Suspect in Liam Payne Case breaks silence, denies supplying drugs

One of the suspects in the investigation of singer Liam Payne’s tragic death has spoken out. In an interview with an Argentinian news outlet, 24-year-old waiter Braian Nahuel Paiz shared his side of the story. 

Paiz is one of three people detained last week in connection with Payne’s passing on October 16 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The former One Direction member, who also pursued a solo career, died after falling from a third-floor hotel balcony.

Speaking to Guillermo Panizza, a journalist for Telefe Noticias, Paiz admitted to spending time with Payne shortly before his death. 

However, he firmly denied any involvement in supplying drugs to the 31-year-old singer. To date, Argentinian authorities have not confirmed the identities of the detained suspects, nor have they publicly shared any specific details about them.

Paiz said he met Payne twice before the singer's death, adding, "I never gave Liam any drugs. Our first interaction was at my workplace." He explained that they exchanged contact information and later reconnected that evening. Photos were shown of Paiz and Payne together during this time. Paiz also said that while there were rumors about Payne using drugs, he claimed that the singer already seemed under the influence when he arrived at the restaurant where Paiz worked. "He didn’t eat anything that night," Paiz stated.

The two reportedly continued to stay in contact through a private Instagram account Payne used. Paiz said they met again on October 13 at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel, where Payne was staying. Paiz, who claims he lost his job due to this investigation, recalled a night of partying. He alleged that Payne was using cocaine, while he himself smoked marijuana. "We used drugs together, but I didn’t bring him any drugs or take any money," Paiz insisted. He also mentioned that while authorities have searched his home, he hasn’t been formally questioned by investigators yet.

Paiz added that he doesn’t know the other two suspects involved in the case, nor is he aware of what happened to Payne after he left the hotel room.

Officials in Buenos Aires have released Payne’s body back to his family so that he could be brought back to the U.K. Additionally, the National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor's Office No. 14 shared the toxicology results. According to the report, toxicology tests showed that Payne had “alcohol, cocaine, and prescription antidepressants” in his system during the 72 hours before he passed away.

The autopsy revealed the cause of Payne’s death as "multiple trauma" and "internal and external bleeding," which were direct results of the fall from the third floor of the hotel. 

Reports confirmed that Payne’s fatal injuries were from the fall itself, and there was no sign of foul play or any form of self-harm. Investigators also noted that Payne didn’t make any defensive move to break his fall, which suggested he might have been unconscious or semi-conscious at the time.

Currently, the three detained individuals face charges related to “abandonment leading to death” and “supply and facilitation of narcotics.” Paiz’s statement is the first public comment from anyone directly involved in the investigation.