Questions remain as investigation into Liam Payne’s fatal fall continues

As the reality of Liam Payne’s death sets in, his family, friends and former One Direction bandmates are still trying to make sense of the devastating loss while authorities press forward in their investigation into the circumstances surrounding Payne’s final moments and fatal fall.

Payne died Wednesday after falling from the third floor of the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was 31.

His death remains under investigation Friday by local authorities, who are working to determine the nature of Payne’s fall as more details begin to emerge.

The public prosecutor’s office in Argentina said Thursday that “everything indicates that the musician was alone when the fall occurred.” The prosecutor’s office also suspects Payne, who was previously open about his struggle with addiction and his mental health, was potentially “experiencing some kind of episode due to substance abuse” at the time.

A picture released by police in Buenos Aires Wednesday shows a table in Payne’s hotel room with items scattered across it, including unidentified white powder, crumpled tinfoil and a lighter. Some charred marks are also visible on the table.

They also suspect he may not have been fully conscious at the time of his fall. “Due to the position in which the body was found and the injuries from the fall, it is presumed that Payne did not adopt a reflexive posture to protect himself and may have fallen in a state of semi or total unconsciousness,’” the report read.