The investigation surrounding the death of Michael Jackson reached a new chapter yesterday (July 27), when a law enforcement official revealed that the entertainer’s personal physician administered the drug authorities believe killed him. The official, who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity in light of the case being ongoing, added that Dr. Conrad Murray gave Jackson the anesthetic Propofol (Diprivan) on the last night of his life.
Jackson, who died June 25, was taking the drug regularly to help him go to sleep.
A doctor would administer Propofol to Jackson when he went to sleep, then stop the intravenous drip when he wanted to wake up, said the official, who added that Murray gave the Grammy-winning vocalist the drug through an IV sometime after midnight on the day of his death.
Murray’s lawyer, Edward Chernoff, responded to the official’s revelations by saying: "We will not be commenting on rumors, innuendo or unnamed sources."
According to reports, Murray was with the music icon when he died.
Court papers show the 51-year-old doctor is currently being investigated for manslaughter in relation to Jackson’s death. Developments surrounding the singer’s death have generated numerous headlines in the last few weeks.
E! News reports that autopsies performed on Jackson’s body noted needle marks on the entertainer’s neck and arms.
Although toxicology reports are pending the official told the AP that investigators are working under the theory that Propofol caused Jackson's heart to stop as they try to determine how many doctors administered the drug to Jackson.
The official also stated that it is believed that Jackson was using propofol for about two years. The latest development in the Jackson case comes after a recent search of Jackson’s Holmby Hills home resulted in vials of Diprivan being taken away after his death.
Police conducted another search last week as they found and seized three computer hard drives, tablets of an appetite suppressant and a muscle relaxer, two e-mails from Murray’s administrative assistant at the Las Vegas practice he ran and other documents at Murray’s offices in Houston and a public storage facility he rented.
Propofol was not found.
Sources also said Dr. Murray may have fallen asleep after he administered the drug to Jackson, who has died before paramedics arrived.
