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Former One Direction star Liam Payne dead at 31
Former One Direction band member Liam Payne has died at age 31 after falling from the third floor of the four-star CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, according to police.
null - Liam Payne's autopsy revealed that the One Direction singer died from "polytrauma" and "an internal and external hemorrhage."
Payne died Wednesday, Oct. 16, as a "result of the fall he suffered from the balcony of the third floor room of the hotel in the Buenos Aires neighborhood of Palermo where he was staying," according to the National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor's Office N°16, temporarily headed by Marcelo Roma. He was 31.
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 musician was "going through some type of outbreak resulting from substance abuse."
Liam Payne attends the World Premiere of "I Am Bolt" at Odeon Leicester Square on November 28, 2016 in London, England. ((Photo by Mike Marsland/Mike Marsland/WireImage via Getty Images)
Authorities confirmed Payne died after 5 p.m. at the Casa Sur hotel in the Palermo district, located on Costa Rica Street. 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."
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."
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. 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.
"At this point, analysis of stomach contents, alcohol and blood toxins, vitreous humor, bile, nasal swab and urine was required to determine alcohols and toxins," the report stated.
Forensic experts 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."
"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 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."
Alberto Crescenti, head of the state emergency medical system, said on Argentina’s Todo Noticias TV that Payne had fallen into a courtyard at the CasaSur Hotel in Palermo and declined to provide further information about the incident, The Associated Press reported.
Crescenti also told Todo Noticias that authorities were investigating the circumstances and that an autopsy would be conducted. Local media reports noted Payne was in Buenos Aires to attend One Direction bandmate Niall Horan's concert.
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 super group 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." The group released five chart-topping albums in five years after competing on "The X Factor" and embarked on four world tours.
Payne had one child, a seven-year-old son, Bear, with ex-girlfriend Cheryl Cole.
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Tracy Wright is an entertainment reporter for Fox News Digital. Send story tips to Tracy.Wright@fox.com.