The cardiologist who was with Michael Jackson during the pop star's final moments sat down with investigators for the first time to explain his actions -- and left three hours later as a witness, not a suspect.
Dr Conrad Murray "helped identify the circumstances around the death of the pop icon and clarified some inconsistencies," Murray's spokeswoman Miranda Sevcik said in a statement on Saturday. "Investigators say the doctor is in no way a suspect and remains a witness to this tragedy."
Murray, a physician with a tangled financial and personal history who was hired to accompany Jackson on his planned summer concert tour, reportedly performed CPR until paramedics arrived. The pop star was declared dead later at UCLA Medical Centre.
Police confirmed that they interviewed Murray, adding that he was cooperative and "provided information which will aid the investigation."
The interview took place on a busy day when one of Jackson's lawyers was chosen to represent the family's legal interests and celebrities descended on Los Angeles for a star-studded public celebration of the King of Pop's life.
L Londell McMillan, who represented Jackson last year in a breach of contact lawsuit and has advised high-profile clients such as Prince, was picked to help the family by Katherine Jackson, the singer's mother, said a person who requested anonymity because the matter is private.
The legal move came as the Rev Jesse Jackson revealed that Michael Jackson's family wants a second, private autopsy of the pop superstar because of unanswered questions about how he died.
"It's abnormal," Jesse Jackson said from Chicago a day after visiting the Jackson family. "We don't know what happened. Was he injected and with what? All reasonable doubt should be addressed."
People close to Jackson have said since his death that they were concerned about his use of painkillers. Los Angeles County medical examiners completed their autopsy on Friday and said Jackson had taken prescription medication.
Medical officials also said there was no indication of trauma or foul play. An official cause of death could take weeks.
There was no word from the Jackson family on funeral plans. Many of Jackson's relatives have gathered at the family's Encino compound, caring there for Jackson's three children.
It remains unclear who Jackson designated as potential guardians for his children. Those details -- likely contained in the 50-year-old singer's will -- have not been released.
An attorney for Deborah Rowe, the mother of Jackson's two oldest children, issued a statement on Saturday asking that the Jackson family "be able to say goodbye to their loved one in peace."
Sisters Janet and La Toya arrived on Saturday at the mansion Jackson had been renting and left without addressing reporters. Moving vans also showed up at the Jackson home, leaving about an hour later. There was no indication what they might have taken away.
The Jackson family issued a statement on Saturday expressing its grief over the death and thanking his supporters.
"In one of the darkest moments of our lives, we find it hard to find the words appropriate to this sudden tragedy we all had to encounter," said the statement made through People magazine. "We miss Michael endlessly."
There was no immediate word on whether the second autopsy was being performed right away. Jesse Jackson described the family as grief-stricken.
"They're hurt because they lost a son. But the wound is now being kept open by the mystery and unanswered questions of the cause of death," he said.
Organizers of the annual BET awards show -- which recognizes the best in music, acting and sports -- scrambled to revamp Sunday's show to honour Jackson and his legacy.
Previously announced acts, such as Beyonce and Ne-Yo, hoped to change their planned performances to honour Jackson, said producer Stephen Hill. Other artists, who hadn't planned to attend the ceremony, including Usher and Justin Timberlake, tried to catch last-minute flights to Los Angeles to participate.
Source: TOI
Showing posts with label autopsy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label autopsy. Show all posts
Sunday, 28 June 2009
Second autopsy on Jackson performed: Reports
Dissatisfied with the inconclusive result of the first autopsy done on Michael Jackson, the pop star's family got a second independent examination by a private pathologist today.
The independent autopsy came a day after an initial examination by the LA County coroner's office which did not immediately determine a cause of death, the Los Angeles Times reported, quoting sources familiar with the case.
"We don't like what's going on," family patriarch Joe Jackson told People magazine.
The 50-year-old pop star suffered a cardiac arrest on Thursday and the results for his official autopsy could take four to six weeks to be released.
The Jackson's family is reportedly upset with the delay and wanted a second opinion.
Veteran US politician and activist Jesse Jackson, who visited the performer's family on Friday, said that his relatives had a host of questions about the circumstances of Jackson's death.
Jackson's family is concerned with the role of his personal physician, Dr Conrad Murray, who was present with the performer when he breathed his last, the newspaper said, quoting Jackson.
"When did the doctor come? What did he do? Did he inject him? If so, with what?" Jackson told in an interview to ABC television.
Source: TOI
The independent autopsy came a day after an initial examination by the LA County coroner's office which did not immediately determine a cause of death, the Los Angeles Times reported, quoting sources familiar with the case.
"We don't like what's going on," family patriarch Joe Jackson told People magazine.
The 50-year-old pop star suffered a cardiac arrest on Thursday and the results for his official autopsy could take four to six weeks to be released.
The Jackson's family is reportedly upset with the delay and wanted a second opinion.
Veteran US politician and activist Jesse Jackson, who visited the performer's family on Friday, said that his relatives had a host of questions about the circumstances of Jackson's death.
Jackson's family is concerned with the role of his personal physician, Dr Conrad Murray, who was present with the performer when he breathed his last, the newspaper said, quoting Jackson.
"When did the doctor come? What did he do? Did he inject him? If so, with what?" Jackson told in an interview to ABC television.
Source: TOI
Jackson family wants second autopsy: Coroner
Michael Jackson's family said it would seek to carry out a second autopsy on the late star, Los Angeles County coroner's investigators said on Saturday. ( Watch )
Coroner's investigator Brian Elias said Jackson's family had told his office on Friday they wanted a second autopsy carried out. According to celebrity news website TMZ.com, the new autopsy was already underway at an undisclosed location in Los Angeles.
Los Angeles coroner's officials had said on Friday after an initial autopsy that Jackson's cause of death would not be finalized until the results of toxicology tests were known in several weeks time. Preliminary findings said there was no evidence of foul play or external physical injury to Jackson, officials said.
Reverend Jesse Jackson speaks with Joe Jackson, father of the late pop star Michael Jackson outside Joe Jackson's family home in Los Angeles, California.
The Los Angeles Coroner's office had said a preliminary autopsy on Jackson was inconclusive and a final cause of death would not be known until exhaustive toxicology tests are completed in "six to eight weeks."
Jackson's body was released to his family under cover of darkness late on Friday, and was being kept at an undisclosed location, officials said.
Veteran US politician and activist Reverend Jesse Jackson -- who is not related to the family -- told ABC television's Good Morning America that he had spent Friday counseling the family at their estate.
And he revealed that family members were angry and frustrated by unanswered questions surrounding Jackson's death, and were focusing their attention on the role of the singer's doctor, identified as Conrad Murray.
Murray is reported to have injected Jackson with the powerful painkiller Demerol shortly before his death.
Los Angeles police said on Friday they intended to interview Murray for a second time after initially speaking to him on Thursday. However Jesse Jackson said the family had a flurry of questions of their own.
"When did the doctor come? What did he do? Did they inject him, if so with what," Jackson said, claiming that Murray had gone missing in the hours immediately following the singer's death.
"His absence raises questions of substance that will not go away until they are answered," Jackson said.
"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.'
"He 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."
Asked if the family would seek their own autopsy, Jesse Jackson replied: "I'm sure they ought to, they probably will."
Los Angeles coroners have said Friday's preliminary investigation showed no evidence of "external trauma or foul play" on Jackson's body.
However friends and associates of Jackson took to the airwaves to voice anger over the role of advisers and physicians that surrounded the star.
New age guru and Jackson confidante Deepak Chopra -- a qualified cardiologist -- told CNN bluntly: "I think drugs killed him."
Meanwhile removal vans could be seen entering the driveway of the mansion in Los Angeles where Jackson collapsed, CNN reported Saturday.
The aftermath of Jackson's death has witnessed a worldwide outpouring of tributes and vigils, with stars, world leaders and devotees of the pop icon offering praise to the man who sold more than 750 million records.
Movie icon Elizabeth Taylor said Friday she was "heartbroken" over her close friend's death.
"My heart... my mind... are broken," Taylor said in a statement. "I loved Michael with all my soul and I can't imagine life without him... I still can't believe it. I don't want to believe it. It can't be so."
Fans staged gatherings across the globe, including 10,000 Danish fans who crammed into a square in Copenhagen for a three-hour tribute concert.
Revelers at Britain's Glastonbury music festival sported T-shirts with slogans like "Michael Jackson RIP" and "I was at Glasto when Jacko died", while graffiti paying tribute to "The King of Pop" adorned tents.
On the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, fans queued again on Saturday in sunshine for the right to file past Jackson's star.
In New York large crowds formed outside the legendary Apollo Theater in Harlem, where Jackson launched his career in 1969.
Jackson's death has sent fans scrambling to stock up on his music, and British chart officials said a compilation album was likely to go to the top of the charts on Sunday.
"We always find where a great icon dies that there's a massive uplift in their music sales as fans want to connect and express their grief through the records," said Gennaro Castaldo of retailer HMV.
While Jackson ruled the charts and dazzled audiences with dance moves like the "moonwalk" in the 1980s, his once-stellar career was overshadowed by his startling physical transformation and multiple allegations of child abuse.
He lived as a virtual recluse following his 2005 acquittal on charges of child molestation and plotting to kidnap his young accuser.
Source: TOI
Coroner's investigator Brian Elias said Jackson's family had told his office on Friday they wanted a second autopsy carried out. According to celebrity news website TMZ.com, the new autopsy was already underway at an undisclosed location in Los Angeles.
Los Angeles coroner's officials had said on Friday after an initial autopsy that Jackson's cause of death would not be finalized until the results of toxicology tests were known in several weeks time. Preliminary findings said there was no evidence of foul play or external physical injury to Jackson, officials said.
Reverend Jesse Jackson speaks with Joe Jackson, father of the late pop star Michael Jackson outside Joe Jackson's family home in Los Angeles, California.The Los Angeles Coroner's office had said a preliminary autopsy on Jackson was inconclusive and a final cause of death would not be known until exhaustive toxicology tests are completed in "six to eight weeks."
Jackson's body was released to his family under cover of darkness late on Friday, and was being kept at an undisclosed location, officials said.
Veteran US politician and activist Reverend Jesse Jackson -- who is not related to the family -- told ABC television's Good Morning America that he had spent Friday counseling the family at their estate.
And he revealed that family members were angry and frustrated by unanswered questions surrounding Jackson's death, and were focusing their attention on the role of the singer's doctor, identified as Conrad Murray.
Murray is reported to have injected Jackson with the powerful painkiller Demerol shortly before his death.
Los Angeles police said on Friday they intended to interview Murray for a second time after initially speaking to him on Thursday. However Jesse Jackson said the family had a flurry of questions of their own.
"When did the doctor come? What did he do? Did they inject him, if so with what," Jackson said, claiming that Murray had gone missing in the hours immediately following the singer's death.
"His absence raises questions of substance that will not go away until they are answered," Jackson said.
"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.'
"He 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."
Asked if the family would seek their own autopsy, Jesse Jackson replied: "I'm sure they ought to, they probably will."
Los Angeles coroners have said Friday's preliminary investigation showed no evidence of "external trauma or foul play" on Jackson's body.
However friends and associates of Jackson took to the airwaves to voice anger over the role of advisers and physicians that surrounded the star.
New age guru and Jackson confidante Deepak Chopra -- a qualified cardiologist -- told CNN bluntly: "I think drugs killed him."
Meanwhile removal vans could be seen entering the driveway of the mansion in Los Angeles where Jackson collapsed, CNN reported Saturday.
The aftermath of Jackson's death has witnessed a worldwide outpouring of tributes and vigils, with stars, world leaders and devotees of the pop icon offering praise to the man who sold more than 750 million records.
Movie icon Elizabeth Taylor said Friday she was "heartbroken" over her close friend's death.
"My heart... my mind... are broken," Taylor said in a statement. "I loved Michael with all my soul and I can't imagine life without him... I still can't believe it. I don't want to believe it. It can't be so."
Fans staged gatherings across the globe, including 10,000 Danish fans who crammed into a square in Copenhagen for a three-hour tribute concert.
Revelers at Britain's Glastonbury music festival sported T-shirts with slogans like "Michael Jackson RIP" and "I was at Glasto when Jacko died", while graffiti paying tribute to "The King of Pop" adorned tents.
On the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, fans queued again on Saturday in sunshine for the right to file past Jackson's star.
In New York large crowds formed outside the legendary Apollo Theater in Harlem, where Jackson launched his career in 1969.
Jackson's death has sent fans scrambling to stock up on his music, and British chart officials said a compilation album was likely to go to the top of the charts on Sunday.
"We always find where a great icon dies that there's a massive uplift in their music sales as fans want to connect and express their grief through the records," said Gennaro Castaldo of retailer HMV.
While Jackson ruled the charts and dazzled audiences with dance moves like the "moonwalk" in the 1980s, his once-stellar career was overshadowed by his startling physical transformation and multiple allegations of child abuse.
He lived as a virtual recluse following his 2005 acquittal on charges of child molestation and plotting to kidnap his young accuser.
Source: TOI
Saturday, 27 June 2009
Jackson family anger mounts, may seek fresh autopsy
The family of Michael Jackson may seek an independent autopsy, it emerged on Saturday amid mounting anger and frustration over the final hours of the tragic pop icon's life.
Jackson's family members were huddled at their family compound in the northern Los Angeles suburb of Encino, where they have been based since the most famous member of their clan died suddenly on Thursday at age 50.
The Los Angeles Coroner's office said Friday a preliminary autopsy on Jackson was inconclusive and a final cause of death would not be known until exhaustive toxicology tests are completed in "six to eight weeks."
Jackson's body was released to his family under cover of darkness late Friday, and was being kept at an undisclosed location, officials said.
Veteran US politican and activist Reverend Jesse Jackson -- who is not related to the family -- told ABC television's Good Morning America that he had spent Friday counseling the family at their estate.
And he revealed that family members were angry and frustrated by unanswered questions surrounding Jackson's death, and were focusing their attention on the role of the singer's doctor, identified as Conrad Murray.
Murray is reported to have injected Jackson with the powerful painkiller Demerol shortly before his death.
Los Angeles police said Friday they intended to interview Murray for a second time after initially speaking to him on Thursday. However Jesse Jackson said the family had a flurry of questions of their own.
"When did the doctor come? What did he do? Did they inject him, if so with what," Jackson said, claiming that Murray had gone missing in the hours immediately following the singer's death.
"His absence raises questions of substance that will not go away until they are answered," Jackson said.
"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.'
"He 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."
Asked if the family would seek their own autopsy, Jesse Jackson replied: "I'm sure they ought to, they probably will."
Los Angeles coroners have said Friday's preliminary investigation showed no evidence of "external trauma or foul play" on Jackson's body.
However friends and associates of Jackson took to the airwaves to voice anger over the role of advisers and physicians that surrounded the star.
New age guru and Jackson confidante Deepak Chopra -- a qualified cardiologist -- told CNN bluntly: "I think drugs killed him."
Jackson's former producer Tarak Ben Ammar denounced the doctors around the late pop icon as "criminals."
"It's clear that the criminals in this affair are the doctors who treated him throughout his career, who destroyed his face, who gave him medicine to ease his pain," he said.
The aftermath of Jackson's death has witnessed a worldwide outpouring of tributes and vigils, with stars, world leaders and devotees of the pop icon offering praise to the man who sold more than 750 million records.
Movie icon Elizabeth Taylor said Friday she was "heartbroken" over her close friend's death.
"My heart... my mind... are broken," Taylor said in a statement. "I loved Michael with all my soul and I can't imagine life without him... I still can't believe it. I don't want to believe it. It can't be so."
Fans staged gatherings across the globe, including 10,000 Danish fans who crammed into a square in Copenhagen for a three-hour tribute concert.
A moment of silence was held at 2126 GMT, exactly 24 hours after the announcement of Jackson's death.
On the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, thousands of fans queued for hours in boiling sunshine for the right to file past Jackson's star set into the sidewalk.
Jackson's death led to a stampede on the Internet as fans scoured the web for latest updates on the story.
While Jackson ruled the charts and dazzled audiences with dance moves like the "moonwalk" in the 1980s, his once-stellar career was overshadowed by his startling physical transformation and multiple allegations of child abuse.
He lived as a virtual recluse following his 2005 acquittal on charges of child molestation and plotting to kidnap his young accuser.
Source: TOI
Jackson's family members were huddled at their family compound in the northern Los Angeles suburb of Encino, where they have been based since the most famous member of their clan died suddenly on Thursday at age 50.
The Los Angeles Coroner's office said Friday a preliminary autopsy on Jackson was inconclusive and a final cause of death would not be known until exhaustive toxicology tests are completed in "six to eight weeks."
Jackson's body was released to his family under cover of darkness late Friday, and was being kept at an undisclosed location, officials said.
Veteran US politican and activist Reverend Jesse Jackson -- who is not related to the family -- told ABC television's Good Morning America that he had spent Friday counseling the family at their estate.
And he revealed that family members were angry and frustrated by unanswered questions surrounding Jackson's death, and were focusing their attention on the role of the singer's doctor, identified as Conrad Murray.
Murray is reported to have injected Jackson with the powerful painkiller Demerol shortly before his death.
Los Angeles police said Friday they intended to interview Murray for a second time after initially speaking to him on Thursday. However Jesse Jackson said the family had a flurry of questions of their own.
"When did the doctor come? What did he do? Did they inject him, if so with what," Jackson said, claiming that Murray had gone missing in the hours immediately following the singer's death.
"His absence raises questions of substance that will not go away until they are answered," Jackson said.
"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.'
"He 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."
Asked if the family would seek their own autopsy, Jesse Jackson replied: "I'm sure they ought to, they probably will."
Los Angeles coroners have said Friday's preliminary investigation showed no evidence of "external trauma or foul play" on Jackson's body.
However friends and associates of Jackson took to the airwaves to voice anger over the role of advisers and physicians that surrounded the star.
New age guru and Jackson confidante Deepak Chopra -- a qualified cardiologist -- told CNN bluntly: "I think drugs killed him."
Jackson's former producer Tarak Ben Ammar denounced the doctors around the late pop icon as "criminals."
"It's clear that the criminals in this affair are the doctors who treated him throughout his career, who destroyed his face, who gave him medicine to ease his pain," he said.
The aftermath of Jackson's death has witnessed a worldwide outpouring of tributes and vigils, with stars, world leaders and devotees of the pop icon offering praise to the man who sold more than 750 million records.
Movie icon Elizabeth Taylor said Friday she was "heartbroken" over her close friend's death.
"My heart... my mind... are broken," Taylor said in a statement. "I loved Michael with all my soul and I can't imagine life without him... I still can't believe it. I don't want to believe it. It can't be so."
Fans staged gatherings across the globe, including 10,000 Danish fans who crammed into a square in Copenhagen for a three-hour tribute concert.
A moment of silence was held at 2126 GMT, exactly 24 hours after the announcement of Jackson's death.
On the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, thousands of fans queued for hours in boiling sunshine for the right to file past Jackson's star set into the sidewalk.
Jackson's death led to a stampede on the Internet as fans scoured the web for latest updates on the story.
While Jackson ruled the charts and dazzled audiences with dance moves like the "moonwalk" in the 1980s, his once-stellar career was overshadowed by his startling physical transformation and multiple allegations of child abuse.
He lived as a virtual recluse following his 2005 acquittal on charges of child molestation and plotting to kidnap his young accuser.
Source: TOI
Jackson was on a deadly cocktail of drugs: Report
The toxicology report in pop star Michael Jackson is still awaited but the sources close to the pop star's entourage have revealed the singer was on a deadly diet of powerful narcotic pain relievers. ( Watch )
The star was injected three-times a day with narcotic Demerol. He was also taking three 3mg tablets of another strong narcotic painkiller, Dilaudid and was recently prescribed Vicodin, an opiate drug derived from codeine, the Sun online reported.
The 50-year-old star died yesterday of a suspected cardiac arrest. However, the cause of his death will only be determined after the toxicology report, which is expected in four to six weeks.
The other medicines that the singer was reportedly taking are, Soma, a muscle relaxant in 2mg doses twice a day, Xanax, a sedative taken in 0.5mg doses twice a day, Zoloft, an anti-depressant was taken in 100mg doses.
Another anti-depressant Paxil was also taken by the star to treat anxiety and obsessive behaviour. Michael took it in 20mg pills and Prilosec, an over-the-counter pill for heartburn, the newspaper reported citing sources from Jackson's entourage.
The singer was recently prescribed anti-biotics to fight of infection following his skin cancer surgery.
Earlier reports had also suggested that Jackson had started eating one meal a day as he had a phobia about gaining weight before his 50-date comeback concerts in London from July 13.
He had told a physician that he had been taking painkillers regularly since 1985 and had used them to counter the effects of more than a dozen cosmetic surgery operation, the newspaper said.
Jackson's painkiller addiction began in 1984 after he suffered burns while singing for a Pepsi-Cola commercial, when the special effects smoke bomb misfired. He had to have major surgery on his scalp, and it is said that because of the intense pain he developed an addiction to painkillers.
The popstar's dosage increased over the years as he struggled to cope with the decline of his pop career, his mounting debt and his legal battles against child abuse allegations.
Source: TOI
The star was injected three-times a day with narcotic Demerol. He was also taking three 3mg tablets of another strong narcotic painkiller, Dilaudid and was recently prescribed Vicodin, an opiate drug derived from codeine, the Sun online reported.
The 50-year-old star died yesterday of a suspected cardiac arrest. However, the cause of his death will only be determined after the toxicology report, which is expected in four to six weeks.
The other medicines that the singer was reportedly taking are, Soma, a muscle relaxant in 2mg doses twice a day, Xanax, a sedative taken in 0.5mg doses twice a day, Zoloft, an anti-depressant was taken in 100mg doses.
Another anti-depressant Paxil was also taken by the star to treat anxiety and obsessive behaviour. Michael took it in 20mg pills and Prilosec, an over-the-counter pill for heartburn, the newspaper reported citing sources from Jackson's entourage.
The singer was recently prescribed anti-biotics to fight of infection following his skin cancer surgery.
Earlier reports had also suggested that Jackson had started eating one meal a day as he had a phobia about gaining weight before his 50-date comeback concerts in London from July 13.
He had told a physician that he had been taking painkillers regularly since 1985 and had used them to counter the effects of more than a dozen cosmetic surgery operation, the newspaper said.
Jackson's painkiller addiction began in 1984 after he suffered burns while singing for a Pepsi-Cola commercial, when the special effects smoke bomb misfired. He had to have major surgery on his scalp, and it is said that because of the intense pain he developed an addiction to painkillers.
The popstar's dosage increased over the years as he struggled to cope with the decline of his pop career, his mounting debt and his legal battles against child abuse allegations.
Source: TOI
Michael Jackson's body given to family
The body of Michael Jackson, who died Thursday, has been released by the Los Angeles County coroner's office.
Coroner Investigator Jerry McKibben says Jackson's body was returned to the singer's family Friday night. No funeral plans have been announced.
Jackson, who collapsed at his rented home in Los Angeles, appeared to have suffered a heart attack, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press. The person was not authorized to speak publicly and requested anonymity.
The coroner's office, which has completed its autopsy, says there are no signs of foul play or trauma, but determining the cause of death will require further tests that will take six to eight weeks.
Source: TOI
Coroner Investigator Jerry McKibben says Jackson's body was returned to the singer's family Friday night. No funeral plans have been announced.
Jackson, who collapsed at his rented home in Los Angeles, appeared to have suffered a heart attack, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press. The person was not authorized to speak publicly and requested anonymity.
The coroner's office, which has completed its autopsy, says there are no signs of foul play or trauma, but determining the cause of death will require further tests that will take six to eight weeks.
Source: TOI
No foul play in Jackson's death: Coroner
There was no evidence of foul play in the death of pop superstar Michael Jackson, Los Angeles coroners said on Friday after conducting an autopsy. ( Watch )
Los Angeles County Coroner's spokesman Craig Harvey said a final cause of death on Jackson would be deferred until the results of toxicology tests, due to be completed in "four to six weeks," were known.
But Harvey said that examiners had found "no evidence of trauma" to Jackson's body and no indication of foul play.
Jackson's autopsy took place on Friday amid heartfelt tributes to the singer, and as speculation mounted about the cause of death for the 50-year-old who sold more than 750 million records and whose music defined the 1980s.
Jackson lawyer Brian Oxman said he and family members voiced concerns over the star's use of drugs as he prepared for a gruelling series of comeback concerts in London designed to relaunch his career.
Candles placed in front of the portrait of pop star Michael Jackson at the US embassy in Moscow
"I know Michael was rehearsing and working extremely hard to get in shape in order to perform in London," Oxman told ABC television's Good Morning America. New age guru and Jackson confidante Deepak Chopra -- a qualified cardiologist -- told CNN bluntly: "I think drugs killed him."
Jackson's former producer Tarak Ben Ammar denounced the doctors around the late pop icon as "criminals."
"It's clear that the criminals in this affair are the doctors who treated him throughout his career, who destroyed his face, who gave him medicine to ease his pain," he told France's Europe 1 radio.
Celebrity website TMZ.com -- which broke the news of Jackson's death -- reported on Friday that the star had been injected with the powerful painkiller Demerol about an hour before he lost consciousness.
A Los Angeles Police Department spokesman said investigators spoke with the doctor briefly on Thursday, but they wanted to speak with him again.
A tape-recording of the 911 call from Jackson's home was released on Friday in which a caller could be heard telling an operator that repeated attempts to revive Jackson had been unsuccessful.
The caller also said Jackson's personal physician had been the only witness to the singer's collapse. "(The doctor) is pumping the chest but he's not responding to anything, sir, please," the caller is heard saying.
Jackson's family, including the star's three young children, were reportedly huddled at an estate in the northern Los Angeles suburb of Encino. Meanwhile there were tributes from Jackson's close friend Elizabeth Taylor and a spokesman for US President Barack Obama.
"My heart... my mind... are broken," Taylor said in a statement. "I loved Michael with all my soul and I can't imagine life without him... I still can't believe it. I don't want to believe it. It can't be so."
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Friday the US leader regarded Jackson as an icon but thought aspects of his life were sad and tragic.
"The president... said that he had aspects of his life that were sad and tragic, his condolences went out to the Jackson family and fans that mourned his loss," Gibbs said.
Fans staged gatherings across the world. At Jackson's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, fans left flowers and lit candles.
While Jackson ruled the charts and dazzled audiences with dance moves like the "moonwalk" in the 1980s, his once-stellar career was overshadowed by his startling physical transformation and multiple allegations of child abuse.
He lived as a virtual recluse following his 2005 acquittal on charges of child molestation and plotting to kidnap his young accuser.
Despite the acquittal, the trial was a body blow from which the pop music superstar, who named his ranch after Peter Pan's "Neverland" and furnished it with Disney-inspired rides, struggled to recover.
Born on August 29, 1958, Jackson made his show business debut with four of his elder brothers in the Jackson Five pop group, and went on to lead the stage clan with a piping soprano and dazzling dance moves.
In 1979, Quincy Jones produced Jackson's first solo album for Epic Records, "Off the Wall," a huge disco-oriented success that sold 10 million copies.
They teamed up again in 1982 for "Thriller," which became the top-selling album of all time, with sales exceeding 41 million.
Source: TOI
Los Angeles County Coroner's spokesman Craig Harvey said a final cause of death on Jackson would be deferred until the results of toxicology tests, due to be completed in "four to six weeks," were known.
But Harvey said that examiners had found "no evidence of trauma" to Jackson's body and no indication of foul play.
Jackson's autopsy took place on Friday amid heartfelt tributes to the singer, and as speculation mounted about the cause of death for the 50-year-old who sold more than 750 million records and whose music defined the 1980s.
Jackson lawyer Brian Oxman said he and family members voiced concerns over the star's use of drugs as he prepared for a gruelling series of comeback concerts in London designed to relaunch his career.
Candles placed in front of the portrait of pop star Michael Jackson at the US embassy in Moscow"I know Michael was rehearsing and working extremely hard to get in shape in order to perform in London," Oxman told ABC television's Good Morning America. New age guru and Jackson confidante Deepak Chopra -- a qualified cardiologist -- told CNN bluntly: "I think drugs killed him."
Jackson's former producer Tarak Ben Ammar denounced the doctors around the late pop icon as "criminals."
"It's clear that the criminals in this affair are the doctors who treated him throughout his career, who destroyed his face, who gave him medicine to ease his pain," he told France's Europe 1 radio.
Celebrity website TMZ.com -- which broke the news of Jackson's death -- reported on Friday that the star had been injected with the powerful painkiller Demerol about an hour before he lost consciousness.
A Los Angeles Police Department spokesman said investigators spoke with the doctor briefly on Thursday, but they wanted to speak with him again.
A tape-recording of the 911 call from Jackson's home was released on Friday in which a caller could be heard telling an operator that repeated attempts to revive Jackson had been unsuccessful.
The caller also said Jackson's personal physician had been the only witness to the singer's collapse. "(The doctor) is pumping the chest but he's not responding to anything, sir, please," the caller is heard saying.
Jackson's family, including the star's three young children, were reportedly huddled at an estate in the northern Los Angeles suburb of Encino. Meanwhile there were tributes from Jackson's close friend Elizabeth Taylor and a spokesman for US President Barack Obama.
"My heart... my mind... are broken," Taylor said in a statement. "I loved Michael with all my soul and I can't imagine life without him... I still can't believe it. I don't want to believe it. It can't be so."
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Friday the US leader regarded Jackson as an icon but thought aspects of his life were sad and tragic.
"The president... said that he had aspects of his life that were sad and tragic, his condolences went out to the Jackson family and fans that mourned his loss," Gibbs said.
Fans staged gatherings across the world. At Jackson's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, fans left flowers and lit candles.
While Jackson ruled the charts and dazzled audiences with dance moves like the "moonwalk" in the 1980s, his once-stellar career was overshadowed by his startling physical transformation and multiple allegations of child abuse.
He lived as a virtual recluse following his 2005 acquittal on charges of child molestation and plotting to kidnap his young accuser.
Despite the acquittal, the trial was a body blow from which the pop music superstar, who named his ranch after Peter Pan's "Neverland" and furnished it with Disney-inspired rides, struggled to recover.
Born on August 29, 1958, Jackson made his show business debut with four of his elder brothers in the Jackson Five pop group, and went on to lead the stage clan with a piping soprano and dazzling dance moves.
In 1979, Quincy Jones produced Jackson's first solo album for Epic Records, "Off the Wall," a huge disco-oriented success that sold 10 million copies.
They teamed up again in 1982 for "Thriller," which became the top-selling album of all time, with sales exceeding 41 million.
Source: TOI
