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Geoff Payne, the father of Liam Payne, gave a statement to the Argentine judiciary regarding his son's death. Details about Liam's health, his relationships, and how Geoff learned of the tragedy were revealed today.
"He was fine, stable, sober." That's how Geoff described his son the last time they met, on August 29, 2024, in Manchester, England, where they celebrated Liam's 31st birthday.
The family saw Liam at least once a month, spending time with him and his young son Bear. They were aware of his struggles with addiction, a battle that began during his time in One Direction, but they believed he was stable. Unfortunately, the reality was far different.
Liam Payne's Last Months, According to His Father
Geoff's statement, shared by Infobae, highlights the Payne family's efforts to support Liam through his illness. "We managed to stabilize him, but Liam wasn't improving. He was stable but not getting better. During this time, Liam received calls from Roger. I didn't know who he was," Geoff said, referring to Roger Nores, an Argentine businessman who offered to help Liam "with no strings attached."
Acting on Nores' suggestion for a change of scenery, Liam, Geoff, and a bodyguard traveled with the businessman to Wellington, Florida, about 90 minutes north of Miami, where Nores had friends.
"We spent 10 weeks there with Liam. The four of us worked as a team—Roger, the bodyguard, and myself—under the supervision of psychologists and psychiatrists Roger had arranged. I don't have their contact details now," Geoff explained. He added that Liam's girlfriend visited occasionally.
The woman in question is believed to be Kate Cassidy, who was often seen on social media with Liam and accompanied him to Argentina.
Over time, Nores' intentions appeared to shift. According to Liam's father, Nores began pressuring Liam to engage in business deals.
"Liam knew I believed it was wrong for him to leave music for investments. When I first met Roger, his focus seemed to be Liam's well-being, and I thought he was genuine. Later, Roger shifted his focus and even tried to involve his girlfriend in the circle of trust we had built around Liam, his girlfriend, the bodyguard, and myself."
Geoff recounted that the girlfriend moved into the Wellington house after Geoff returned to England.
Liam Payne's Phone
According to Geoff, Liam didn't own a phone, saying it helped him avoid the temptation of drugs. He communicated through other people's phones, with Nores often providing updates about Liam's condition.
However, it later emerged that Liam did acquire a phone. He used it to contact a hotel employee and a waiter in Buenos Aires to supply him with cocaine, according to court documents. Both individuals are in pretrial detention, facing charges of drug distribution and sale.
The trip to Argentina, initially planned for five days according to Nores, was extended indefinitely.
Nores claimed his relationship with Liam was purely friendly. However, leaked documents from the CasaSur hotel, where Liam eventually died, show that Nores identified himself as Liam's manager.
Given this context and the fact that Nores was the last of Liam's close circle to see him alive, he now faces charges of negligent homicide. He is one of five people indicted in connection with Liam's death.
Investigations also include statements from Liam's psychiatrist, his girlfriend—who left Argentina two days prior to his death—and others who interacted with him.
The Worst News for a Father
"I learned about Liam's death from Roger. I was at home with my wife when he called me at 5:23 PM Buenos Aires time. I didn't see the call until about an hour later. In the meantime, he called again and left a message asking me to call him back as soon as possible. When I finally saw the missed calls at 6:18 PM, I called him back," Geoff recounted.
It was Nores who delivered the devastating news and urged Geoff to travel to Argentina. Liam's sisters learned about their brother's death through the media. Less than two days later, Geoff was at the CasaSur hotel, accompanied by Paul Higgins, an Irish security expert and former One Direction tour manager.
There, Geoff gave statements, met with authorities handling the case, and made arrangements to repatriate Liam's body to the UK. He never spoke to Nores again.
Almost three weeks after the death of his only son, Geoff Payne led Liam's funeral surrounded by close family and friends, including One Direction members Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, and Niall Horan. Horan, who had last seen Liam during his concert in Buenos Aires days before his death, remained a close friend.
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