Michael Jackson Autopsy: AP Reports Jackson Died in Home Part III

On August 28, FOX News reported the Los Angeles Coroner’s office had determined Michael Jackson’s “cause of death”:

The Los Angeles County Coroner has determined that Michael Jackson died of acute propofol intoxication, with a handful of other drugs also contributing to the singer’s death.

The coroner’s office officially ruled the death a homicide.

“The drugs Propofol and Lorazepam were found to be the primary drugs responsible for Mr. Jackson’s death,” the coroner’s office said in a statement Friday. “Other drugs detected were: Midazolam, Diazepam, Lidocaine and Ephedrine.”

The other drugs listed are benzodiazepines typically used to treat anxiety and insomnia.

From CNN:

Diprivan (propofol) appears white and milky, and is usually run as an I.V. drip. In addition to surgical applications, it can be used in the intensive care unit for someone who may be intubated on a ventilator.

The drug itself does not provide pain relief, experts say.

The principle risks of Diprivan come from improper monitoring of the patient’s breathing, Vila said. When a person’s breathing slows down, not enough carbon dioxide gets removed from the body, and not enough oxygen enters. This could lead to cardiac arrest, he said.

Still, when used properly, Diprivan is not a dangerous drug, he said. “It’s very safe in a properly trained physician’s hands.”

From CNN:

The sedatives lorazepam, midazolam and diazepam — which the coroner said were found in Jackson’s body — are benzodiazepines.

Benzodiazepine effect is characterized by central nervous system depression, said Dr. Bruce Goldberger, professor and director of toxicology at the University of Florida College of Medicine, who was not involved in Jackson’s care.

Adding these drugs to propofol, commonly used as a general anesthetic for surgeries and diagnostic procedures, amplifies the sedative effect and increases the risk of respiratory arrest, said Dr. Eugene Viscusi, anesthesiologist and director of pain management at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He also was not involved in Jackson’s care.

Murray attorney Ed Chernoff responded to the Coroner’s statement on Jackson’s death:

“This has all the earmarks of police gamesmanship, and we will not be responding until we get a full autopsy report, including the entire list of drugs found in Mr. Jackson, their quantities, and all other data that would allow independent medical experts to analyze and interpret,” Chernoff said.

What’s interesting to note is that, in the People interview, Chernoff distanced his client from any mention of Murray administering drugs to Jackson, even so, in the official LAPD affidavit, investigators noted that Murray stated he had given Jackson a succession of drugs beginning at “1:30 am”. Drugs that corresponded with the coroner’s statement on the cause of Jackson’s death with the exception of the Ephedrine:

“The drugs Propofol and Lorazepam were found to be the primary drugs responsible for Mr. Jackson’s death,” the coroner’s office said in a statement Friday. “Other drugs detected were: Midazolam, Diazepam, Lidocaine and Ephedrine.”

In the People interview on June 29, Chernoff brought up the subject of Ephedrine (epinephrine):

After the ambulance arrived, says Chernoff, Murray spoke to doctors at UCLA, who instructed the paramedics to administer an epinephrine shot directly to Jackson’s heart in an attempt to revive him.

In the People interview, Chernoff stated Murray spent “three hours” speaking to the police at the hospital after Jackson’s death:

“Later that day, Murray, who at that point was “emotionally and physically exhausted,” according to Chernoff, spoke to the police for more than three hours.”

In the original affidavit, investigators stated Murray met with detectives at UCLA Medical Center where detectives “received a short summary” then “left the hospital over the objections of the investigating officers”.

In the “official” August 25 affidavit, on Page 8, “Murray refused to sign the death certificate”, when LAPD detectives and coroner’s office investigators arrived at the hospital, “neither detectives nor coroner’s investigators could “locate” Murray to “re-interview” him. “Repeated attempts at contacting and locating Murray were unsuccessful”.

On Page 9, the affidavit noted detectives met with Murray and his attorneys for an interview on June 27. (Various news sources stated the interview lasted “three hours”.)

On Page 10, the affidavit stated Murray “assisted in notifying the family after Jackson’s death was pronounced”. The affidavit stated:

- Murray “left the hospital after a while because he did not know he was needed”,

-”At the hospital”, Murry told the “affiant”-the detective who wrote the affidavit-that his “doctor’s bag” was still at Jackson’s residence, and then instructed the affiant on where the bag was located.

In the People interview, Chernoff stated Murray had “consoled the family” at the hospital, then advised them to have an autopsy done before signing the death certificate.

On July 13, during an interview with the Daily Mail, La Toya Jackson stated her version of what occurred in the period after her brother was pronounced legally dead regarding Dr Murray:

After the 30-minute farewell, La Toya signed the death certificate as the ‘informant’ who provided the information about her brother.

‘My mother and brothers chose me because I had a special bond with Michael,’ she said.”

……………

“La Toya says the behaviour of Michael’s £100,000-a-month personal doctor, Conrad Murray, at the hospital left her deeply troubled. Dr Murray, who is not certified as a cardiologist, did not identify himself to the family, even though La Toya says she was demanding to see Michael’s doctor ‘to find out what the hell happened’.

It was Paris who pointed out the figure dressed in white, telling La Toya: ‘There’s Dr Murray. He’s the best cardiologist in the world. How could this happen to Daddy?’”

………

“But La Toya says she approached the doctor, saying, ‘I want to talk to you. I want to know what happened to my brother.’ But, she says: ‘He mumbled a bunch of nothing.”

“He said something like, “Michael didn’t make it, I’m sorry.” It wasn’t right. It felt weird.’ In all the confusion, she says, the doctor later ‘disappeared’

The following is a summation of the statements in both affidavits, court documents the AP claimed were “evidence” that Michael Jackson “had died in his home”:

The affidavit stated:

-”Jackson was removed from his home to UCLA Medical Center” and then “pronounced dead at the hospital”.

-”Family members and security staff” informed the police that “Mr. Jackson’s personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, was with him at the time of his death.”

-”Dr. Murray stated he was with the decedent (Michael Jackson) at the time of his death.”

-Murray informed paramedics the patient “had stopped breathing” and that Murray had “continuously applied CPR” until the paramedic’s arrival.

-Paramedics began treating Jackson then transported both Jackson and Murray to UCLA Medical Center.

-”Cooper and her team attempted to revive Jackson with negative results.”

-Dr. Cooper pronounced Jackson’s death at 1426 (2:26 pm) hours.

It’s apparent, based on Chernoff’s statements, that one line of a preemptive defense for his client Dr. Murray has been to establish a narrative, based upon the theme that Michael Jackson was “alive” up until the moment Jackson left the “care” of Murray and was placed into the hands of paramedics.

What’s not apparent: a definite statement in the LAPD search warrant documents that Michael Jackson “died” in his home.

On August 28, Michael Jackson’s death was ruled by the Los Angeles Coroner’s Office as “a homicide”. Dr. Murray has yet to be charged with a crime relating to Jackson’s death. Nor has he faced a Grand Jury.

On September 23, the LA Times reported Murray’s “girlfriend” Nicole Alvarez had been called to testify before a Los Angeles grand jury. Alvarez would be asked questions she had “refused to answer for police investigating Dr. Conrad Murray in a “manslaughter probe” related to Michael Jackson’s death.

On September 25, Radar Online reported Murray’s girlfriend Nicole Alvarez had testified for three hours before a Los Angeles grand jury on Thursday, September 24.

On August 24, the New York Daily News reported Alvarez was Murray’s “ex-stripper girlfriend” who had Murray’s “love child”, and whom the married Murray had “stashed” in a “love nest beachfront apartment” not far from Jackson’s home.

LATER THIS WEEK: MORE unknown information about the strange circumstances surrounding the death of Michael Jackson.

* Part One: Michael Jackson’s Autopsy: AP Reports Jackson Died in Home
* Michael Jackson Autopsy: AP Reports Jackson Died in Home Part II
* Michael Jackson Autopsy: AP Reports Jackson Died in Home Part III

By LBG

Source – American Heart Association

Tags: autopsy, cardiac arrest, cause of death, death, Dr. Conrad Murray, Dr. Tohme Tohme, Edward Chernoff, homicide, La Toya Jackson, Las Angeles Coroner's Office, Los Angeles Police Department, Michael Jackson, Miranda Sevcik, paramedics, propofol, UCLA Medical Center