest.

The family’s initial application to bring Liam home has been delayed by the Argentinian prosecutor until further toxicology reports have been completed.

So far, an initial report has ruled he was exposed to various drugs, but it was stressed the initial results do not offer an accurate reading of how much was circulating in his body when he died.

A final analysis is believed to take between ten to 15 days from the point of death, but it can take longer.

Investigators are also trawling through mobile phone, computer and security camera data, which ‘require longer analysis time’.

Meanwhile, a reconstruction of the events which led to Liam’s death, which involves taking numerous statements from hotel workers and medical professionals, is ‘still ongoing’.

9. When is the funeral?

Fans gathered outside the hotel where Payne died and held vigils around the world

As part of the boyband One Direction, Liam Payne sold more than 70 million records and his fans will undoubtedly wish to pay their respects as he embarks on his final journey.

Already we have seen thousands of Directioners – as fans of the band call themselves – organise memorials around the world, including one outside the Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires.

Last Sunday, hundreds met at the Peter Pan statue in London’s Hyde Park to light candles, sing songs, and remember their idol.

The Payne family, however, have given no indication of when the funeral of the beloved singer will take place, or how they wish members of the public to pay their respects.

10. What was he planning to do next?

Liam was on the brink of creating a new life in Florida with his girlfriend Kate and their much-loved dog, Nala.

It has since emerged that Liam had plans to marry Kate, or at least propose to her, next year.

Kate revealed that the couple had written notes to each other mapping out their future together and Liam had said how he wanted them to be ‘together forever’.

Friends have also revealed his sincere wish to get sober, and to continue to make music for his legion of fans around the world.