A guest staying at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel heard a “really loud, violent scream” coming from Liam Payne’s room before the One Direction singer’s death, according to a new report.
Payne died at the age of 31 on Wednesday, after he fell three stories from the balcony of his room at the hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
In an interview with People magazine, another guest staying at the same hotel recalled hearing “a lot of noise” described as sounding like “heavy lifting” or “banging” in Payne’s room prior to the accident.
“I thought it was construction. I thought they were working on the room,” the hotel patron said.
The guest recalled seeing hotel staff members “going in and out” of Payne’s room and then heard “more noise” at approximately 4:30pm.
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Minutes after the commotion in the room resumed, the guest recalled “I heard a really loud, violent scream.”
The patron then “heard sirens” but wasn’t concerned until they “came down the elevator.” The guest told the outlet that they then saw the “whole street was full of cop cars.”
Authorities confirmed Payne died after 5 p.m. at the hotel. An employee called the emergency line to ask for help for a guest who was “under the influence of drugs and alcohol who had destroyed some objects in the room.”
“We need you to send someone urgently because, well, I don’t know if the guest’s life is at risk,” the employee said in a 911 call via Reuters. “He has a room with a balcony. And, well, we are a little afraid that he will do something that will put his life at risk.”
Upon arrival, officials discovered that “Payne had already fallen from the balcony of his room and died at the scene as a result of the severity of his injuries.”
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A preliminary autopsy revealed that Payne died from “polytrauma” and “an internal and external hemorrhage,” according to the National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor’s Office No. 16, temporarily headed by Marcelo Roma.
“I heard a really loud, violent scream.”
According to the report, circumstances surrounding his death are still being investigated as a “dubious” death, although it appeared as though Payne had been alone when the fall occurred and that the U.K. native was “going through some type of outbreak resulting from substance abuse.”
The Buenos Aires police said they found Payne’s hotel room “in complete disarray” with “various items broken.” Packs of clonazepam (commonly sold under the brand name Klonopin and works as a central nervous system depressant), energy supplements and other over-the-counter drugs were found strewn among his belongings, according to The Associated Press.
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Forensics teams also reported that a whiskey bottle, lighter and cellphone were retrieved from the internal courtyard where Payne’s body was found.
His body was then transferred to the Judicial Morgue, where an autopsy was performed between 9:45 and 11:05 p.m. Medical examiners requested histopathological, biochemical and toxicological testing, which is pending.
The coroners reported finding 25 injuries “compatible with those caused by falling from a height,” according to the autopsy. They also noted that “craniocerebral lesions were adequate enough to cause death, while internal and external hemorrhages in the skull, thorax, abdomen and limbs, they contributed to the mechanism of death.”
Upon investigation of Payne’s hands, no defensive injuries were confirmed. In addition, due to the position in which the body was left and the injuries from the fall, the report stated that “it is presumed that Payne did not adopt a reflex stance to protect himself and that he may have rushed into a state of semi- or complete unconsciousness.”
In 2008, Payne was discovered by Simon Cowell while auditioning for “The X Factor” when he was 14. Despite being cut, he returned to the show two years later and joined Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson to form a supergroup that later placed third in the competition.
One Direction signed with Cowell after “The X Factor” and became one of the best-selling boy bands of all time.
The group found global fame for its hits, including “What Makes You Beautiful,” “Story of My Life” and “Best Song Ever.” They released five chart-topping albums in five years after competing on “The X Factor” and embarked on four world tours.
Payne was father to son, Bear, 7, whom he shared with ex-girlfriend Cheryl Cole.
Since Payne’s death, his family members, fellow One Direction bandmates, Cole, and many other celebrities have shared tributes to the late singer.
Fox News Digital’s Tracy Wright contributed to this report.
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