Why release of Liam Payne's body has been delayed in Argentina

The body of Liam Payne cannot be released until further toxicology reports have been completed, an Argentina prosecutor said.

The One Direction star's father Geoff Payne is currently in Buenos Aires to arrange the repatriation of his son's body following the 31-year-old's tragic death on 16 October.

A representative of the Public Prosecutor's Office informed Mr Payne that the results of the toxicology and histopathological report, complementary to the post-mortem, would be necessary to decide on the release of his son's body.

The final toxicology results are not expected to be made public for some weeks, but the initial report suggested evidence of exposure to cocaine, an official told the Associated Press, but stressed the initial results do not offer an accurate reading of how much was circulating in his blood when he died.

© JUAN IGNACIO RONCORONI/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

For the investigation, expert reports are being carried out on mobile phones, computers and security cameras, which the Prosecutor's Office said, "require a longer analysis time".

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Meanwhile, the National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor's Office also said that reconstruction of the events, which has involved taking numerous statements from hotel workers and medical professionals, is "still ongoing".

Liam fell from the third-floor balcony of the Casa Sur Hotel, with a post-mortem report saying he died of multiple traumas and "internal and external haemorrhage".

Liam Payne's rise to fame and career timeline

© NBC

• 2008: Liam auditions for The X-Factor at 14 years old and is told to come back in two years by Simon Cowell. 
• 2010: Liam returns to The X-Factor auditions and is placed in a group with Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Harry Styles, forming One Direction. The band place third in the competition.
• September 2011: One Direction's debut single, 'What Makes You Beautiful' goes to number one in the UK and around the world. Since then, the band have had 14 top ten hits in the UK and four number-one albums on the Billboard 200.
• December 2011: Liam embarks on his first world tour with One Direction. 
• November 2012: One Direction releases their second album, Take Me Home. 
• August 2013: The band's documentary film One Direction: This Is Us, hit the big screen, with thousands of fans supporting the film at its premiere in London's Leicester Square. 
• November 2013: One Direction releases their third album, Midnight Memories. 
• December 2016: One Direction announce their indefinite hiatus.
• May 2017: Liam releases his debut single, 'Strip That Down', in May. 
• December 2019: Liam releases his first and only album, LP1, which reaches the top 20 in the UK.
• March 2023: Liam releases a comeback single, 'Teardrops'. 
• October 2023: Reports that Liam's second studio album has been put on hold.

Among those paying tribute to the star following his death were his fellow bandmates Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik and Harry Styles, as well as his former partner Cheryl, who is the mother of Liam's seven-year-old son, Bear.

In a statement, the singer's family said they were "heartbroken" adding: "Liam will forever live in our hearts and we'll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul."

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Liam's older sisters Nicola and Ruth also shared heartbreaking tributes, with Nicola calling her brother an "angel who just lived for making people smile and happy" while Ruth said Liam's ability to make her laugh is what she "loved most" about him, adding she was "in awe" of his talent.

The Wolverhampton-born musician found fame on The X Factor when music mogul Simon Cowell put Liam with Niall, Louis, Zayn and Harry to form One Direction - one of the best-selling boy bands of all time.