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The
final toxicology results are not expected to be made public for
some weeks. But the preliminary toxicology report of the wildly
famous boy band star, handed to local prosecutors on Monday,
suggested evidence of exposure to cocaine, the official said,
stressing that these initial results don't offer an accurate
reading of just how much was circulating in his blood when he
died.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not
authorized to brief journalists. The preliminary report was
widely reported in local media on Monday.
Argentina's public prosecution is investigating the case — which
is not uncommon when a death is sudden or unexpected.
Payne's autopsy concluded that the traumatic injuries that
caused his death were consistent with his three-story fall from
the hotel window. Prosecutors have ruled out anyone else being
involved.
Argentine investigators found what appeared to be narcotics and
alcohol strewn about broken objects and furniture in 31-year-old
Payne's hotel room, leading the public prosecution to surmise
Payne had suffered a substance abuse-induced breakdown around
the time of his fall. The prosecution said Payne could have
plunged from his hotel room balcony in a state of “semi or total
unconsciousness.”
Photos purportedly taken from inside Payne’s hotel room
published by local media showed snowlike powder left on a table
and a smashed-in TV screen. Police also discovered a blister
pack of clonazepam, a central nervous system depressant, and
over-the-counter medications scattered among Payne's belongings.
Shortly before Payne's death, the hotel manager called 911 to
report a guest acting aggressively and under the influence of
drugs and alcohol.
Investigators are also trying to figure out who sold Payne the
drugs he took at the CasaSur Hotel in Palermo, a chic
neighborhood of the Argentine capital. Police have taken
statements from at least three hotel employees, as well as two
women who visited Payne's hotel room a few hours before his
death.
Fans and major pop industry figures around the world have
reacted with an outpouring of grief.
The late singer's father, Geoff Payne, was still in Buenos Aires
meeting with the prosecutors and other local officials Monday in
an effort to organize the repatriation of the remains.
Argentine authorities expect to release the body next week,
clearing the way for Geoff Payne to fly home and hold a funeral
back in England, where on Sunday hundreds of fervent One
Direction fans gathered to mourn the musician.
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