Payne, 31, who shot to global fame with the boy band, was found dead after he fell from a third-floor hotel room balcony in Buenos Aires on Wednesday, triggering an outpouring of fan tributes.
In the first official details of the autopsy, the prosecutors officesaid coroners had found 25 injuries compatible with those caused by afall from height, including fatal head injuries, with internal andexternal bleeding.
It added that there were no signs of a third party being involved,though the incident was being investigated as a "suspicious death" outof protocol.
Forensic investigators are continuing to piece together Payne's final hours. (AP PHOTO)
"Everything indicates that the musician was alone when the falloccurred, and was going through some kind of episode due to substanceabuse," the prosecutors office said."City police who surveyed the scene found substances inside the roomthat at first glance - and pending confirmation from the experts -would be narcotics and alcoholic beverages, as well as severaldestroyed objects and furniture," it added.
Police earlier said in a statement they had found the room in "totaldisorder" in a search after his death, with various things smashed andmedications scattered around.While details surrounding his death remain unclear, Payne had spokenpublicly about his struggles with mental health and using alcohol tocope with the pressures of fame.
The city police said that in the atrium of the hotel where Payne hadfallen they had found a bottle of whiskey, a lighter and a mobile phone.They said they had collected fingerprints from those.
In the room of the luxury hotel in the city's trendy Palermo district,police said they found over-the-counter medications, energy packs andanxiety drug Clonazepam."Upon entering, total disorder was observed, with various elementsbroken," the police said in a statement, adding they had taken morefingerprints and other evidence to be analysed in labs, as well as anotebook and passport.
"The balcony area was inspected in order to establish access to it,"the police force added.
Before Payne's fall, a hotel employee had called emergency services,asking for help with a guest who was trashing his room and appeared tobe under the influence of drugs or alcohol, audio obtained from theBuenos Aires security ministry showed.
"We have a guest who is intoxicated by drugs and alcohol. And, well,he's ... When he's conscious, he breaks, he's breaking the whole room.And, well, we need you to send someone, please," the hotel worker toldpolice in the 911 call.
Fans light candles outside the hotel where the former One Direction singer was found dead. (AP PHOTO)
"We need you to send someone urgently because, well, I don't know ifthe guest's life is at risk. He is in a room with a balcony. And,well, we are a little afraid that he will do something that will puthis life at risk."
One Direction found global success after Simon Cowell brought togetherPayne, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson onBritain's X Factor talent show in 2010.
They went on to sell 70 million records, with six top-10 hits onBillboard's Hot 100, including What Makes You Beautiful, Story ofMy Life and Live While We're Young. Payne's co-writing creditsincluded Story of My Life and Night Changes.
Payne's former One Direction bandmates are yet to comment on his death. Cheryl Tweedy, with whom Payne had a son, Bear, in 2017, has also not commented.
Reuters
