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Geoff Payne, the father of the late Liam Payne, made a heart-tugging appearance at the site of his son’s death, publicly mourning Liam along with a group of devastated fans.
The BBC reports that Payne, 66, arrived at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires on Friday in order to collect his son’s belongings. Liam Payne, former One Direction band member, plunged to his death from his room’s balcony on the property on October 16.
Geoff Payne appeared at the hotel in the morning, greeting a mob of fans at a makeshift memorial adored with flowers, fan-made drawings, and magazine tear sheets of his son.
Payne reportedly thanked the fans for their presence. In return, the fans took it upon themselves to try to shield Liam’s dad from the media, even as some filmed him themselves.
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The BBC reports the blockade was temporary, in order to allow Geoff a private moment to take in the memorial.
An investigation is underway as to what led up to Liam’s death, but his initial autopsy findings ruled out any defensive wounds, meaning he likely fell or intentionally jumped from his balcony.
The other former members of One Direction all paid tribute to Payne in the days following his death, as have a host of celebrities, family members, and friends.
His sister, Ruth Gibbins, posted on Instagram that Liam was her “best friend,” and that, “No one could ever make me laugh as much as him, doing his impressions always had me creasing and he loved seeing how much of a laugh he could get.”
