When Will Liam Payne’s Body Be Returned to His Native U.K.?

Authorities are sharing what the next steps entail in the days following Liam Payne’s death — including what happens with his body.

“What is happening with Liam Payne’s body is fundamentally that they need to wait for the toxicological reports that usually take from one to two weeks, from 7 to 15 days, and until that result is obtained they will not release the body,” Dr. Cristian Poletti, a lawyer who specializes in criminal law and university professor, exclusively told Us Weekly on Tuesday, October 22. (Poletti is not involved in the case.)

Poletti continued, “Any death suspected of criminality, this is a suspected case of criminality, beyond the fact that everything points to the fact that it was a death by one’s own hand or whatever, needs a certain amount of time.”

After the autopsy, which has already been conducted, Poletti explained that there is a toxicology report that “takes a long time.” (A preliminary autopsy report revealed that Payne died from “internal and external” hemorrhages. A partial autopsy report published on Monday, October 21, indicated that Payne had “pink cocaine,” cocaine, benzodiazepine and crack in his system at the time of his fall. There was also an aluminum pipe that was reportedly found in his hotel room.)

“That takes from 7 to 15 days,” she noted. “Until those studies are done and everything that has to do with the autopsy of the body is confirmed, they will not release the body, they will not deliver the body to the family.”

Poletti continued, “In case they were to deliver it, they will not allow the incineration of the body. Nor will they allow them to take it out of the country. That is, once the body is completely released, the family can do whatever they want. They will allow the release, they will allow the body to travel to its place of origin. Before that, they will not do it.”

Poletti noted that after the toxicology report is in, the body would likely be returned. “I estimate that if everything points to a defenestration, that is, that the body fell by its own hand or jumped or did so due to alcohol or drugs, they will release it once the toxicology report is in,” Poletti explained. “If there is no suspicion of another person in the room or of a hand that pushed it, I believe that as soon as the toxicology report comes back, they will release the body. Once it is released, they will allow it to be removed from the country.”

Us confirmed on Wednesday, October 16, that Payne died at age 31 after falling from a third floor hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Alberto Crescenti, emergency service chief, said the former One Direction band member suffered “serious injuries” from the drop.

“Our role was to head there quickly, give medical attention and try to resuscitate him, but his injuries were incompatible with life,” Crescenti said, per La Nacion. “Based on what the team saw, there was apparently a cranial fracture and extremely serious injuries that led to his immediate death.”

Crescenti added, “The team could do absolutely nothing. There was no resuscitation because it was confirmed that he had died. The whole body had very serious injuries.”

With reporting by Luciana Arias

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