After a long wait, the body of Liam Payne has finally been flown back home to the UK. The 31-year-old pop star reportedly died from falling from the balcony of his hotel in Buenos Aires on October 16. Following his sudden death, his body was held in Argentina for an autopsy and further testing to determine that no foul play was involved. Reports say that the flight carrying Payne’s remains left Buenos Aires for London at 1:58 p.m. local time (1658 GMT).
The body was legally handed over to Liam’s family on Wednesday after local authorities finally concluded the required autopsy and toxicology tests. A public prosecutor in charge of the probe confirmed to the BBC that Payne’s body had been released back to his family.
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Payne’s Father Headed Back To UK
Social media footage showed Payne’s father, Geoff, at Ezeiza International Airport just before boarding the flight to the UK.
The flight carrying @LiamPayne’s remains left #BuenosAires for #London at 1:58pm local time (1658 GMT).#LiamPayne's father, #GeoffPayne at Ezeiza International Airport, minutes before boarding.
— PH News (@PHNews01) November 7, 2024
💔💔😭😭🕊️🕊️
May your spirit soar even as you rest in peace. We love you Liam 🌹 pic.twitter.com/QSgluU1PTx
Argentine media reported Wednesday that Payne’s body was taken out of the British Cemetery in Buenos Aires in the early morning, after being embalmed. A funeral home worker attending to the arrangements reported that the repatriation process would be finished in 24 to 48 hours.
On Tuesday, Geoff Payne visited the makeshift memorial erected by fans in front of the CasaSur hotel, where tributes of flowers, photos, and letters had been left for his son.
These pictures have killed me inside…..💔🥀#LiamPayne pic.twitter.com/Er9NNQkz90
— 𝗤𝘂𝗮𝗰𝗸 🦆| (@hogwartstydia) November 6, 2024
A “Lavish” Funeral For Liam Payne
“Arrangements are in place for that now and once his body is back in Britain the next step will be to announce the funeral plan.” a close friend of Payne told MailOnline
“Liam will have a very big send off, quite probably at a large cathedral somewhere close to his heart. Liam was so loved by so many people, there will obviously be enormous demand and so the service will necessarily be a huge affair.” another source told MailOnline
Details on the “lavish” funeral “should be announced very soon.”
It is also speculated that the funeral will take place at a grand cathedral, and the ceremony will be held at Liam Payne’s hometown Wolverhampton.
Liam Payne’s Tragic Death And Further Investigations
Payne apparently died after he fell from a third floor from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires. According to an autopsy, he suffered grave internal and external wounds, and he bled severally. Other toxicology and lab tests were conducted to check the presence of substances in his body at the moment of his death.
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Reports earlier indicated preliminary toxicology results, which revealed trace amounts of cocaine, though officials were swift to caution that this only did not provide a larger view of what had prevailed at the moment of Payne’s death. Investigations continue to unfold, and Argentina’s Public Prosecutor’s Office continues active work on probes into the the tragic circumstances of his death.
