Thursday in Court: Murray Had Rejected Giving Any Medication

The emergency doctors who tried to save Michael’s life on the day he died were the witnesses yesterday in court in the Pop King’s murder case against Dr. Murray. Martin Blunt, one of these doctors, said that while he and his colleagues were trying to save him in Michael’s room, he witnessed Conrad Murray collect three vials of lidocaine from the floor and put them into a black bag. The witness said he was surprised to see lidocaine because Murray had told them that he had not injected any medication into Michael. Blunt said Murray prepared a special syringe for subcutaneous injection and intended to use it on Michael, but he and his colleagues prevented him. This witness described Dr. Murray in that moment as panicked and irrational, saying he was sweating heavily. Blunt said that as soon as he entered Michael’s room, it appeared that at least 20 minutes had passed since his death. But Murray claimed that he had suffered respiratory arrest only one minute before emergency help was requested. “It seemed like some time had passed because his skin was cold, his pupils were open, and his eyes were fixed.” Blunt also said that a urinary catheter had been used for Michael. This catheter is usually used in operating rooms for patients who are under anesthesia. Rachel Cooper, the emergency doctor who declared Michael dead at UCLA, testified that when the Pop King arrived at the hospital, there were no signs of life. Before any resuscitation efforts were carried out, she was certain there was no hope of his returning to life. At 12:57, she allowed the emergency officers who were at Michael’s home to declare him dead, but at the insistence of Dr. Murray and because of Michael Jackson’s fame, that was not done, and Michael was transferred to the hospital. After futile attempts in the emergency department, Ms. Cooper declared Michael dead at 2:26 p.m. on June 25. She added that Dr. Murray did not provide them with any information about the injectable drugs given to Michael, and only mentioned the sedative and anti-anxiety drug lorazepam. Cooper said that many sleeping medications found in Michael’s body after the autopsy had synergistic effects and increased the danger of propofol in Michael’s body, ultimately leading to his cardiac arrest. According to Dr. Cooper, propofol is used specifically in hospital operating rooms, and until Michael’s death, she had never heard anything about home use of this powerful drug. Saul Gaine, Cooper’s colleague and a cardiologist, said Murray rejected giving Michael sleeping pills or narcotics and only mentioned lorazepam. Gaine explained that Murray couldn’t say how long it had been from the time lorazepam was injected until cardiac arrest. “He hadn’t checked the clock and had no understanding of time.” Gaine said these were the exact words Murray used that day. Murray told him Michael was very tired, but had trouble falling asleep so he had to take a sedative. Michael arrived at the hospital at 1:13 p.m., and doctors tried to save him until 2:26. In court, Gaine said Murray asked him not to give up quickly and to do everything possible to save his patient. Yesterday, the Los Angeles telecommunications company representative also provided the court with information from Conrad Murray’s mobile phone on the day Michael died. Based on his report, the doctor spent the time he should have been using to save his patient’s life chatting on his mobile phone and/or sending text messages. Unfortunately, none of the recipients of his calls during that 47-minute period were emergency services, 911. During the five hours before Michael’s death, he made 11 phone calls from two different phones. Three back-to-back calls that lasted at least 45 minutes were made right when the prosecution believes Murray had realized his patient had suffered respiratory arrest. During this same time, he received and sent five text messages on his iPhone. Among the recipients of his iPhone and mobile calls were a patient in Las Vegas, his clinic in Houston, an employee, and another doctor. He spent an hour and a half of that five-hour period making phone calls. He also called one of Michael’s employees and asked for immediate help. In addition, within one to two minutes, he sent two text messages requesting help to Michael’s employees. Source: eMJey / TMZ / AP / LA Times