Day 2 of the AEG trial: Conrad Murray broke the Hippocratic Oath for money

Orlando Martinez (Orlando Martinez) was the second witness yesterday. He became an investigator into Michael’s death after the death investigation officer passed away, and he also testified in Murray’s trial. (News)

He learned from one of his subordinates that the victim in the case was Michael Jackson. He then went to the hospital to investigate. There, he met Frank Dileo, Michael’s program manager, and Randy Phillips, the CEO of the company, as well as Katherine Jackson and Michael’s three children. But there was no sign of Dr. Murray, because he had left the hospital.

At the hospital, it was decided that Michael’s lifeless body would be sent to the medical examiner’s office by helicopter to avoid chaos and controversy on the streets. Martinez then went to Michael’s home to examine the scene of death. Many photos Martinez had taken of the scene were shown to the jury yesterday. Martinez said he had gone to the house three times to gather evidence. He did not search Murray’s car because Murray did not allow it without a court order. He seized Murray’s automobile and transferred it to the police station, so that Murray could go there under the pretext of retrieving the car and speak with the investigator.

Inside the BMW registered in Murray’s sister’s name in Texas, a contract was found between the company and Murray to serve as Michael Jackson’s doctor. Murray’s monthly salary in that contract was listed as $150,000. In addition, Randy Phillips’ card and his phone number were also obtained from the car.

Martinez says that when he questioned Murray in the presence of his two lawyers, the doctor made up a story to protect himself.

“He wasn’t honest or straightforward.”

Before searching the car, Martinez had also spoken with Murray and was seeking answers in a second round of questioning, but the doctor was no longer willing to cooperate and would not talk. Martinez was looking for a motive in Michael’s death, and Murray’s contract with the company caught his attention for that reason.

Martinez told the jury that in Michael’s bedroom he noticed a sleeping bag, a medicine bottle, syringes, and an ambu-bag (a plastic bag used to blow oxygen into a sick person’s mouth), but:

“It looked like the room had been tidied up. It was clear that before the police arrived, someone had moved the items and taken them out of the room.”

Later, Martinez heard from Murray that three bags containing medicine bottles had been kept on a shelf in Michael’s room. He returned to Michael’s home to seize those medications. He obtained fingerprints from the medicine bottles that matched Murray’s fingerprints.

At first, Martinez believed that the death was caused by an accident or a natural incident. There was no sign of wrongdoing at the scene, but the story was strange. When Martinez, as a result of his investigation, learned that Murray had severe financial problems, he changed his view and began to think that he might have found the motive behind Michael’s death. Thus, it is likely that under these circumstances Murray broke the Hippocratic Oath and got involved to get his hands on the money. This is one of the points argued by Katherine Jackson’s lawyers.

Martinez told the jury that Murray had a $500,000 debt and that the high salary Michael was paying him likely tempted him. Martinez found that Murray’s home in Las Vegas was in a bank mortgage, and the bank had put it up for sale. In addition to miscellaneous debts and unpaid taxes, Murray also had not paid his children’s care costs to his wife. Murray had become the father of eight children with seven women. Murray had closed his practice to care for only one person (Michael), and he saw all his hopes for paying his debts in that one person.

Martinez said that after questioning Murray and examining his car, four days after Michael’s death, he concluded that the crime that occurred was due to Murray’s negligence.

Murray was sentenced to a four-year prison term two years ago for involuntary manslaughter resulting from negligence.

Source: eMJey.com / AP & CNN & Reuters