Investigation into Michael’s Death Enters a New Phase

Yesterday, Wednesday, police officers along with federal agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration, DEA, raided the Armstrong Clinic in north Houston—the workplace of Michael’s doctor, "Conrad Murray"—and, according to the lawyer for this doctor, they were looking for evidence of "involuntary manslaughter." Houston police surrounded the Armstrong Clinic and officers entered the office of Conrad Murray at 10:30 AM on Wednesday. Police left the clinic at 1:00 PM, and the crowd of people who had gathered there to watch what was happening gradually dispersed. It is said that a group of 20 people caused problems for the police officers and staff inside the clinic. As the investigation into the death of Michael Jackson enters a new phase, earlier the Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson had denied rumors of murder and said that the police were still considering the possibility of murder. Dr. Conrad Murray, a cardiology specialist who was with Michael in the final moments of his life and had tried to revive him, had previously been questioned by police as a witness, not a suspect. Police in the city have not confirmed the occurrence of a crime in Michael’s home—his involuntary manslaughter—but they have also not ruled it out. In the initial police investigation, they found the anesthetic drug propofol—its brand name is Diprivan—at Michael’s home. It is said that Michael had insomnia and probably wanted to inject this anesthetic drug to fall asleep for a few hours. This drug is injected in operating rooms for patients who need surgery. According to specialists, administering this drug requires equipped hospital rooms. In addition, Diprivan is not a drug that can be sold at pharmacies, and only medical specialists have access to it. Therefore, according to doctors, it is not possible that Michael himself obtained and injected the drug. As a result, the police are looking for a medical professional who may have injected this drug into Michael and caused his death. It should be noted that the toxicology results from Michael’s body are not yet ready, and it is not yet clear whether Michael’s cardiac arrest was truly caused by the injection of this drug. Michael Jackson’s death remains shrouded in ambiguity. Murray’s lawyer said his client should not be considered a murder suspect. Conrad Murray had known Michael since 2006. He was hired by Michael as his personal doctor to take care of him during the London concerts. Murray said that before Michael’s death, he had not injected any drug that could have led to his death. Since the day of Michael’s death, Conrad Murray has been the target of media attacks and angry fans, as well as Michael’s family. They blame him for Michael’s death. His lawyer said that Murray is forced to use a security guard and bodyguard around the clock and cannot attend to his work, and wherever he goes he is attacked. After strong anesthetic propofol was found in Michael’s rented mansion home in the Bel Air area of Los Angeles, the Drug Enforcement Administration began investigating this case, and now the California Bar Association has joined the team of investigators. They want to understand how such a unique drug found its way into Michael Jackson’s home—and by whom. Police questioned Conrad Murray twice: immediately after Michael’s death and then again two days later. Conrad Murray was found unconscious on his bed in the bedroom of his Bel Air home on Thursday, June 25 local time, and he immediately began cardiopulmonary resuscitation and artificial respiration. At 12:21 PM, the emergency services were called, and then after the arrival of paramedics, Michael’s unconscious body was transferred to the University of Los Angeles Hospital. Michael died at 2:26 PM. Police officers at the same hospital questioned Dr. Conrad Murray, who had gone to the hospital along with the emergency team, and the next day, Saturday, they questioned him for 3 hours at the city police station. Police said that Murray is cooperating with them. It is said that next week the results of the autopsy and toxicology will be announced. With the findings of the forensic investigation becoming clear, it is expected that the mystery of Michael’s death will be solved to some extent. Yesterday, police removed a computer and 21 files from Murray’s office. Police are looking for Michael’s medical records and possible emails that may have been exchanged between him and Dr. Murray. In criminal cases, it is not necessary for medical information about a patient to remain hidden, and police are not restricted in this regard during their investigation. To prove involuntary manslaughter, police must be able to show that the doctor committed a negligent act that contained a risk of death or serious injury to the patient. If the doctor’s act involved risk and danger, the patient must have been informed of that risk—and now the question is whether, if Conrad Murray’s high-risk act is proven, Michael Jackson was made aware of such danger. Some time ago, Michael’s nurse and nutrition specialist, Ms. Sherylyn Lee—who is also cooperating with the police in this case—announced that Michael had told her he used Diprivan to sleep. Ms. Lee warned him about this drug, but Michael said that his doctor had told him there was no danger. Michael had refused to give the name of his doctor. Lee has been monitoring Michael from January until April of this year. She said Michael insisted that he wanted medication from her so he could sleep for only a few hours. Because of his hard rehearsals and constant performances on stage, he was unable to sleep and suffered from chronic insomnia. Source: eMJey / LA Times / AP