Liam Payne death: Police describe 'total disorder' in singer's room, autopsy confirms he died from hotel fall

More details about the moments leading up to Liam Payne's death have emerged.

The 31-year-old singer died after falling from his hotel room balcony at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Oct. 16. A 911 call made from the hotel just minutes before Payne's death shows that the hotel staff feared for his safety and believed the singer was intoxicated.

Police issued a new statement on Thursday about what was found at the scene and in Payne's room. A preliminary autopsy report confirms Payne died as a result of head injuries consistent with his balcony fall.

In a statement, Payne's family said they are "heartbroken."

Here's the latest.

911 call released

The hotel's "chief receptionist" made the first of two calls at 5:01 p.m. about a guest on "drugs and alcohol" who was "trashing the entire room," according to a BBC transcription. The caller claimed that when the guest "is conscious he is trashing the entire room and we need you to send someone."

The hotel employee got disconnected and called 911 a second time, asking them to "send someone urgently" for fear that the guest's "life may be in danger" as he "is in a room with a balcony."

La Nación, a national newspaper in Argentina, said resources were dispatched at 5:04 p.m. and they quickly arrived. Reports about a "male fallen from the third floor" came in at 5:07 p.m. Payne was pronounced dead at the scene in the hotel's courtyard minutes later.

Alberto Crescenti, the director of SAME (Buenos Aires Emergency Medical Services), told ABC News that Payne had fallen about 42 to 45 feet. He described the injuries as "very serious" and "incompatible with life."

Police found Payne's room in 'total disorder'

Police told Reuters that they found a bottle of whiskey, a lighter and a cellphone near where Payne had fallen in the hotel. Fingerprint analysis will be conducted.

In Payne's hotel room, police said they found over-the-counter medications, energy packs and the prescription medication Clonazepam, which can be used to treat anxiety.

"Upon entering [the hotel room], total disorder was observed, with various elements broken," police said. They took evidence to be analyzed at a lab along with Payne's notebook and passport.

Payne had been open about past alcohol abuse, and in 2023, revealed he was sober. It's unconfirmed at this time whether the singer was intoxicated prior to his death. Payne spoke openly about struggling with anxiety. An investigation is ongoing.

Hotel guest claims to have heard 'loud noises' coming from Payne's room

Doug Jones, who was staying at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel, told the BBC that he thought work was being done in Payne's room because of the "loud noises" inside. He said it got very loud after about 4 p.m.

"I was here all day long. The room across the way, I think they were staying there," he said. "I thought they were working on the room. There was a lot of noise, like heavy lifting, like banging, a lot of loud ... noises, I thought."

Head injuries sustained from fall caused Payne's death, according to initial autopsy

The local prosecutor's office issued a statement and said autopsy findings determined Payne died of "multiple trauma" and "internal and external hemorrhage" as a result of the fall. A toxicology report is pending, which will show if he was under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

The medical examiners determined "25 injuries described in the autopsy were compatible with those caused by a fall" from the height of Payne's room. The head injuries sustained were significant enough to cause death. No defensive injuries were found on Payne's body.

The statement read, "given the position in which the body was left and the injuries from the fall, it is presumed that Payne did not adopt a reflex posture to protect himself and that he could have fallen into a state of semi- or total unconsciousness."

In Argentina, a court can require a forensic autopsy in the case of a violent or suspicious death and family authorization is not required.

The National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor's Office No. 16 is handling Payne's death investigation. It is being treated as a "doubtful death" as a matter of protocol. According to the prosecutor's statement, "everything indicates that the musician was alone when the fall occurred" as he was going "through some kind of outbreak due to substance abuse."

"Police who surveyed the scene and found substances inside the room that at first glance — and pending confirmation from the experts — would be narcotics and alcoholic beverages, as well as several destroyed objects and furniture," prosecutor's added.

Three hotel workers and two women were interviewed by authorities. The two women were with Payne in his room in the hours leading up to his death, but not when the incident occurred.

One Direction, Payne family issue statements

The musician's family issued its first statement: "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."

Payne's former bandmates said they are "completely devastated by the news" in a message signed by Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik.

"In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say. But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly," they said.

Fans gather outside Payne's hotel

Devastated fans flocked to the CasaSur Palermo Hotel to mourn the former One Direction singer. They gathered with candles, flowers, letters and songs.

Updated, Oct. 17, 2024 at 6:08 p.m. ET: This story has been updated to include new information surrounding Payne's death.