Michael Jackson's Death Ruled Homicide

[Sledgstone 8,672]

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112183149

The Los Angeles County coroner has ruled Michael Jackson's death a homicide, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press, a finding that makes it more likely criminal charges will be filed against the doctor who was with the pop star when he died.

The coroner determined a fatal combination of drugs was given to Jackson hours before he died June 25 in his rented Los Angeles mansion, according to the official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the findings have not been publicly released.

Forensic tests found the powerful anesthetic propofol acted together with at least two sedatives to cause Jackson's death, the official said.

Dr. Conrad Murray, a Las Vegas cardiologist who became Jackson's personal physician weeks before his death, is the target of a manslaughter investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department.

According to a search warrant affidavit unsealed Monday in Houston, Murray told investigators he administered a 25 mg dose of propofol around 10:40 a.m. after spending the night injecting Jackson with two sedatives in an unsuccessful attempt to get him to sleep.

The warrant, dated July 23, states that lethal levels of propofol were found in Jackson's system. Besides the propofol and two sedatives, the coroner's toxicology report found other substances in Jackson's system but they were not believed to have been a factor in the singer's death, the official said.

Murray has spoken to police and last week released a video saying he "told the truth and I have faith the truth will prevail." His attorney, Edward Chernoff, had no immediate comment but has previously said Murray never administered anything that "should have" killed Jackson.

A call to the coroner's office was not returned Monday.

Murray acknowledged that he had administered the drug to Jackson on a nightly basis as a treatment for insomnia, according to court records unsealed Monday in Houston and obtained by the Los Angeles Times.

According to a report on the Times Web site, the search warrant affidavit states that Murray told Los Angeles police detectives that he had been giving Jackson 50 milligrams of propofol every night using an intravenous line for about six weeks.

Murray claimed, however, that he feared Jackson was becoming addicted to the medication and was trying to wean him off the drug. He said he lowered the dosage to 25 milligrams and mixed it with two other sedatives — lorazepam and midazolam, according to the court document.

According to the Times report, Murray told investigators that on the morning of Jackson's death, he tried to induce sleep without using propofol, using a variety of drugs at various times throughout the morning instead. When those medications failed, Jackson repeatedly demanded the propofol, and Murray administered 25 milligrams of the drug, according to the court document.

Murray discovered Jackson not breathing around midday June 25 at his rented Holmby Hills estate. He administered CPR until paramedics arrived and took the singer to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead about two hours later.

Although autopsy results have not been released, the Houston search warrant affidavit notes that coroners found lethal levels of propofol, the Times reported.

Damn. MJ was murdered, but did the doctor do it on purpose?

[Ladywriter 7,783]

I would have to guess that it was unintentional BUT pumping someone fill of dangerous meds all of the time is the height of stupidity

[Dubird 6,815]

True, but what's the motive? Why would his doctor kill him? After all, wouldn't he make more money keeping him alive so he can keep dosing him?

[Pchan 5,162]

I think it's more of a question of why the doctor went on with the course of drugs/ medication even after knowing what MJ's toxic levels were or what other drugs he was taking either at the time or prior to him getting into the picture.

[slippers 3,168]

MJ went to different country to country to get different pills and then kick out his families preventing from intervention so I don't know. It seems rather pointless to charge someone at this point. Like others said, I don't think that doctor meant to kill MJ. MJ probably persisted it.

[Dubird 6,815]

Well, if MJ was taking other prescriptions that the doctor didn't know about, I'd say accidental. I had a great aunt that did the same thing. She would got to several doctors and get prescriptions for stuff without telling them, and ended up going crazy from the drug mixtures.

[Sledgstone 8,672]

MJ went to different country to country to get different pills and then kick out his families preventing from intervention so I don't know. It seems rather pointless to charge someone at this point. Like others said, I don't think that doctor meant to kill MJ. MJ probably persisted it.

That would be my guess too.

[Pchan 5,162]

I guess that, and what Dubied said makes sense.

[Ladywriter 7,783]

involuntary manslaughter, the doc should be charged

don't mean he'll spend time in jail but it is the prescribing physicians obligation to know all the meds a patient takes, which is why competent docs that don't want their ass sued off ask what meds are you on and what are you allergic to before they give you an Rx. fuck even my dentist keeps a list of what and how much Rx shit I take. Why, so there wont be some kind of reaction should I need to go under. Responsible and competent, two things MJ's doc was not. Charge him and send the message that a license to prescribe medication is not a legal way to deal drugs.