Liam Payne’s friend, Argentine businessman Rogelio “Roger” Nores, has officially been cleared of all criminal responsibility connected to the singer’s death.
A three-judge panel at the Buenos Aires Criminal Court of Cassation signed the ruling on June 9, dismissing the drug supply charge against Nores and concluding that he was not responsible for the One Direction star’s drug use. Prosecutors did not challenge the decision, making the ruling final, according to the New York Post.
The court determined that Payne was an adult capable of making his own decisions and that Nores could not be held criminally responsible for the choices he made.
A key part of the drug supply allegation centered on a message discovered on Payne’s phone in which the singer asked Nores for “six grams.” However, Nores never responded, and the court found no evidence suggesting he agreed to provide anything.
Nores’ defense attorney, Rafael Cúneo Libarona, told the New York Post that the ruling leaves no uncertainty about his client’s legal status.
“There is no chance that Nores will be brought back into the case,” he said. “The court was clear in its ruling that cleared him of any criminal wrongdoing.”
Libarona added, “Roger never had the duty of caring for Payne, much less caring for his addictions. He was not Liam’s guarantor. He was his friend, not his physician, nurse, or therapist.”
The decision brings an end to a nearly two-year legal battle for Nores. Payne died on Oct. 16, 2024, after falling from a balcony at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, and Nores was indicted on a manslaughter charge in November 2024.
That charge was dismissed in February 2025. A separate drug supply charge followed in June 2025 but was thrown out in April 2026, with the appeals court ultimately upholding the dismissal in June.
Payne’s autopsy determined that he died from multiple trauma as well as internal and external hemorrhage. Toxicology results detected alcohol, cocaine, and a prescription antidepressant in his system, while medical findings indicated he may have fallen while in a state of partial or complete unconsciousness.
Two defendants are still involved in the case: restaurant waiter Braian Nahuel Paiz, 26, and hotel employee Ezequiel David Pereyra, 22, who are both accused of selling cocaine to Payne. The two spent more than a year detained in police precincts and federal prison before their release in March 2026.
On July 3, Judge Karina Andrade gave prosecutors permission to carry out additional forensic examinations of 10 cellphones and a flash drive belonging to Paiz and Pereyra, including an investigation into messages, social media activity, and browsing histories.
Two other CasaSur Palermo hotel employees—security chief Gilda Martin and receptionist Esteban Grassi—were previously cleared after manslaughter charges against them were dismissed.
