Most heartbreaking photo from Liam Payne tragedy

In the circus surrounding Liam Payne’s death, one simple photo shows the heartbreaking toll the star’s sudden passing has had on his loved ones.

Amid the circus surrounding Liam Payne’s death, one simple photo shows the heartbreaking toll the One Direction star’s sudden passing has had on his loved ones.

Payne, 31, met a tragic end in a Buenos Aires hotel room last Wednesday afternoon, local time, falling from his third-floor balcony amid reports of disturbing behaviour and spiralling drug use.

As the news sent shockwaves around the world, Liam’s father Geoff Payne travelled to Buenos Aires, Argentina to visit the CasaSur Palermo Hotel where his son died.

In this heartbreaking photo, Geoff can be seen standing on the balcony from which his son tragically fell, looking down at the deck below, no doubt trying to make some sense of the tragic, bizarre circumstances of Liam’s death.

Geoff Payne (left) retraces his son’s last steps. Picture: BACKGRID

The heartbroken father-of-three was also seen speaking to hotel management. Geoff paused to pay his respects at fan tributes outside the hotel, and was later seen departing the Buenos Aires Judicial Office, where Liam’s body is being kept.

Liam’s father’s sad pilgrimage comes as the singer’s sister today revealed that she learned of her brother’s death like the rest of the world: via the media.
“When I saw the news pop up on my phone that you had left us I went cold, I wanted so much for this to be untrue. I have spent days hoping that it was a mistake and somebody has got it wrong,” Liam’s sister Nicola wrote, noting that he was “too good for this earth”.

Geoff also looked at fan tributes to his son outside the hotel. Picture: Marcos Brindicci/Getty

Geoff pays his respects as fans watch on. Picture: Getty

Meanwhile, initial toxicology reports on Payne have revealed that the singer was under the influence of a dangerous cocktail of illegal drugs at the time of his death.

A “partial autopsy” found that Payne had substances including cocaine, crack and the depressant benzodiazepine in his body, sources told ABC News.

The outlet reports that the test also found he had “pink cocaine” – a mix of methamphetamine, ketamine, MDMA and others – in his system.

Eyewitnesses at the hotel have claimed Payne exhibited “disturbing” behaviour on the day of his death, behaving erratically and aggressively.

Liam Payne and dad Geoff Payne. Picture: Liam Payne/Facebook

Liam is survived by a seven-year-old son, Bear, who he shared with ex-partner and fellow pop star Cheryl Tweedy.

“As I try to navigate this earth shattering event, and work through my own grief at this indescribably painful time, I’d like to kindly remind everyone that we have lost a human being,” she wrote on Instagram, alongside a photo of Payne with their then newborn son.

“Liam was not only a pop star and celebrity, he was a son, a brother, an uncle, a dear friend and a father to our 7 year old son.

“A son that now has to face the reality of never seeing his father again.”

Originally published as Most heartbreaking photo from Liam Payne tragedy