Scrutiny on Michael Jackson's Doctor Intensifies

Us Magazine - June 27, 2009 5:28 PM PDT
Story photo: Scrutiny on Michael Jackson's Doctor IntensifiesDr. Conrad Murray ; Michael Jackson Houston Chronicle / AP; GlobeUs Magazine
Police want to question Dr. Conrad Murray, a Las Vegas physician who with Michael Jackson when the 50-year-old King of Pop went into cardiac arrest Thursday.

According to the frantic 911 call (listen to it here) made from inside Jackson's rented L.A. home, Murray, 51, had administered CPR on the singer before paramedics arrived. Murray also later accompanied the ambulance to the UCLA Medical Center, where Jackson was pronounced dead at 2:26 p.m. PST.

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Investigative reporter Diane Dimond -- who has covered Michael Jackson for years -- said on CBS' The Early Show Saturday Edition: "If he was the only doctor on the scene and, as we heard in the 911 call, worked on Michael Jackson for quite awhile before they called 911, he may be culpable of something. I hope he's got a good lawyer."

Police stress that Murray is not considered to be a suspect; they just want to question him.

Although toxicology test results won't be available for up to six weeks (a preliminary autopsy showed no foul play), Jackson family attorney Brian Oxman told Usmagazine.com he fears prescription drugs played a role. "I only know that I warned them there was the misuse of prescription medications by people who were enabling him; his handlers, folks who should never have been permitted to allow him to use those medications in the manner I observed," he told Us.

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A spokesman for the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office has said they know that Jackson had been taking prescription drugs but needed to find out the specific medications.

Murray -- who reportedly is licensed in California, Nevada and Texas and has an office in Houston -- had treated Jackson for three years. Two weeks ago -- around the time Murray reportedly announced he was shutting down his private practice -- Jackson requested that Murray be with him, according to reports. He was then hired by AEG Live, which was producing Jackson's upcoming London shows.

Dimond, the reporter who covered Jackson, said she was "stunned to learn this doctor [Murray] was hired by the concert promoter (AEG Live), I guess at Michael's request. He wanted to have a doctor with him. I worked in Hollywood for many years, (for) most of the '90s, and when the celebrities have a personal doctor, it's really a prescription writer; it's really a personal drug supplier."

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But she said she's "covered Michael Jackson since 1993. He has always had an entourage of people around him of people who do exactly what he says, or they're not there anymore. As to who is responsible, I believe in personal responsibility: You put a pill in your mouth, you did that, you put a needle in your arm, you did that. But ... there were enablers around him."

She believes drugs led to his death.

"I'm not the only one who says he's a drug addict. ... But I think so," she said. "The coroner said (they saw) no visible signs of trauma, so that tells me his anorexia (Jackson reportedly weighed 125 lbs. at the time of his death) did not cause a diseased heart. They didn't say they saw a diseased heart or a bad ventricle or artery. So, it's something else that killed him."

Even Jackson pal Liza Minnelli has her suspicions: "When the toxicology test comes out," she said on The Early Show earlier this week, "you-know-what's gonna break loose."

More news from Usmagazine.com



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comments 1-10 of 50  |< newest · < newer · older > · oldest >|  hide comments · post a comment
  • sospeterb
    Sisoh: miss u Michael
    report abuseposted June 27, 2009 2:45 PM PDT
  • erin2015
    Thriller was the best thing he ever did. Didn't care for any of his other music. As for all the accusations... who KNOWS what happend? Nobody. No, I didn't care for Michael Jackson, but God knows his heart and I hope he's resting in Heaven now.
    report abuseposted June 27, 2009 2:16 PM PDT
  • patriciah
    J you are in a better place and don't have to worry about this crap anymore.....RIP.
    report abuseposted June 27, 2009 1:43 PM PDT
  • sonia
    Oh michael. Pls rest in peace. You had fans all over the world
    report abuseposted June 27, 2009 1:37 PM PDT
  • Debra
    Shane on you robj!, what a crual thing to say about Michael Jackson,sounds like you are jelous and by the way fool,he was found not guilty of ALL CHARGES,you STUPID ASS IDOIT. Perhaps,you wanted to have had half the money,fame as he. LOOSER and a Jerk is what you are LOOSER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    report abuseposted June 27, 2009 1:35 PM PDT
  • sandra
    Michael, you have brought a lot of joy to my life. May you RIP . GOD will judge all of us, not man because everyone of us have something to hide. As for all of those parents who accused Michael of child molestation, they should lock up every one of them because they Pimped their kids.
    report abuseposted June 27, 2009 1:28 PM PDT
  • sandra
    Michael, you have brought a lot of joy to my life. May you RIP . GOD will judge all of us, not man because everyone of us have something to hide. As for all of those parents who accused Michael of child molestation, they should lock up every one of them because they Pimped their kids.
    report abuseposted June 27, 2009 1:28 PM PDT
  • Kiki
    ROB J- He was never convicted of any wrongdoing. A jury of your peers, and OUR Justice system acquitted him of the horrific alligations. Now if you were a muli millionaire and people accused you of molesting children to get a payoff, could you spend the rest of your life fighting the deframation? I doubt it... He held his head high. Morons...
    report abuseposted June 27, 2009 1:24 PM PDT
  • anleka j
    Micheal i haven't accepted the fact that ur gone.... I don't believe it despite what the news and radios are saying. I just cant accept that and i won't :( ...... I'm still looking for u to perform the 50 concerts. Just the thought of me thinking ur gone make me cry everytime i think about ur not here anymore :( .......
    report abuseposted June 27, 2009 1:24 PM PDT
  • anleka j
    Micheal i haven't accepted the fact that ur gone.... I don't believe it despite what the news and radios are saying. I just cant accept that and i won't :( ...... I'm still looking for u to perform the 50 concerts. Just the thought of me thinking ur gone make me cry everytime i think about ur not here anymore :( .......
    report abuseposted June 27, 2009 1:23 PM PDT
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