The death of Liam Payne was announced last night, leaving One Direction fans heartbroken.
Now his family have released a statement, sharing their “heartbreak” over the tragedy. It comes after the last picture of the star was revealed by an Argentinean TV network.
Results from a preliminary autopsy have also been revealed.
The 31-year-old singer, who rose to fame on The X Factor, fell to his death from a hotel balcony in Argentina on Wednesday (October 16). The pop star died at the CasaSur Hotel in the neighbourhood of Palermo, in the Argentine capital Buenos Aires.
Family issue statement
At lunchtime today (October 17), Liam’s family shared a statement on his death.
It read: “We are heartbroken. Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul. We are supporting each other the best we can as a family and ask for privacy and space at this awful time.”
The Sun previously claimed that Liam’s parents, Geoff and Karen Payne, left their family home in the middle of the night. This morning, the downstairs curtains remained drawn at the four-bedroom detached house in the Codsall area of Wolverhampton.
‘We don’t want to comment’
A family member who answered the door told reporters: “We’re obviously devastated at the news but we don’t want to comment.”
Neighbours said the couple left in a hurry while two women, thought to be Liam’s sisters, were seen entering the property at 9am this morning. One local said: “They were seen leaving in a hurry at around midnight last night but I’m not sure if they had bags. You can’t imagine what they are going through. I know Liam liked to get back here when he could.
“They will be utterly heartbroken as they were very close. His home town always had a place in his heart. The community is going to be devastated. I think the sisters are there now, your heart goes out to them.”
Final photo
At lunchtime on October 17, a picture of Liam, said to be the last one taken of the One Direction star, emerged.
The picture was shared by Argentinian network America TV. It shows the singer leaning against a wall wearing a white vest. His tattoos can also been seen in the grainy picture.
It shows Liam at the Hotel CasaSur in the neighbourhood of Palermo on Wednesday. The presenters on America TV claimed it was the last time he was seen alive. It was allegedly taken just moments before he got into the lift to his hotel room.
Liam Payne cause of death
Reports allege that police in Argentina were called to check on “an aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol” on Wednesday afternoon.
Buenos Aires emergency services chief Alberto Crescenti issued a statement on Thursday. He shared details on Liam’s injuries.
He said: “Our role was to head there quickly, give medical attention, and try to resuscitate him. But his injuries were incompatible with life. Based on what the team saw, there was apparently a cranial fracture and extremely serious injuries that led to his immediate death.”
Crescenti said Liam had fallen into the hotel’s internal patio. However, he insisted officials will await autopsy findings.
Later on Thursday, preliminary autopsy findings revealed that the singer died from “multiple traumas” that caused “internal and external bleeding,” reports the Mirror. The autopsy was performed by the Forensic Medical Corps at the Judicial Morgue in Argentina.
The report also stated a toxicological and anatomical pathological study of his blood and urine were being undertaken to determine whether there were any traces of drugs.
A full autopsy result will be revealed in due course.
Liam Payne’s final words shared hours before death
Meanwhile, on his social media pages, just hours before his death Liam had shared photos of himself and his girlfriend Kate Cassidy.
He also told his fans that it was a “lovely day in Argentina”. He also said he planned to play polo.
In recent weeks, Liam shared that he had visited Argentina to watch his former bandmate Niall Horan perform.
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