Michael Jackson Cause Of Death – The autopsy on Michael Jackson was inconclusive, but L.A. police say Jackson was “heavily addicted” to Oxycontin and received an injection of Demerol an hour before he died.
The Michael Jackson cause of death has been contentious since the troubled pop singer’s sudden cardiac arrest at age 50 after Dr. Conrad Murray injected Jackson with the powerful painkiller Demerol.
Jackson is the latest in a long line of celebrities whose drug addiction was enabled by pill-pushing physicians. Anna Nicole Smith’s death last year shows the peril of unlimited access to pharmaceuticals by the rich and famous.
Dr. Conrad Murray is a Las Vegas-based cardiologist who was Michael Jackson’s personal physician.
Murray was present when Jackson was found in cardiac arrest and performed CPR until the EMT crews arrived, but Jackson’s heart was stopped permanently by the abundance of powerful painkillers in his system.
Dr. Murray then disappeared from the scene, not bothering to discuss what happened to Jackson after the Demerol shot was given with either the police or Jackson’s family.
Dr. Murray has hired an attorney and will be interviewed by the LAPD this weekend.
Michael Jackson has been abusing prescription painkillers since his scalp was severely burned while filming a Pepsi commercial.
Jackson later fell off a stage while performing, breaking his leg and badly injuring his back, which led to his addiction to Oxycontin.
And that’s the latest on the Michael Jackson cause of death.
Tags: demerol, dr conrad murray, michael jackson, michael jackson autopsy, micheal jackson cause of death, oxycontin
June 27th, 2009 at 9:03 am
Great artist. Drugs claimed another star…
June 28th, 2009 at 7:48 am
What kind of doctor shoots somebody up with Demerol while they’re using Oxycontin?
June 28th, 2009 at 6:38 pm
Reports of prescription drug abuse have dogged Michael Jackson for much of his career, and now a close associate has come forward to talk about the late singer’s battle with addiction.
Jackson’s former video producer said the pop star, who died Thursday at age 50 from cardiac arrest, had a “20-plus year” addiction to the painkiller Demerol, as well as to a cocktail of other drugs, such as Oxycontin.
Jackson became so addicted that the video producer and other close associates tried to stage an intervention in 2003, but it derailed because of a world tour, said Marc Schaffel, who was named as an unindicted co-conspirator in Jackson’s 2005 child molestation trial.
Schaffel’s accusations were backed by a senior law enforcement official who told ABC News that Jackson was “heavily addicted” to Demerol and received “daily doses” of Oxycontin.
June 28th, 2009 at 7:47 pm
Michael Jackson 911 Call
In an urgent, but collected phone call to 911, an unidentified man describes Michael Jackson as lying on a bed unresponsive while a doctor kept “pumping him.”
“I need an ambulance as soon as possible, sir,” the man said on audio tapes that were released this afternoon in Los Angeles, where the singer died Thursday at age 50. “We have, we have a gentleman here that needs help and he’s not breathing yet… he’s not breathing… we’re trying to pump him but he’s not breathing sir….”
The 911 operator confirmed Jackson’s age and the address — 100 Carrolwood Drive. “Where is he right now?”
“He’s on the bed,” said the caller.
“Let’s get him on the floor and do CPR,” said the operator, reassuring the caller as he gets more agitated. “We are on our way there.”
“Did anybody see him?” asked the operator.
“I have a personal doctor here, but he’s not responding to anything, CPR, or anything,” the caller answered.
“We are on the way,” said the operator. “If you have a doctor, he’s a higher authority than me. Did anyone witnessed what happened?”
“No, just the doctor,” the caller said. “He’s the only one here.”
The caller spoke to the doctor, and a muffled voice can be heard in the background.
“If you can please,” said the caller.
“We are on our way,” responds the operator.
“Thank you sir, he’s pumped his chest and he’s not responding to anything…please…thank you,” said the caller before the call ends.
The Los Angeles Fire Department was called to Jackson’s residence at 12:26 p.m. Pacific Time on Thursday. Paramedics performed CPR on Jackson, who was not breathing when they arrived at his home.
He was then rushed to UCLA Medical Center, just six miles from his home, where he was later pronounced dead after doctors there worked on him for an additional hour.
June 30th, 2009 at 9:02 am
DCFS Visits Michael Jackson’s Children
Although Michael Jackson only died on Thursday, the Case Sensitive Unit at the Los Angeles County Department of Child & Family Services immediately launched their investigation and paid a visit to Jackson’s three children on Friday to see what the planned setup would be.
According to DCFS sources, there are a lot of red flags in the situation and even though Debbie Rowe is reportedly the mother of the two eldest children she will still have to be assessed and prove that she can provide a stable living environment before the case can be closed.
“This is listed as a ‘Caretaker Absence’ situation and we are highly sensitized to such a high-profile case,” said an insider. “You can’t just become a parent – how much contact has Rowe had with the kids? Criminal checks, dietary and immunization checks will all be done.”
And should Jackson’s parents seek custody of the children, we’re told that the physical and emotional abuse Michael was privy to as a child will once again factor in.
“The grandparents are another red flag,” added our source. “And with all that has come out about the prescription medications that were in the house, the investigation will be very extensive.”
July 3rd, 2009 at 5:08 pm
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The powerful sedative Diprivan was found in Michael Jackson’s home, a law enforcement official said Friday as the city planned for a massive crowd at the singer’s memorial service.
Diprivan is an anesthetic widely used in operating rooms to induce unconsciousness. Also known as Propofol, it’s given intravenously and is very unusual to have in a private home.
The law enforcement official spoke on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to speak about the matter.
A Los Angeles Police spokesman, Lt. John Romero, declined to discuss the case. “It’s an ongoing investigation,” he said.
July 3rd, 2009 at 5:27 pm
Authorities are investigating allegations that the 50-year-old Jackson had been consuming painkillers, sedatives and antidepressants. Any criminal charges would depend on whether Jackson had been overly prescribed medications, given drugs inappropriate for his needs, or if doctors knowingly prescribed Jackson medications under an assumed name.
Edward Chernoff, an attorney for Jackson’s doctor, Dr. Conrad Murray, said Friday through a spokeswoman that he had agreed with investigators not to comment until information is released through official channels. Murray was in Jackson’s rented mansion when the singer collapsed June 25.
Murray has spoken to police and authorities say he is not a suspect. In an earlier interview, Chernoff said Murray never gave or prescribed Jackson the painkillers Demerol or OxyContin, and denied reports suggesting that the doctor gave the pop star drugs that contributed to his death.
Chernoff would not discuss what drugs the doctor administered to Jackson, but said they would have been prescribed in response to a specific complaint.
As Jackson recently prepared for a massive series of comeback concerts, he was so distraught over persistent insomnia that he pleaded for Diprivan, according to Cherilyn Lee, a registered nurse who was working with the singer.
Lee said she repeatedly rejected his demands because the drug was unsafe.
It’s still not known what caused Jackson’s death at age 50. The pop star went into cardiac arrest in his bedroom and his personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, performed CPR while an ambulance was called, according to Murray’s lawyers. Murray has spoken to police and authorities say he is not a suspect.
An autopsy was conducted but results are not expected for several weeks. The Jackson family had a second autopsy performed and those results also are pending.
July 9th, 2009 at 12:22 pm
THE FREAK IS FINALLY DEAD !!!! LONG LIVE NORMAL PEOPLE LIKE SARAH PALIN !!!!
July 21st, 2009 at 12:02 pm
They oughta be looking at that doctor that was with Michael. If anybody knows what killed him, that doctor does…
July 28th, 2009 at 10:21 am
Shortly after midnight on June 25, the day Jackson died, Dr. Conrad Murray gave him the drug through an IV, the source told AP.
Murray’s lawyer, Edward Chernoff, has said the doctor “didn’t prescribe or administer anything that should have killed Michael Jackson.” When asked Monday about the law enforcement official’s statements he said: “We will not be commenting on rumors, innuendo or unnamed sources.”
In a more detailed statement posted online late Monday, Chernoff added that “things tend to shake out when all the facts are made known, and I’m sure that will happen here as well.”
Toxicology reports are still pending, but investigators are working under the theory that propofol caused Jackson’s heart to stop, the official said. Jackson is believed to have been using the drug for about two years and investigators are trying to determine how many other doctors administered it, the official said.
Dr. Conrad Murray, 51, has been identified in court papers as the subject of a manslaughter investigation, and authorities last week raided his office and a storage unit in Houston.
Police say Murray is cooperating and have not labeled him a suspect.
Murray became Jackson’s personal physician in May and was to accompany him to London for a series of concerts starting in July.
He was staying with Jackson in the Los Angeles mansion and, according to Chernoff, “happened to find” an unconscious Jackson in the pop star’s bedroom the morning of June 25. Murray tried to revive him by compressing his chest with one hand while supporting Jackson’s back with the other.
Police found propofol and other drugs in the home. An IV line and three tanks of oxygen were in the room where Jackson slept and 15 more oxygen tanks were in a security guard’s shack, the official said.
Using propofol to sleep exceeds the drug’s intended purpose. The drug can depress breathing and lower heart rates and blood pressure. Because of the risks, propofol is supposed to be administered only in medical settings by trained personnel.