In a shocking revelation, Argentinian broadcast journalist Paula Varela claimed that CCTV footage captured the horrifying moment when Liam Payne fell from his third-floor balcony at a Buenos Aires hotel.
Speaking on the popular TV show “Socios del Espectaculo” on Canal 13, Varela alleged that the former One Direction star had “fainted” before falling to his death, and suggested that authorities were keeping the footage under wraps.
The world was left in shock earlier this month when news broke of Liam’s tragic demise. Varela, who is 45, also brought to light that a night worker at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel, who had reportedly become close to Liam, is now at the center of an investigation to determine who provided him with the drugs suspected to have played a role in his fatal fall on October 16.
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On the show, she stated: “There is footage that is not being released to the media with the balcony scene where you see that Liam faints and tragically because of where he is, falls from that balcony. If he had been beside his bed he would have fallen on his bed.”
One Direction fans have been mourning the death of Liam Payne (
Getty Images)
She continued, “It’s not that he jumped deliberately. This footage is in the official case files.”
Varela also mentioned, “There’s a lad who’s being investigated, he was working nights at the hotel. He struck up an excellent relationship with Liam. He disobeyed an order from the hotel management.”
“What was the order he disobeyed? It was not to take anything into Liam’s room. Because of the good relationship he had with Liam he requested a car through one of these taxi apps we all use because Liam wanted something. He did him that favor, a massive error because he’s being investigated, and they’re seeing what was transferred in that vehicle.”
“It’s one of the things the investigators are looking at at the moment and obviously this hotel worker has been suspended. He’s a cherished member of staff, a good worker, but he disobeyed an order that could have proved fatal.”
Prosecutors stated after Liam’s death that they believed he was in “in a state of semi or total unconsciousness” during a substance-induced ‘psychotic episode’ when he fell. The 31 year old Brit succumbed to multiple trauma injuries which resulted in “internal and external haemorrhaging.”
His 25 ‘life-threatening’ injuries are thought to have included a skull fracture. Investigators have suggested they do not suspect any “third-party” involvement but have made it clear the search is still on for his dealer amid speculation someone from his hotel was supplying him with narcotics.
Argentinian news portal Infobae reported last week that forensic experts had found traces of cocaine in Liam’s body but tests on a white powder pictured in leaked photos showing the inside of his hotel suite after his death had so far proved “inconclusive.”
Unverified reports from the US suggest that a mix of drugs, including the designer drug pink cocaine containing MDMA, ketamine, methamphetamine, along with crack cocaine and benzodiazepine, were found in his system during a partial autopsy. Last Thursday, Buenos Aires police descended on the hotel where Liam passed away, seen examining documents and computers in the lobby.
The singer’s father, Geoff, flew to Buenos Aires after hearing about the tragedy, hoping to expedite the repatriation of his son’s body. However, he was informed during a meeting with prosecutor Andres Madrea last Tuesday that this would not occur until toxicology and tissue tests are completed.