Liam Payne's close friend Roger Nores who was charged with manslaughter in the wake of One Direction star's death is cleared

By OLIVIA DAY, ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR, AUSTRALIA Published: 21:14, 19 July 2026 | Updated: 21:17, 19 July 2026 A close friend of Liam Payne has been officially cleared of criminal charges as the investigation into the One Direction singer's tragic death continues.  Argentinian businessman Rogelio 'Roger' Nores, 38, has now been fully cleared of all criminal charges relating to Payne's fatal fall from a hotel in late 2024.  Prosecutors did not appeal the ruling, meaning the dismissal is final. Payne died after he plunged from the third floor of his balcony at the Casa Sur Hotel in the Argentine capital of Buenos Aires on October 16, 2024.  The pop star, 31, was found to have binged on alcohol and cocaine before his death.   Nores was charged with negligent manslaughter in November 2024, with prosecutors alleging he had failed in a duty of care towards the singer.  He was accused of having 'abandoned' Payne 'knowing that he was incapable of fending for himself and knowing that he suffered from multiple addictions'.  But in February 2025, an Argentine appeals court overturned the manslaughter charges, with a judge ruling Nores was not legally responsible for Payne.  Argentinian businessman Rogelio 'Roger' Nores, 38, has now been fully cleared of all criminal charges relating to Payne's fatal fall from a hotel in late 2024 Liam Payne's last post on Snapchat before he died at a hotel last October A drone view shows the balcony on the CasaSur Hotel from where Payne fell to his death The judge said the businessman was not in a position that imposed a duty to prevent what happened or responsible for the singer obtaining drugs or alcohol. Nores has also maintained that he was only Payne's friend and had done everything he could to help him, comments echoed by his attorney.  In a statement, he said Nores 'never had the duty of caring for Payne' and was 'not his physician, nurse, or therapist'.  In his first TV interview since being cleared of negligent manslaughter, Nores spoke of his 'anger' over the singer's death.  'As a close friend, I learnt with him that when someone has a drug problem, you do what you can and have the talks you need to have, but at the end of the day it's their decision', he said. Nores also expressed that he had felt feelings of frustration towards the singer as he tried to come to terms with the tragedy. 'When a tragedy like this happens and a close friend dies, part of the grieving process is getting angry and asking why they did it. The answer is they couldn't help it, and they did everything they could, to be ok.' 'Obviously, he was trying to do everything he could to be ok,' Nores added. As this picture from Liam Payne's hotel room shows, a toxic cocktail of drugs and booze is likely to have played a role in his death A photo released by Buenos Aires Police show a TV with a broken screen and a half-full glass of champagne at the hotel room where Payne was staying in the city on October 16, 2024 'Sometimes you think, 'If I had this conversation with him, maybe it could have changed things.' But you can't change the past, you have to process it.' Payne's death shocked the world and raised questions about how he had fallen from his balcony, with police launching a wide-ranging investigation into his death. A 911 call the day the singer died warned that he had been acting aggressively and could have been under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Esteban Grassi, the chief receptionist of the Casa Sur hotel, had claimed Liam called down 'insistently' to ask for alcohol, and to ask where he could get cocaine - allegedly insulting a member of staff who said he could not help. Two suspects accused of selling Liam cocaine, former waiter Braian Nahuel Paiz and suspended hotel worker Ezequiel David Pereyra, are still in prison following their failed appeals. However, a plea deal is reportedly being discussed.  Investigators are also said to be reviewing evidence from electronic devices. Last month, it was revealed Payne's entire £21million fortune will be inherited by his eight-year-old son Bear Grey Payne, whose mother is singer Cheryl Tweedy.  As he died without a will and was not married or in a civil partnership his only son was always due to inherit everything when he turned 18 under UK probate laws.  The singer's UK estate includes his five-bedroom home at Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire, which he bought for £3.25million in 2021 following his split from Girls Aloud star Cheryl Payne pictured with his then-newborn Bear Grey Payne  Sources have previously indicated the singer's last girlfriend Kate Cassidy would not be claiming any of his money. Payne's UK estate includes his five-bedroom home at Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire, which he bought for £3.25million in 2021 to be closer to his son following his split from Girls Aloud star Cheryl. The house, which includes a courtyard with a saltwater pool and waterfalls and amenities including a gym, spa and tennis courts, was up for sale for a year after his death, but was later taken off the market. Liam successfully became sober at a rehab clinic in 2023, but by the night of his death he had relapsed and consumed alcohol and drugs. He was seen hanging around the lobby of the Casa Sur Hotel, smashing up his laptop and introducing himself to fans in the hours before his death. His cause of death was confirmed to be 'polytrauma' after his fall, a term which means a person has multiple traumatic injuries to their body.