Cops search MJ doctor's home

29 Jul 2009, 7:26 am   -   Source: AFP
0 Comments
Share This
+ Comment
0

The inquiry into Michael Jackson's death has led police to the home of his doctor, amid speculation he administered the drug which killed the pop icon.

RELATED

The inquiry into Michael Jackson's death has led police to search the home of his doctor, amid speculation he administered the drug which killed the pop icon.

Jackson reportedly paid Doctor Conrad Murray $180,000 per month to care for him.

Local television networks showed several police cars outside Murray's residence in the Nevada gambling haven, less than a week after authorities carried out a raid on his Houston office.

The TMZ.com website said agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration and detectives from the Los Angeles Police Department were executing a search warrant for Jackson's medical records.

A spokesman for the LAPD confirmed detectives were searching Murray's home as part of the "ongoing investigation" into Jackson's death. Murray's lawyers were not immediately available for comment.

It was unclear if Murray - who has reportedly been staying at the residence under the protection of a bodyguard in recent weeks - was at home. Agents were also carrying out a search of his Las
Vegas offices, local media reported.

Last week DEA agents and police descended on Murray's Houston practice with a search warrant seeking evidence for the "offence of manslaughter".

CNN reported on Monday police believe Murray gave Jackson a lethal dose of an anaesthetic, Propofol, which is marketed under the trade name Diprivan.

Propofol is used in hospitals to induce unconsciousness in patients ahead of major surgery. Experts say the drug should only be administered by a trained anaesthesiologist under strict monitoring conditions.

The possibility that Murray gave Jackson the drug intravenously has fuelled speculation he may be charged with homicide.

Lawyers for Murray, who have repeatedly insisted he is innocent of criminal wrongdoing, issued a statement late on Monday urging calm amid the flurry of reports suggesting the physician faced criminal charges.

"It's a waste of time responding to all these timed 'leaks' from 'anonymous' sources," lawyer Ed Chernoff said. "I feel like a horse swatting flies.

"Everyone needs to take a breath and wait for these long-delayed toxicology results... Things tend to shake out when all the facts are made known, and I'm sure that will happen here as well."

TMZ.com reported that Murray had told police in an interview he gave Jackson Propofol via an intravenous drip.

The website reported police believe Murray may have fallen asleep while the drug was being administered, and awoke to find the singer already dead.

The Los Angeles Coroner's office confirmed that results of tests carried out on Jackson's body will be revealed by the end of the week, a move that could enhance the likelihood of criminal charges depending on the findings.

ABC News reported Tuesday that pathologists also discovered a deadly cocktail of prescription drugs in Jackson's emaciated body, including the powerful painkillers OxyContin and Demerol.

In the aftermath of Jackson's death, friends of the singer's family said the clan had "unanswered questions" regarding the doctor's role, citing Murray's failure to call paramedics immediately after discovering the star.

Murray was also criticised for attempting to give CPR to Jackson while he lay on a bed, even though established medical practice calls for the patient to be placed on a hard surface.

"They (the family) are suspicious of this doctor and they have real reason to be because any other doctor would say 'Here's what happened in the last hour of his life and I was there. I gave him some medicine,'" family friend and civil rights activist Jesse Jackson said.

"(Murray) owes it to the family and to the public to say, 'These were the last hours of Michael's life and here's what happened.' That's a reasonable expectation."

Jackson died aged 50 on June 25 in Los Angeles as he prepared to make a gruelling 50-date series of comeback concerts in London.
 

  • Follow us: 
  • Follow us on Facebook
  • Follow us on Twitter
  • Follow us on Youtube

Join the Discussion

Name
City / Suburb E.g. Artarmon, Sydney
Title
Comment
You have characters remaining.
Validation
What's this?
This is a captcha-picture. It is used to prevent mass-access by robots.
All submitted comments become the property of SBS. They are moderated, so we reserve the right to edit comments and remove HTML tags. Not all submitted comments will be published. Publication does not mean we endorse the opinions expressed. Please read our terms and conditions for more information.