'Lethal levels' of anesthetic propofol killed Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson died of "lethal levels" of the powerful anesthetic propofol, according to a search warrant affidavit unsealed today in Houston.

The court documents quote the L.A. County coroner's office as reaching that conclusion after an autopsy of the pop star.

The documents address one of the major unanswered questions surrounding Jackson's death. But they also raise new questions about how Jackson was treated, particularly in the hours before his death.

Conrad Murray, Jackson's personal doctor, told detectives with the Los Angeles Police Department that he had been treating Jackson for insomnia for about six weeks. He had been giving Jackson 50 milligrams of propofol every night using an intravenous line, according to the court records.

But Murray told detectives that he feared Jackson was forming an addiction and began trying to wean the pop star off the drugs. He lowered the dosage to 25 milligrams and mixed it with two other sedatives, lorazepam and midazolam. On June 23, two days before Jackson's death, he administered those two medications and withheld the propofol.

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.

At least two unidentified doctors gave Jackson propofol in Germany. Between March and April 2009, Murray said he called Las Vegas doctor David Adams at Jackson’s request to arrange for Adams to administer propofol. Murray said he was present at a cosmetologist’s office, where Adams used propofol to sedate Jackson. Since he began treating Jackson, Murray said he repeatedly asked the pop star what other physicians were treating Jackson and what drugs they were prescribing. But Jackson declined to provide the information, Murray told authorities.

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 Anschutz 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.

 

Murray said after monitoring Jackson for 10 minutes, he left to use the restroom. When he returned and saw Jackson wasn’t breathing at 11 a.m. He immediately began attempting to revive Jackson, administering CPR as well as a drug to reverse the effects of the sedative. But police are questioning that account. Cellphone records for the morning of June 25 show Murray made three separate phone calls for approximately 47 minutes beginning at 11:18 a.m.

 

He called Jackson’s personal assistant to request that they send security upstairs. After a few minutes without a response, Murray told authorities he ran downstairs to the kitchen. He asked the chef to send Jackson’s eldest son, Prince Jackson, upstairs. Murray said he continued CPR and waited for the arrival of paramedics.

Murray has already acknowledged obtaining and administering propofol to Jackson the morning that the pop star died. In an interview with police, Murray told them that he had left Jackson alone under the influence of the medication to make telephone calls to his Houston office and family members.

When he returned, he discovered Jackson was not breathing. He performed CPR, and one of Jackson’s staff members called 911. The 50-year-old pop star was rushed to UCLA Medical Center, where he was later declared dead. Much of the investigation has focused on propofol -- a drug typically administered by anesthesiologists during surgery -- and whether Murray’s decision to give it to Jackson as a sleep aid outside a hospital setting reaches a level of negligence required for an involuntary manslaughter charge.

-- Kimi Yoshino and Andrew Blankstein

Photo: Conrad Murray. Credit AFP / Getty Images

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.

At least two unidentified doctors gave Jackson propofol in Germany. Between March and April 2009, Murray said he called Las Vegas doctor David Adams at Jackson’s request to arrange for Adams to administer propofol. Murray said he was present at a cosmetologist’s office, where Adams used propofol to sedate Jackson. Since he began treating Jackson, Murray said he repeatedly asked the pop star what other physicians were treating Jackson and what drugs they were prescribing. But Jackson declined to provide the information, Murray told authorities.

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 Anschutz 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.

 

Murray said after monitoring Jackson for 10 minutes, he left to use the restroom. When he returned and saw Jackson wasn’t breathing at 11 a.m. He immediately began attempting to revive Jackson, administering CPR as well as a drug to reverse the effects of the sedative. But police are questioning that account. Cellphone records for the morning of June 25 show Murray made three separate phone calls for approximately 47 minutes beginning at 11:18 a.m.

 

He called Jackson’s personal assistant to request that they send security upstairs. After a few minutes without a response, Murray told authorities he ran downstairs to the kitchen. He asked the chef to send Jackson’s eldest son, Prince Jackson, upstairs. Murray said he continued CPR and waited for the arrival of paramedics.

Murray has already acknowledged obtaining and administering propofol to Jackson the morning that the pop star died. In an interview with police, Murray told them that he had left Jackson alone under the influence of the medication to make telephone calls to his Houston office and family members.

When he returned, he discovered Jackson was not breathing. He performed CPR, and one of Jackson’s staff members called 911. The 50-year-old pop star was rushed to UCLA Medical Center, where he was later declared dead. Much of the investigation has focused on propofol -- a drug typically administered by anesthesiologists during surgery -- and whether Murray’s decision to give it to Jackson as a sleep aid outside a hospital setting reaches a level of negligence required for an involuntary manslaughter charge.

-- Kimi Yoshino and Andrew Blankstein

Photo: Conrad Murray. Credit AFP / Getty Images

Comments

[ILKAMARIA]

I JUST WAIT JUSTICE, CAUSE ALL FANS KNOWS THAT THIS DOCTOR KILL MICHAEL TWO MONTHS AGO....WE KNOW WE FEEL SO...AND WE WANTO JUSTICE DONT TRY THE CASE LIKE INVOLUNTARY MORDER, IS A VOLUNTARY MORDER CAUSE HE IS DOCTOR AND HE KNOWS THAT THIS DROGS CANT BE USED AT HOME, AND ALL THOSE DOSES THAT HE GIVE TO MICHAEL, DR. MURRAY I WANT TO YOU KNOW THAT ALL US KNOW THAT YOU WAS THE ONE DONT IS A SURPRISE TO US AND I JUST WANNA SAY THAT YOU BREAK MY HEART, THAT YOU KILL A LOT OF HEARTS AROUND THE WORLD THAT NOW CONTINUED CRYING BECAUSE YOU KILL OUR BROTHER, MICHAEL JACKSON....REMEMBER THAT ALWAYS .....ILKAMARIA FROM DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

[ILKAMARIA]

TO THE MICHAEL FAMILY, REMEMBER THAT YOUR SON, YOUR BROTHER, YOUR FATHER MICHAEL JACKSON, HAS A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT LOVE HIM AROUND THE WORLD AND THAT NEVER WILL BE CHANGE IN OURS HEARTS MICHAEL IS LIVING NOW, WE ARE CRYING WITH YOU AND I WANNA SAY THAT MICHAEL IS AN ANGEL NOW, CAUSE HE IS THE MOST BEUTIFUL HUMAN WITH A PURE HEART, NO MUCH PEOPLE ARE LIKE THIS....AND ALL US LOVE THE MICHAEL FAMILY AND WILL LOVE THEN LIKE WE LOVE MICHAEL.....ALL THE WORLD HEARTS ARE WITH U NOW, I YOU NEED OURS HELP, JUST TELL US ....YOU ARE NOT ALONE WE ARE HERE WITH ALL U

[cccourt]

Puhleezeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
Was Dr. Murray greedy? Yes. Was Dr. Murray swayed by money? Yes. Was he lured into an impossible situation by a wealthy, hopeless addict? YES. Criminal? I don't know. Intent? No. Michael Jackson was a tragedy in life and death...but finding fault? No.....just not there.

[BARB]

I don't think anyone is reading this correctly. It says he died from LETHAL doses of this drug! I would suspect that this doctor possibly gave him too much to begin with.....then went off to make his calls whatever...(WHICH HE SHOULD'NT OF). With this drug first of all it should be given in a hospital...but ok let's say Michael had the equipment etc . at his home and a doctor to come and administer it. NONETHELESS! He should NOT under ANY circumstances have been left alone. This is the problem here. This is what makes this very suspicious.
Maybe the doctor gave him too much and when Michael started going into cardiac arrest....he got afraid . I don't believe this doctor one bit. SORRY! And he should have called for an ambulance IMMEDIATELY!!! Who knows what happened....He said MJ demanded it blah blah...but we only have this crack pots word for it...He gave it to him before and he didn't die.....What happened this time??? What made this time different...AND the doctor ALL OF A SUDDEN was absent from the scene ..THIS TIME??? hmmmm...

[Tom Degan]

We have to give the man his due: Michael Jackson was - beyond a shadow of a doubt - a great artist whose recorded legacy will endure for decades, maybe even a century or more. But an examination of his life is riddled with questions of all that might have been; all that should have been. It is more than likely that this was a severely mentally ill human being who never sought the treatment he so desperately needed; surrounded by fawning sycophants who enabled his sickness by constantly reassuring him that he could do no wrong. As John Lennon once said in the same context about Elvis Presley, another victim of the excesses of fame: "It's always the courtiers that kill the king".

The sad, inescapable truth is that for reasons we will probably never be able to fully understand, his talent and his career were ultimately wasted. Like Charlie Parker, Montgomery Clift, Judy Garland and Lenny Bruce before him, his brilliance as an artist would be overshadowed by severe, psychological torment and an unexplainable desire for self-destruction. Therein lies the real, unspeakable tragedy of Michael Jackson.

http://www.tomdegan.blogspot.com

Tom Degan
Goshen, NY

[Tracy Aleman]

I can't imagine a doctor having such neglegence. I mean come on--all those drugs in that amount of time--surely it should have come to his mind that this was wrong and that an overdose could/would occur. Perhaps the good Dr. was pressured by AEG to ensure that Michael be made content and happy just so long as he performed for his upcoming shows.
Sad case of addiction and all those around that enabled him for fear of being fired or for the sake of money.

[zenbiddie]

MJ was too far gone (needle marks on his hands and feet, his veins sucking up various coctails to function) and Murray was too desperate for money to refuse the "treatment" MJ demanded. Murray is culpable for administering a toxic blend of hospital strength drugs to an addict. He knew he was violating the hypocratic oath. His license should be permanantly revoked in all states and he should do jail time.

[zenbiddie]

Murray is guilty of gross negligence (at most, manslaughter)-- he should have known better. A reasonable doctor under those circumstances would not have administered the drugs. There is no intent for murder. There is no motive for murder.

[Robbins]

Come on! The doctor is to blame, he 've got a lot money from Michael to do that illigally to give him so much drugs. Michael was addict to drugs , he just needed help from a good doctor but he had a murderer besides him. Sorry for Michael.
This doctor should be convicted and executed, to aware all the bad practician around the world.Life is a precious but many doctors and chirurghs distroy them.

[Nuffsed]

Why did this have to happen? It is so sad... sad because it could of been prevented. Sad because MJJ was on drugs, sad that a Dr overstepped his bounds for cash. Sad that his children lost their father, and Sad that his Mother lost her son. As I watch the Jacksons become men and dance together in their 30th Anniversary Tour, and their mother was also there, the smile on her face as she watched the fans ... how SAD to know that there is will be one missing, Michael!

[Kevin Shanley]

MJ's story reads like one that we’ve read dozens of times already. A person starts from humble origins and then rises to superstardom where he/she is lavished with unbridled praise and wealth. Eventually this previously humble person starts believing he's as fantastic as everyone says he is and he starts detaching himself from others. Finally, he becomes so self absorbed; rules that apply to regular people don’t seem to apply to him anymore. It’s a story as old as money itself.

The biggest irony here is that his fans cannot comprehend the role they played in his demise. Much of what led to his death is that he wasn’t allowed to live a normal life. When he started losing his grip on reality, no one would let him come down off his pedestal. Not his father, not the music industry, and not HIS FANS. I don’t expect his fans to believe me. After all, loving him to pieces and worshipping the ground he walked on could have only been good for him, right? Wrong. Celebrities falling apart and destroying themselves in the presence of rabid, adoring fans is almost a cliché. Going to jail for his indiscretions would have been the best thing for him. He would have had to kick drugs, he would have had to follow the same rules as the rest of the population, and most importantly, he wouldn’t have had adoring fans around to enable him.

But what has been learned from all this irony? Not much apparently. MJ's death is a homicide investigation now and the witch-hunt is likely to continue for years to come. It's a shame that non-fans and fans can't agree that his death was a tragedy that mostly stems from the perils of fame. The public can't seem to resist giving famous people the message that we think that better than we are, that we don’t deserve to breathe the same air that they do and then we can’t understand it when our idols destroy themselves. When will we learn? The answer my friend, is blowing in the wind.

[zoom99]

Something is odd with this article. If he was giving him 50mg on an ongoing basis, then how can it be that the 25mg level was considered lethal on the day he died? That makes no sense. I figured that maybe MJ had an interaction between the other 2 meds along with the final 25mg of propofol. The only other thing would be that they found lethal levels of propofol in his system even though Murry claims it was only 25mg. In other words, he lied. But I think propofol dissipates quickly, but I'm not sure. So the autopsy shows "lethal levels". That means the doc probably made the wrong decision and gave him the full 50mg. Or who knows. Or maybe decided to give him a little more and isn't talking. I've read only a few drops extra can stop your heart.

[ILKAMARIA]

WE LOVE U MICHAEL JACKSON, WE MISS U SO MUCH

[auguste]

I believed the Dr killed Mj. he knows he was wrong. that is the reason why he waited hours before calling 911. he was trying to cover his tracks. SHAME

[ChinaSmith]

This is the real "THRILLER". Blood on the Dance Floor.
I wonder if Dr. Murray will be able to do the Moon Walk.

RIP/MJ you were the best.

[Stacey]

Oh good grief - what is this - everyone blind to the obvious truth here? I'm sorry, but yet again, everyone is being fooled by the media. LETHAL AMOUNTS OF PROPOFOL - HELLO. Let's look at that cocktail that Murray was pumping into MJs system that morning - that would kill a horse if done right.

He's claiming he was worried that MJ was addicted to Propofol, so what does the man do instead? He pumps him full of sedatives and when they didn't work, he turned around and used the very thing he was attempting to wean him off of.

I don't give two cents to the fact that they say MJ was addicted, the bottom line here is that over the course of that entire morning, Murray was slowly poisoning him to death. I have YET to find a doctor that would have used THAT many sedatives on one person over the course of ten hours, give or take and then top it off with an anesthesia - NOT ONE. His body was already in a depressive state because of all those sedatives and he knocks him out with an anesthesia (which depresses the body even deeper - i.e. A COMA) and then walks away to the bathroom???

My conclusion - Murray intentionally poisoned him. You want motive? If he was working for a man who was notorious for not paying his bills and he was getting into a desperate situation with his own finances - the quickest out is for MJ to die because he would finally get paid for services rendered. Whether a patient lives or dies, the doctor still gets paid and as long as it's floating around that MJ was an addict and MJ knew the consequences, etc. etc. etc. it takes the heat off of Murray and puts it on the victim - WHERE IT DOESN'T BELONG.

Let me also remind everyone that it was reported that MJ had been using anesthesia's as far back as ten years - WITHOUT INCIDENT.

Addiction isn't a choice - it's a sickness, you guys have heard that a million times when it comes to someone OD'ing on an illegal drug, yet when it's Michael Jackson, even his die-hard fans are saying it's his fault and he brought it upon himself?!? All the man wanted to do was sleep!!!! You know what I'm talking about, usually done at night - you get into your pajamas, crawl into bed, put your head on your pillow and close your eyes. I've dealt with severe insomnia and let me tell you - after so long - you start to get desperate for a good, deep sleep and I do mean DESPERATE and you WILL experiment with various treatments - anything for eight solid hours.

Guys, MJ gave us his SOUL - his music is alive because every single time he put a song out, he was putting a piece of himself out. Now that he's gone - the very media that he warned all of us about is lulling some of us into believing that everything was HIS fault - that it just COULDN'T be anyone else's because MJ was a freak, a millionaire spoiled little brat that always got what he wanted. Well, I'm sorry - no he didn't - he didn't get the one thing that the rest of us take for granted and that's sleep.

Where's the justice in that?

[Sarah]

I even know you dont use these kind of drugs for an isomniac!! Hello this Dr. was an idiot!I dont care how much money was involved or if it was MJ or a bum on the street you just dont do what this Dr. did! He is at fault period.....MJ may have wanted the drugs to sleep but Dr. Murray should have known this wasnt a safe thing to do and said NO!! Now he must suffer the consequences. Its obvious that MJ was not properly cared for & I know I and millions of others will miss him deeply! My deepest hearfelt condolences to the Jackson family.

[Blondie7317]

I think the lesson that should come out of all this is no matter how rich you are, you shouldn't be allowed to have private doctors treating you in your home because no one is monitoring what is going on. If he was being treated in a medical facility, you can be sure it wouldn't have taken them over and hour and a half to call 911. Although fishy circs, MJ brought I on himself. It was his choice to use and his choice not to get help. My family experience teaches me you can't make someone do what they don't want to, rich or not.
If your an insomniac, do what the rest of us do, play on myspace, facebook, and Twitter all night long and games on your iPhone. Drug coctails never helped anyone in the long run.

[Loas]

wow..

[Loas]

what is "lethal levels?"

[JENNA gUERIN]

this man had no right to leave michael jackson in there by him self and when i sing i think of him and all of my stuff gose to him

[Erika]

Conrad Murray did wrong by
1-not caring about the well being of his patient and giving him more drugs instead of having him "clean"
2-he administered very dangerous drugs like candy saying it was ok and was safe
3- he clearly is also guilty of not calling 911 in first place and waiting instead like one hour to call them . He didnt (of course) said the medics or para medics all the exactly drugs coctail hed given to MJ ...and this clearly could have been the difference between death or life.
4- and who gives CPR on the bed?

Anyways I will also like to thank the authors of this article for making it polite , accurate, objective and respectful. (not calling him names)
Its hard not to find yellowish media this days . Thanks

[joey lamb]

the doc is stupid. why give unothorized medication to the pop star. Michael was the best. why ruin the moment.

[cindy]

THAT DOCTOR IS A SICK MAN IF I SEE HIM HE WILL HOPE HE WONT SEE ME AGAIN MICHAEL IS THE BEST SO HE BETTER WACTH OUT

[cindy]

THAT DOCTOR IS STUPID