Roger Nores is no longer facing allegations in Argentina’s criminal investigation into Liam Payne’s death after prosecutors allowed the deadline to pass without challenging the dismissal of the final claim against him.
The Argentine businessman and friend of the former One Direction singer had already been cleared of a negligent-homicide charge in February 2025. A separate allegation that Nores may have supplied Payne with drugs was dismissed in April, and three appellate judges upheld that decision in a ruling signed June 9.
Prosecutors did not appeal the latest ruling, according to court records reviewed by the New York Post. Nores’ attorney, Rafael Cúneo Libarona, said his client cannot be returned to the case on the dismissed allegations.
Braian Nahuel Paiz and Ezequiel David Pereyra remain accused of supplying cocaine to Payne before his fatal fall from a Buenos Aires hotel balcony in October 2024.
Judges Found No Evidence Nores Agreed to Supply Drugs
Liam Payne pal finally off the hook for star’s tragic death – but prosecutors still investigating 2 others https://t.co/vehQTTaFEW pic.twitter.com/6TTU7G9w1R
— New York Post (@nypost) July 19, 2026
Investigators sought access to Nores’ electronic devices after discovering a message on Payne’s phone in which the singer reportedly asked him for “six grams.” Court records cited by the Post say Nores did not respond.
The Buenos Aires Criminal Court of Cassation refused the request, finding no evidence that Nores accepted the request, agreed to obtain drugs or supplied anything to Payne. The judges also declined a prosecution request to summon Payne’s girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, concluding that investigators had not shown sufficient grounds to require her testimony.
“There is no chance that Nores will be brought back into the case,” Cúneo Libarona told the Post. “The court was clear in its ruling that cleared him of any criminal wrongdoing.”
Nores Had Already Defeated the Negligent-Homicide Charge
Prosecutors initially argued that Nores’ close relationship with Payne gave him a duty to protect the singer while he was intoxicated. Nores disputed descriptions of himself as Payne’s manager or caretaker, maintaining that he was a friend without legal authority over Payne’s medical treatment or personal decisions.
An Argentine appeals court dismissed the negligent-homicide charge against Nores and two CasaSur Palermo employees in February 2025. The court found no legal basis for imposing a duty of care on Nores and no evidence that the three defendants’ conduct caused Payne’s death, according to the Associated Press.
Nores was outside the hotel when Payne fell from his third-floor balcony on Oct. 16, 2024. Payne, 31, died from multiple traumatic injuries caused by the fall. Toxicology testing found alcohol, cocaine and a prescription antidepressant in his system.
In a March 2025 interview with Reuters, Nores said he had attempted to help Payne with his substance-use problems but could not control the singer’s decisions. His lawyer said Nores had contacted Payne’s family shortly before his death and recommended that he enter a rehabilitation facility.
Two Men Still Face Drug-Supply Allegations
Paiz, a former restaurant waiter, and Pereyra, a former CasaSur employee, remain formally charged over allegations that they supplied cocaine to Payne. Both men deny wrongdoing, and the accusations have not been resolved at trial.
They were released from house arrest in March but remain under investigation and are awaiting trial, the Buenos Aires Times reported. No trial date has been announced.
The Post reported that prosecutors and defense attorneys have discussed a possible plea agreement that could reduce the allegations against the men. On July 3, Judge Karina Andrade authorized additional forensic examinations of 10 cellphones and a flash drive seized during the investigation.