The doctor many fans and family members have long suspected is responsible for the death of megastar Michael Jackson will be charged with involuntary manslaughter.
Also, the Los Angeles County Coroner’s office has quietly changed the cause of death as “homicide” brought about by “acute Propofol intoxication.”
Dr. Conrad Murray, the embattled physician who was reportedly paid $150,000 dollars a week to care for Jackson, will be indicted for providing the King of Pop with a lethal cocktail of powerful prescription drugs, including the anesthesia Propofol. Propofol is used almost exclusively in the operating room to induce a deep sleep in patients.
Murray immediately became the focal point of the investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department after he frantically called 911 from Jackson’s Bel Air, Calif., home on June 25, 2009, to report that the singer was no longer breathing and unresponsive to efforts to resuscitate him. His interviews with detectives were reportedly rife with contradictions and inconsistencies, inciting rage among Jackson followers worldwide.
After toxicology tests were completed, Jackson’s death was ruled a homicide by the L.A. County Coroner’s office. The coroner said Jackson’s death was brought about by “acute intoxication” of sedatives that suspended Jackson’s breathing and induced cardiac arrest.
Dr. Murray subsequently went into seclusion the day after Jackson’s death, partially to shield himself from the throngs of irate fans looking for possible vigilante justice.
All of the family members who have spoken out since Jackson’s death point the barrel of blame at the doctor, including Janet, the lone other superstar to emerge from the family. “He was the one that was administering,” she said. “I think he is responsible.”
Jackson was in the final stages of preparations for his final tour in England, which broke records for ticket sales.
–terry shropshire
