Coroner: Jackson’s death a homicide
Aug. 24: The Los Angeles coroner rules Michael Jackson’s death a homicide. Msnbc.com’s Courtney Hazlett reports.
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HOUSTON - The Los Angeles County coroner ruled Michael Jackson's death a homicide, a law enforcement official told the Associated Press on Monday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the findings have not been publicly released. Meanwhile, a search warrant affidavit revealed that Jackson had lethal levels of the powerful anesthetic propofol in his system when he died in his rented Los Angeles mansion on June 25.
The document unsealed Monday allowed officials to raid the Houston offices and storage facility of Dr. Conrad Murray last month.
According to the warrant, Murray, Jackson's personal physician, had been treating the singer for insomnia with the sedative for six weeks. According to the document, Murray said he had been trying to wean Jackson off the powerful sedative by using smaller doses in combination with the sedatives lorazepam and midazolam.
On the morning Jackson died, Murray said he tried to induce sleep without using propofol, starting first with valium at 1:30 a.m. When Jackson was still awake at 2 a.m., Murray injected Jackson with lorazepam, then injected him with midazolam at 3 a.m. Murray told police he administered several other drugs over the next few hours.
By 10:40 a.m., Jackson, still unable to sleep, urged Murray to give him propofol. Murray said in court documents that he administered 25 milligrams of the drug at that time, then left Jackson alone under the influence of the drug to make phone calls to his Houston office. When he returned, Jackson was not breathing. He performed CPR while a member of Jackson's staff called 911. The singer was rushed to UCLA Medical Center where he was declared dead sometime later.
The affidavit says, while Murray acknowledged to police that he administered propofol, authorities find no evidence that he had purchased, ordered or obtained the medication under his medical license or Drug Enforcement Administration tracking number. Police detectives found about eight bottles of the anesthetic in Jackson's house along with other vials and pills that had been prescribed to Jackson by Dr. Murray, Dr. Arnold Klein and Dr. Allan Metzger.
Valium, lorazepam, clonazepam, tamsulosin and other drugs also were confiscated in the search, and propofol was found in Murray's medical bag. According to the warrant, Murray told police he was not the first doctor to administer propofol to the singer.
Authorities subpoenaed medical records from Klein, Metzger and Dr. David Adams, in addition to Murray, the affidavit states. They also asked for medical records from Dr. David Slavitt, who conducted the independent medical examination of Jackson for Anschuntz Entertainment Group, Dr. Randy Rosen and nurse practitioner Cherilyn Lee.
The affidavit also states that Jackson told Murray that two doctors in Germany had given him propofol. Murray said he repeatedly asked Jackson what other physicians were treating him and what drugs they were prescribing. Murray said Jackson refused to give the information.
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