Liam Payne’s ‘Friend’, Arrested for Alleged Involvement in His Death, Shares Details of Their Last Encounter
After being accused and arrested for “abandonment of a person” resulting in death and supplying drugs, Liam Payne’s Argentine friend, Rogelio “Roger” Nores, broke his silence and revealed details about the last moments he spent with the singer shortly before his death. Payne, 31, passed away on October 16 after falling from the balcony of his hotel in Buenos Aires, where he was staying.
In an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail on Thursday, Nores spoke after the Public Prosecutor’s Office investigating the former One Direction member’s death confirmed the charges against him and two others. Nores denied the accusations, stating, “On October 17, I gave my statement to the prosecutor as a witness, and since then, I haven’t had any further contact with the police or prosecutor.”
Nores also refuted the accusation of leaving the singer in a dangerous situation: “I never abandoned Liam. I was at his hotel three times that day and left 40 minutes before everything happened,” he said. “When I left, there were more than 15 people in the hotel lobby talking and joking with him,” he added. “I never imagined something like this could happen.”
He further clarified his connection with Liam Payne, stating that he wasn’t his manager but rather a close friend: “I wasn’t Liam’s manager; he was just a very dear friend. I am truly devastated by this tragedy, and I miss my friend every day,” Nores said.
The interview was published hours after Argentina’s National Prosecutor’s Office formally charged Nores with abandonment of a person resulting in death, along with drug supply. The other accused individuals include Ezequiel Pereyra, a maintenance worker at the Casa Sur hotel where Payne died, and Braian Paiz, both suspected of facilitating drug supply.
The autopsy revealed that Liam had consumed cocaine, alcohol, and a prescribed antidepressant while staying at the hotel in Palermo. “The analysis results, already communicated to the family, indicate that Payne had traces of alcohol, cocaine, and a prescribed antidepressant in the last 72 hours of his life,” reported the Prosecutor’s Office after comprehensive toxicological analyses of blood, urine, and vitreous humor.
According to La Nación, Nores and the other two defendants are prohibited from leaving the country and are awaiting the judge’s decision on the dates for their upcoming depositions.
