Fresh heartbreak for Liam Payne’s family after star’s pal is let off as we reveal the SIX agonising unanswered questions

IT HAS been almost two years since Liam Payne’s family – and his millions of fans – had their hearts broken when the pop star plunged to his death from a third-floor balcony at the Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires. Now, a bombshell update has ripped through the investigation. Argentinian businessman Rogelio ‘Roger’ Nores, 38, once facing the terrifying prospect of prison for negligent homicide, has been officially cleared of all criminal liability. Two hotel workers have also walked free. It has been almost two years since Liam Payne plunged from a third-floor balcony at a hotel in Buenos Aires Credit: Shutterstock Editorial Liam’s close friend Rogelio ‘Roger’ Nores, left, with the former One Direction star in the days leading up to his death Credit: Unknown Meanwhile, two defendants charged with selling cocaine to Liam await their fate, but case sources now think a full trial over his death will never take place. For Liam’s grieving family and millions of devoted fans, Roger being cleared does not bring closure. It simply shines a spotlight on the agonising black holes still in the official narrative as a UK inquest into Liam’s death is still ongoing, despite a series of setbacks. Here are the chilling questions that still demand answers: Who really delivered the fatal dose? Liam and Argentinian waiter Braian Nahuel Paiz, who is accused of supplying drugs to the pop star While Nores and two hotel workers, Gilda Martin and Esteban Grassi, have had manslaughter charges dropped, the drug trail hasn’t gone cold. Toxicology reports confirmed a lethal cocktail of “alcohol, cocaine, and a prescription antidepressant” in Liam’s system. Two men, Ezequiel Pereya, 22, and Braian Paiz, 26, are currently languishing in an Argentine jail awaiting trial, accused of selling Liam the narcotics. Braian Paiz was working at a high end restaurant in Buenos Aires when he first met the One Direction singer on October 2, 2024. He has claimed as Liam was leaving he asked the starstruck waiter if he had any cocaine and the pair exchanged Instagram handles. Over a week later Liam, who was still in the Argentine capital, contacted him to ask for drugs. Braian admitted in his witness statement: “He ended up convincing me to get [drugs] for him. And, in all honesty, I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to see him again. That’s why I agreed to do it.” In a later newspaper interview, he said: “I’ve suffered so much psychological damage due to all this and the social condemnation, and of course I’m worried now I might be in prison for many years. But I don’t regret meeting Liam. I was a fan.” But it has become clear Liam was getting drugs from many sources, so the question remains: how did a global superstar, supposedly in a secure VIP suite, become a target for local dealers? Was there a wider network exploiting vulnerable guests at the Casa Sur? When will the trial of the two accused take place? Floral tributes to Liam in his hometown of Wolverhampton Credit: PA The two defendants charged with selling cocaine to Liam in the lead up to his death are still awaiting trial. Restaurant waiter Braian Nahuel Paiz, 26, and hotel worker Ezequiel David Pereyra, 22, served over one year in police precincts and in a federal prison until they were released in March. The Sun understands that there have been negotiations for a plea deal for the two young men. That could mean that a full trial over Liam’s death never takes place. The pair are accused of selling drugs to Liam but if the plea deal goes ahead that charge could be reduced to supply of drugs for free, which carries a maximum sentence of six months. According to legal experts, given the pair have no prior criminal convictions, the sentence would already be covered by time served. Pereyra’s defense attorney, Augusto Maria Cassiau, told The New York Post: “We would be inclined to accept the offer.” What part will Cheryl play in the ongoing investigation? Cheryl has been officially named as a co-administrator of Liam’s massive estate Credit: PA:Press Association Another heartbreaking chapter involves Cheryl, who shares 9-year-old son, Bear, with Liam. Since Liam tragically passed away without leaving a will, his entire £25.7 million estate will eventually pass to his young son. In May 2025, Cheryl was officially named as a co-administrator of his massive estate alongside attorney Richard Mark Bray. However, her power is strictly administrative. She and Bray can “manage the money” but cannot distribute it without further legal authority. Shortly after Liam’s passing, Cheryl issued a searing statement condemning the “abhorrent reports and media exploitation” surrounding his death, begging for Liam to be given “the little dignity he has left”. Cheryl is a plaintiff, on behalf of their son Bear, in the case against the waiter and the hotel worker, who are charged with supplying Liam drugs. The Sun understands that she could ultimately have the last say over any plea deal agreed with the Argentine authorities – but she, or her lawyers, have so far not objected to the rulings in Roger’s favour. Now as the inquest stalls, how much longer will Cheryl and Bear have to wait for the final legal chapter to close? What happened on the balcony? An aerial view of the poolside area of the hotel where Liam died Credit: AFP The most haunting mystery of all. We know Liam fell from the third floor of the hotel, where he was staying in Room 10. But the moments leading up to that fatal plunge are still shrouded in silence. The UK coroner, Crispin Butler, has been desperately chasing “eyewitness statements” from Argentina since late 2025. Following his death, it was reported that Liam jumped off his balcony, perhaps trying to reach the swimming pool below that it was claimed he had been denied access to because of his intoxicated state. But it later became clear he had fallen backwards, possibly after falling unconscious, causing unsurvivable injuries to his head and dying instantly. The toxicology report read: “Due to the position in which the body was found and the injuries from the fall, it is presumed that Payne did not adopt a reflexive posture to protect himself and may have fallen in a state of semi or total unconsciousness.” After forensic experts studied the singer’s hands, they did not find any defensive injuries, which led them to believe that “the injuries on the body were vital and produced at the same time, and that no injuries were observed that could suggest the intervention of third parties”. Are there witnesses who saw the build-up? Were there warning signs ignored by hotel management before he stepped onto the balcony? And why did they let him back into his room? Why are the Argentine authorities not working more closely with their UK counterparts? For Liam’s family, the wait for justice is becoming a cruel joke. The UK inquest has been delayed repeatedly, first pushed to May 2026, and now stalled again because British coroners are still waiting on fully translated case files and evidence disclosures from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Coroner Crispin Butler told a pre-inquest hearing there had been no updates since a last review in January 2025, when he said he would seek full reports and eyewitness statements before a final inquest. He added: “We have had no further disclosure of evidence from Argentina via the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.” It has been 21 months. Why are the Argentine authorities dragging their heels in handing over the final, unredacted timeline?