Police look for evidence of manslaughter in Michael Jackson's death, attorney says [Updated]
A search warrant executed today at the Houston offices of Dr. Conrad Murray, Michael Jackson's personal doctor, indicates that authorities are investigating "the offense of manslaughter" in relation to the pop star's death, Murray's attorney said.
The statement by attorney Edward Chernoff is the strongest indication yet that investigators are considering serious criminal charges against anyone connected with Jackson's sudden death June 25.
“We can confirm that a search warrant was executed today on Dr. Murray’s offices in Houston Texas," Chernoff said in a statement. "We reviewed the warrant and remained on the premises while the search was being executed. The search was conducted by members of the DEA, two Robbery-Homicide detectives from the Los Angeles Police Department and Houston Police officers. The search warrant authorized law enforcement to search for and seize items, including documents, they believed constituted evidence of the offense of manslaughter. Law enforcement concluded their search around 12:30 p.m., and left with a forensic image of a business computer hard drive and 21 documents. None of the documents taken had previously been requested by law enforcement or the L.A. Coroner’s office."
On Tuesday, The Times reported that the Los Angeles County coroner's office had requested another interview with Murray and were seeking additional information from him.
Murray, 51, is a central figure in the probe as a witness and a possible criminal target. He discovered Jackson unconscious in the bedroom of his rented Holmby Hills home and performed CPR on him until paramedics arrived.
Police questioned Murray at UCLA Medical Center, where Jackson was pronounced dead, and two days later, the physician and his attorney met with police detectives for three hours.
Through his lawyer, Murray has said he administered no narcotics or other medications that "should have" caused Jackson's death and remains puzzled as to his death.
Murray is one of several doctors the Los Angeles Police Department and other agencies are investigating as they try to determine the circumstance of Jackson's death. Authorities removed prescription drugs and other "medical evidence" from Jackson's home and are trying to determine whether they played a role in his death. Murray has not been named as any type of criminal suspect, and his attorney said he did nothing wrong.
Murray is currently in Las Vegas, where he has his primary practice, according to his lawyer. He worked about two days a month at the Houston clinic, which has served a poor, predominantly black neighborhood. He opened the clinic in 2006 in honor of his late father, who had been a longtime physician and community activist in the neighborhood.
[Updated at 12:30 p.m.: Items seized from Murray’s office included rolodex cards, e-mails, a photocopied picture of Murray and a folder containing the doctor’s bio, according to a source knowledgeable with the search. Investigators also took paperwork, such as receipts for a public storage unit and cellphone and pamphlets from the Sleep Center of Doctors Hospital in Houston, located near Murray’s clinic.
Although Murray’s attorney said the search warrant authorized law enforcement officials to seek evidence in support of manslaughter, sources familiar with the investigation cautioned that the probe may not lead to any criminal charges.
To obtain a search warrant, authorities are required to show probable cause for a felony. Police would not discuss the nature of the search warrant, its contents or the statement issued by Murray’s lawyer. “It is an ongoing investigation into circumstances surrounding Michael Jackson’s death,” said L.A. Police Department Commander Pat Gannon. No determination has been made yet whether Jackson’s death was a homicide or an accident.]
-- Harriet Ryan and Andrew Blankstein
Now, what motive would this doctor have for "killing" Michael Jackson? Our tax dollars are being wasted on this mockery? Of course...NO responsibility is being ascribed to Michael Jackson himself, for abusing prescription drugs for years, perhaps decades! Personal Responsibiity? None here...
Posted by: lioness | July 22, 2009 at 12:04 PM
It's more than POSSIBLE that MJ himself shot himself up, and overdid it.
Other than that, it sounds like he was surrounded by Medical GREEDY GHOULS, like his "Thriller" album -- all of them with some kind of financial interest in his huge wealth.
Sad story.
Posted by: Peter | July 22, 2009 at 12:13 PM
Stop it already with the dramatics, Jackson died accidentally like thousands of other people do everyday. Leave the doctors alone. Anybody who's anybody who wants drugs prescribed will get them. It's that persons responsibility to take them as prescribed, whether they do or not is not the doctors fault!
Posted by: MercyMe | July 22, 2009 at 01:05 PM
Seems like they don't have enough evidence to really prove him guilty.
Posted by: Melisa | July 22, 2009 at 01:43 PM
Any doctor who devotes his full practice to caring for a single individual is motivated by one thing: money. He's not a physician. He's a high-paid enabler. As far as I know, Murray is the only doctor who was actually staying at Jackson's home when he died. How could he not know of Jackson's use of dangerous prescription drugs?
Posted by: JohnRJ08 | July 22, 2009 at 02:15 PM
Has anyone really verified the nurse’s story that Michael called her and asked her to help him get Diprivan?
The reason I ask, is that if Michael called her that Sunday, four days before his death, he could have asked Dr. Murray, right? Everyone is jumping to conclusions saying Dr. Murray is guilty, so someone needs to verify her story.
Has anyone really looked at the NURSES PHONE records to verify he called her?
Has anyone looked at Michael's phone records to see that he received a call?
If he only had a cell phone, and she was on vacation and he called her on her cell phone, there should be instant records, right?
Posted by: Celia | July 22, 2009 at 03:54 PM
Do something about the media's misrepresentation of an interview with Mr. Jackson illuding to semantics regarding a bold interest in children, sexually. I am not sure of what you guys think about your average audience. Refer the loud ones to something like a mini course on some journalist attempts. The atmosphere gets beyond cloudy that you know this and do nothing. The interview that is downloadable with Mr. Jackson and Ed Bradley stress this clarification and on and on and on. Who is this who comes to steal and destroy?
Posted by: jadedjai | July 22, 2009 at 04:19 PM
JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES DO NOT CELEBRATE HOLIDAYS, INCLUDING PERSONAL BIRTHDAYS. THE CULT ALSO DOES NOT ALLOW FOR LIFESAVING METHODS, SUCH AS BLOOD TRANSFUSIONS. THERE MAY BE MORE LIFESAVING METHODS THAT ARE OBJECTED TO BY JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES AND THEIR FAMILIES. BUT, THEY DO BELIEVE IN SEX AND PLENTY OF SEX WITH WHOMEVER. IN OTHER WORDS, THEY DO BELIEVE IN SPREADING THE SEX AROUND AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. THEY CLAIM TO BE SATANISTS. THIS CASE COULD GO ON FOR ANOTHER THOUSAND YEARS BECAUSE OF THE COMPLICATIONS OF THE CULTIC ACTIVITY. MY ADVICE IS DO NOT LET THE GROUP WITNESS TO YOUR MINOR CHILDREN WITHOUT YOUR PERMISSION. I MEAN THE SEX IS WAY, WAY UP THERE ON THE GROUP"S LIST OF O.K. THINGS TO DO AND DO ANY KIND OF WAY IN MY OPINION. I MEAN WHY NO BLOOD TRANFUSION? THE SEX IS JUST EVERYWHERE IT CAN BE, ALL OVER THE PLACE WITH WHOMEVER.
Posted by: ESTELLA DAVIS | July 22, 2009 at 06:34 PM
I am so glad a big investigation on Michael Jackson's death is being conducted. I even wonder if Michael was alive when he arrived at the hospital--and the hospital didn't try to save him as well as they could have.
Some people are worth more dead than alive--especially very wealthy people. Michael may have had a big donation to the very hospital he was taken to. In these economic times, the hospital could use extra money. This reminds me so much of the book Death Equity by Kimberly Bridges. It is so scary as this could really happen!
Article I found:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1884738/michael_jacksons_deatha_hospital_murder.html?cat=49
Your article is excellent. I cannot wait to hear the outcome of all of this. RIP MJ.
Posted by: Danni | July 22, 2009 at 09:19 PM
This is what I think about Michael Jacksons
death, Well I think that Mr Conrad is incident until
proven guilty.
How are you going to sit there and watch someone
die and then check his pulse on his leg first of
all there're no pulse on a persons leg you check
them either on the neck or on thier wrist.
To all the viewers that's out there trying to still Micheal
Jackson's body leave his body alone and let him rest in peace!
Yours truly Nicole
Posted by: NicoleWoods | July 23, 2009 at 05:41 AM
I agree with Celia - very much so! The nurse's story always seemed off to me. I mean, here's this very famous, rich man who can apparently get anything he wants, and he calls some nurse who he hadn't seen in a couple of months for diprivan? Seems fishy to me.....
Also, I was googling this woman and reading about her credentials. Again, seems fishy to me......
Totally agree with Celia's thoughts
Posted by: Kathy | July 23, 2009 at 09:22 AM
I disagree with the persons who say that it was all MJ's fault. Any doctor that lives with a person who is taking any type of drug and that doctor continues to give that person more drugs is 1000000000000000 % GUILTY. I cannot count how many times I have gone to doctors and the first thing they do is give you pills. I refused pain pills at an emergency room and the doctors were shocked. I was in a lot of pain but had already been given pain pills from other doctors; all I wanted was for a doctor to find out what was wrong with me. After 11 doctors and many many prescriptions that I did not take, I trashed, one female doctor knew what was wrong as soon as I told her. So yes I blame the doctors who prey on people like MJ. So sad that the WORLD has lost a wonderful human. I do not believe he messed with those kids; his heart and his soul were to good and kind. May you be happy now and finally at peace because you lived in HELL on earth. Leave him and his family alone.
Posted by: Janet | July 23, 2009 at 10:20 AM
We need to wait & see what happens instead of jumping to conclusions.People have their opinions but some are better kept to self.For the people who keep putting MJ & his family down lay off already! Don't take things out on the kids, things they had nothing directly to do with the troubles MJ had, they are children/minors how can you go there! Isn't it enough his children are mourning and lost their dad @ a young age. How would you like you/your kids to be harassed like this constantly when in mourning & sad give them a break allow them to mourn & if you don't like MJ then don't tune in, or change channel/ log onto tv/pc. RIP MJ IF THEY"LL LET YOU!
Posted by: Amy 1 | July 23, 2009 at 12:33 PM
That Indian man and Michael's doctor knows about Michael death. They gave him those drugs to confuse Him so that He signed documents that He should not have signed. they should catch that Indian man before He leaves the country to retire He is a culprit it is a conspiracy. They murdered the poor inoscent guy.
Posted by: Sandra Queen | July 23, 2009 at 12:48 PM
I too believe there is much more to this story. I am not pointing the finger at anyone but there is some significant information left out that we may never know and that would shed light on what really happened to MJ
Too bad such as life
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Posted by: geneva green | July 23, 2009 at 11:45 PM