Liam Payne's death: His friend is fully cleared of all charges

Rogelio Luis "Roger" Nores is definitively out of the proceedings in the Liam Payne (1993-2024) case. As the New York Post reports, citing court records, judges in Buenos Aires have dropped the final charges against the Argentine businessman. This means the 38-year-old no longer bears any legal responsibility for the death of the One Direction singer in October 2024.

Payne fell from a balcony and died at the luxury CasaSur Palermo hotel in the Argentine capital after consuming hard drugs. The prosecution had accused Nores of controlling the pop singer's expenses as his host, thereby having a responsibility for him.

Court: Payne was able to make free decisions

This view did not hold up in court. Three judges of the appellate court confirmed in a decision signed on June 9 the previous ruling: Payne had been an adult at 31 years old who could freely decide to consume drugs. They saw no responsibility on Nores' part. The prosecution did not appeal this decision.

Nores' attorney Rafael Cúneo Libarona considers the case closed for his client. Speaking to the Washington Post, he stated there is no chance that Nores will be drawn back into the case, that the court has clearly acquitted him of any criminal wrongdoing. He continued: "Roger was never responsible for Payne's care, let alone his addiction problems. He was not Liam's guarantor. He was his friend, not his doctor, his nurse or his therapist."

A chat and the number six

The path to this outcome took over a year and a half. In November 2024, justice charged Nores with manslaughter, with Payne's father Geoff Payne appearing as a key witness against him. This charge was dropped in February 2025, and from June 2025 Nores faced charges for drug trafficking, until that accusation was also dismissed in April.

The trigger for the second attempt was, according to the records, a message on Payne's phone in which he asked Nores for "six grams." Investigators then wanted to have his devices and those of two other people forensically examined. However, Nores had never responded to the message. The judges of the appeals court rejected the request because nothing indicated that he had agreed to obtain drugs.

The prosecution also failed with a second request. Kate Cassidy, Payne's American girlfriend who had accompanied him to Argentina and left the country before his death, was supposed to testify as a witness about his condition at the time. The judges also rejected this in June, citing a lack of sufficient grounds for a summons.

Two defendants still waiting

The proceedings remain open against two men accused of selling Payne cocaine shortly before his death. The waiter Braian Nahuel Paiz (26) and hotel employee Ezequiel David Pereyra (22) spent more than a year in police stations and a federal prison before being released in March.

A major trial over Payne's death may never happen. Sources in the proceedings told the New York Post that a deal is being negotiated. The charge could then be reduced to the free distribution of drugs, which carries a maximum of six months in prison. Since both have no criminal record, this sentence would already be covered by their pretrial detention. Pereyra's attorney Augusto Maria Cassiau told the newspaper they would be inclined to accept the offer.

Meanwhile, the evidence evaluation continues. The presiding judge Karina Andrade authorized investigators on July 3 to more closely examine ten mobile phones seized in raids, as well as a USB stick from Paiz and Pereyra. Text messages, chats on social networks and browser histories are being reviewed in search of traces of the alleged drug sales.

Cheryl Cole has the final word

Cheryl Cole plays a key role in a potential deal. Payne's former partner is participating in the proceedings as a co-plaintiff on behalf of their son Bear, who is nine years old. According to information from the New York Post, she could have the final word on any agreement.

So far, her attorneys have not objected to either the decisions in favor of Nores or those in favor of other defendants. According to court documents, their sole concern is to protect the privacy, honor and memory of the singer. When asked for comment, Cole's attorneys did not respond to the newspaper.

Two other CasaSur employees, security chief Gilda Martin and receptionist Esteban Grassi, had already been cleared of manslaughter charges earlier.