"Lethal Levels" of Anesthetic Propofol Killed Singer Michael Jackson, Death Ruled a Homicide by LA Coroner

It is a sad commentary that Michael Jackson led such a tormented life. The fallout from his death continues. According to a search warrant obtained by the Los Angeles Times, the late singer had lethal levels of Propofol in his system when he died. The report states that Dr. Conrad Murray told cops he had been treating Jackson for six weeks for insomnia and giving him 50 milligrams of Propofol every night through an IV. He also told the cops that he feared Jackson was getting addicted so he reduced the dosage to 25 mg and reportedly mixed it with two other sedatives -- lorazepam and midazolam. On June 23, two days before Jackson's death, he reportedly administered those two medications and withheld the propofol. Michael Jackson was murdered and those doctors who fed him such dangerous drugs should be brought to justice and their medical licenses should be revoked immediately.

On the morning Jackson died, Murray tried to induce sleep without using propofol, according to the affidavit. He said he gave Jackson valium at 1:30 a.m. When that didn't work, he said, he injected lorazepam intravenously at 2 a.m. At 3 a.m., when Jackson was still awake, Murray administered midazolam. Over the next few hours, Murray said he gave Jackson various drugs. Then at 10:40 a.m., Murray administered 25 milligrams of propofol after Jackson repeatedly demanded the drug, according to the court records.

Although Murray acknowledged to police that he administered propofol, authorities said they could find no evidence that he had purchased, ordered or obtained the medication under his medical license or Drug Enforcement Administration tracking number. However, police detectives saw about eight bottles of propofol in the house along with other vials and pills that had been prescribed to Jackson by Dr. Murray, Dr. Arnold Klein and Dr. Allan Metzger.

Other drugs that were confiscated in the search included valium, tamsulosin, lorazepam, temazepam, clonazepam, trazodone and tizanidine. They also found propofol in Murray’s medical bag. Murray told detectives that he was not the first doctor to administer the powerful anesthetic to Jackson.

Murray said he noticed injection marks on Jackson’s hands and feet. When he asked Jackson about them, the pop star told him he had been given a “cocktail” to help him. In addition to Murray, authorities subpoenaed medical records from Dr. Arnold Klein, Dr. Allan Metzger and Dr. David Adams, the affidavit states. They also asked for medical records from Dr. David Slavitt, who conducted the independent medical examination of Jackson for Anschuntz Entertainment Group, Dr. Randy Rosen and nurse practitioner Cherilyn Lee. They also subpoenaed records from Dr. Mark Tadrissi, who stored medical records with Adams.

Jackson’s doctor told authorities he left Jackson’s bedside for no more than two minutes before returning to find the pop star not breathing. Jackson reportedly fell asleep at 10:40 a.m. Source: LA Times

This is, indeed, a very sad end to a life that had an impact on so many people across this world. I don't want to blame his family for his downfall, but I have to wonder if they couldn't have done more to help Michael Jackson, rather than use him as their meal ticket. It is equally amazing that Dr. Arnold Klein said on the Larry King Show that he repeatedly told Michael Jackson that propofol was a dangerous drug, but it seems that there is some evidence that he clearly knew more than he professed. Dr. Murray had no business administering such dangerous drugs when he clearly did not possess the expertise to do so.