Police investigating the crash of Liam Payne, a former member of the popular group One Direction, are paying attention to the condition of the Argentina hotel room where he was staying.
Local daily La Nacion and Clarin reported on the 17th (local time) that police collected various evidence inside the hotel where Liam Payne stayed.
Buenos Aires police said the previous day that room 10 on the third floor of the Casasur Hotel in Palermo was “generally disturbed.” Liam Payne was found dead in the hotel patio (yard) the day before. Liam Payne has stayed at the hotel since the 13th, and police believe he fell from a room on the third floor. Inside the room where Liam Payne stayed, psychotropic nerve stabilizers such as clonazepam, lighters, and whiskey were found, and police collected them, Lanacion said.
Clonazepam, in particular, is a representative drug called “zombie drugs” along with fentanyl and zolpidem. Although widely used as a treatment for panic disorder, it is considered a drug that requires specialized prescriptions due to the risk of drug dependence and misuse. It is known that it is a drug that must be slowly reduced even when the administration is stopped because sudden discontinuation of administration during high doses or long-term administration can cause withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety, insomnia, and hallucinations.
In addition, if alcohol such as whiskey is consumed while taking Clonazepam, side effects such as drowsiness and dizziness are serious, so drug dependence is severe, but it is not administered to alcohol abuse patients.
After the news of Liam Payne’s death was reported, some photos of Payne’s room, which looked like a mess, were released mainly by local media and social networking services. The photo shows a TV with a broken screen, unidentified powder, candles, and aluminum foil thrown away in a bathtub. Some burned soda cans and soap containers are also visible.
Police are also reportedly looking into whether Liam Payne suffered symptoms of addiction or disorientation.
In particular, according to a police statement released on the same day, Buenos Aires police went to the hotel after receiving a call from emergency responders who were reported to have been affected by drugs or alcohol, and later identified Liam Payne’s body. However, the police statement did not specify that the man who caused the disturbance was “Liam Payne.”
Witnesses testified that Liam Payne was acting strangely in the hotel lobby. However, it was not confirmed whether Liam Payne’s death was intentional or an accident.
One Direction was formed in 2010 through the British program The X Factor and has grown into the world’s largest boy group. Liam Payne was 16 at the time. Liam Payne was recognized for his musicality by writing songs for One Direction himself, and has been a soloist since 2019 after stopping his team activities in 2015.
He has also mentioned drug addiction himself. “I had a hard time with alcohol and drug addiction at some point during the concert tour,” he said in 2021. “The situation got so bad that I even thought about making a serious extreme choice.” He also announced last year that he would “finish treatment in the summer and quit drinking for six months.”
JULIE KIM
US ASIA JOURNAL
