Investigators looking into the death of singer Liam Payne said they are not yet ready to release his body to his family, pending further toxicology reports, according to a statement from prosecutors in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Geoff Payne, father of the former One Direction singer, arrived in Buenos Aires on Friday.
“The representative of the Public Prosecutor’s Office informed the father that the toxicological and histopathological studies complementary to the autopsy have not yet been completed, and that their results are necessary to decide on the release of the body,” a spokesperson for the Public Prosecutor’s Office told CNN in a statement Tuesday. “He also informed him that the prosecution is not aware to date of other studies or laboratory analyses and has not released any type of specific technical report outside the exclusive framework of the investigation and the judicial process corresponding to the case.”
Final toxicology report findings are not expected to be released for some weeks, but the initial report “suggested evidence of exposure to cocaine,” according to an Associated Press report, citing an Argentinian official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief journalists.
“Due to the need to respect the memory of the victim, everything that arises in the context of the investigation will first be reported to the family,” the Public Prosecutor’s Office added in their statement.
The circumstances surrounding the former One Direction star’s fatal fall from a third floor balcony at CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires last week remain under investigation by authorities.
“Everything indicates that the musician was alone when the fall occurred,” the public prosecutor’s office in Argentina said Thursday.
Payne, 31, was previously open about his struggle with addiction and mental health.
Payne’s former bandmates – Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik – released a statement last week honoring the man they called a “brother.”
“The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever,” their joint statement said.
