March 22nd, 2010
08:23 PM ET

Report: Jackson's doctor stopped CPR to pick up vials

[Updated, 8:22 p.m.] Murray, the pop star's personal physician, has been charged with voluntary manslaughter in Jackson's death on June 25, 2009.

The Los Angeles coroner concluded Jackson died of "acute propofol intoxication."

Murray told investigators he gave Jackson propofol, a powerful anesthetic, to help him sleep. The defense spokeswoman said "we can only assume" the investigation report was leaked by prosecutors since it was not done by the defense.

"These ridiculous tactics by the DA's office have no other purpose but to take a peek at our defense, because they aren't secure enough in their own case to convict Dr. Murray so they have to pull these little tricks to try to get to him," she said. "We're not taking the bait."

"We have an explanation obviously," Sevcik said. "But how much do share at this point and how much do we share in court?"

Murray, who was with Jackson when he died, is charged with involuntary manslaughter by acting "without malice" but also "without due caution and circumspection."

Jackson, who hired Murray as his physician while he prepared for what was to have been a series of comeback concerts, called the doctor to his rented Holmby Hills mansion last June 25 at about 1 a.m., the report said. "The decedent complained of being dehydrated and not being able to sleep," it said.

A police affidavit previously made public said that the doctor told investigators he gave Jackson three anti-anxiety drugs to help him sleep that morning.

Murray told them he had been treating Jackson for insomnia for six weeks at the time of the singer's death. He had given Jackson 50 milligrams of the sedative propofol diluted with the local anesthetic lidocaine every night via an intravenous drip.

The doctor told police he was worried that Jackson was becoming addicted to the drug and was trying to wean him off it.

During the two nights before Jackson's death, Murray said, he put together combinations of other drugs that succeeded in helping Jackson sleep.

[Posted, 7:05 p.m.] Dr. Conrad Murray's defense team accused prosecutors Monday of leaking a police report to a reporter to force them to reveal their defense strategy.

The "death investigation police report" includes a statement from a witness who said Murray stopped resuscitation efforts on Michael Jackson so he could collect drug vials, Miranda Sevcik, a spokeswoman for defense lawyer Ed Chernoff, said.

"The testimony of the witness was taken two months after he gave testimony to police investigators at the scene and his story totally changed," Sevcik said. "It is not going to hold up under cross-examination."

Sandi Gibbons, the spokeswoman for the Los Angeles District Attorney, said prosecutors did not provide the document to the Associated Press, which initially reported on the document.

"We haven't given anybody anything," Gibbons said.

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Filed under: Michael Jackson • Showbiz
soundoff (37 Responses)
  1. jim d.

    Only certian types of doctors allowed to even HAVE propofol (diprivan). and only then inside the surgical area of a hospital. they can't take it home or back to their office. it's that's dangerous. Ane quit calling him "Michael" like he's your best buddy, brother-in-law, barber, stock-broker, cousin, bowling partner, 4th in bridge, caddy, dude at the auto parts store.etc.etc. did you personally know him? no?? didn't think so??? i don't know if i'd like to ACT like i was on a first name basis with someone who says" it's ok to sleep with little children"

    March 23, 2010 at 10:35 am | Report abuse |
  2. jim d.

    Additionally, a defibrillator will not restart the heart unless it is in a state of fibrillation.
    Posted by: Steve

    actually, you know nothing @ medicine. i have 20 yrs in an ambulance. a defibrillator does not "restart" the heart. it actually, stops the heart (depolarizes the entire myocardium) and sets it to zero potential so that the automaticity of the heart (pacemaker cells) can start it. a defibrillator will also treat ventricular tachycardia, so you statement about it only working on fibrilation is false. i've got a stack of medical book taller that you that ive
    read multiple times and twenty years experience that says your'e wrong.

    March 23, 2010 at 10:45 am | Report abuse |
  3. JVM Fan

    Jane Velez-Mitchell will be talking about Michael Jackson and drugs tonight on her show "Issues." She also knows all about addiction because she is a recovering alcoholic.

    March 23, 2010 at 1:12 pm | Report abuse |
  4. Ruthie Porter

    Hmmm! Interesting how the trial is also turning out to be affected by unusually incompetant human errors – The same as happened at the Coroners office and throughout the whole thing really.

    I will be very surprised to see doctor Murray convicted of anything – partly because I think he is a fall guy anyway -and he wasn't t to blame at all . and partly because I still have doubts that it was Michael who died -I cant help feeling this whole thing is a cover up for something more – and a lot of people who shouldn't be are in on it !

    AEG for instance must have known that Michael dead, would be worth more than Michael alive , at least for them ?- Who was that witness anyway ? how come he is saying about the vialls – no doctor would leave someone in the middle of doing cpr on them to go do a thing like that -I reckon he is being made to say it to make Conrad Murray look even more incompetant .-Someone wants MURRAY to be blamed for this- Why ? to cover up the true identity of a murderer – or perhaps to help get someone convicted for the death of Michael Jackson – then the case gets closed and neatly filed away under "completed" !
    which then means any other suggestions of what might have happened will just look like sheer stupidity. NICE AND NEAT FOLKS , NICE AND NEAT !

    March 23, 2010 at 7:04 pm | Report abuse |
  5. mary

    something just not right,why would murry clean-up everything , when he would"ent have to
    if he would have gave cpr, the right way like not on the bed he planed micheal to die
    thats why he dident try to save him that was( there) plan like his sister says there were
    more than just murray to blamed for this he wouldent have to clean up antthing if micheal
    would have gotten cpr right away. but thats not what the plan was.
    i hate them people they need to go to prison ,all of them
    someone needs to take care of the bad guys.

    March 26, 2010 at 1:32 am | Report abuse |
  6. seolace

    Nice post, thanks for writing!

    May 6, 2010 at 8:20 am | Report abuse |
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