FILE: Michael Jackson's death declared a homicide less than a week ahead of what would have been his 51st birthday

Record ID: 721321

  • Title: FILE: Michael Jackson's death declared a homicide less than a week ahead of what would have been his 51st birthday
  • Date: 27th August 2009
  • Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FILE - JUNE 14, 2002) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF MICHAEL JACKSON BEING GREETED BY MAGICIAN URI GELLER AND LORD GREVILLE JANNER GELLER, JACKSON AND ILLUSIONIST/STUNTMAN DAVID BLANE STANDING FOR PHOTO OPPORTUNITY PAN FROM HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT TO MEDIA ON STREET JACKSON AND GOVERNMENT MINISTER PAUL BOATENG COMING OUT OF PARLIAMENT ONTO RIVER TERRACE JACKSON, BLANE AND BOATENG POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS FANS WAVING FROM WESTMINISTER BRIDGE MORE OF JACKSON AND GROUP WALKING ALONG TERRACE VARIOUS OF JACKSON SIGNING AUTOGRAPHS FOR STAFF AT WESTMINSTER
  • Embargoed: 11th September 2009 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Entertainment
  • Reuters ID: LVA67Z07AQVSN1RA9Q88J2Y520P1
  • Story Text: The late King of Pop, Michael Jackson, would have celebrated his birthday on Saturday (August 29).
    He would have been 51 years old.
    The circumstances surrounding Jackson's death have been a constant subject of media reports since he passed away last June, but findings by the Los Angeles chief medical examiner sealed in court documents in Houston on Monday (August 24) have launched the story back into the forefront of headline news.
    It was reported that Jackson died from a lethal dose of the powerful anaesthetic propofol.
    The musician suffered cardiac arrest and died on June 25 at age 50. Since then, an investigation by state and federal agencies have focused on Conrad Murray, Jackson's personal doctor who was at his side the day he died.
    "The Los Angeles Chief Medical Examiner-Coroner, Dr. Sathyavagiswaran, indicated that he had reviewed the preliminary toxicology results and his preliminary assessment of Jackson's cause of death was due to lethal levels of propofol (diprivan)," according to a warrant to search Murray's offices issued by California.
    The document was released by the Harris County District Clerk in Houston, where Murray has an office. U.S. agents raided the office on July 22.
    In an affidavit seeking the warrant, Houston police officer E.G. Chance said U.S. agents had gathered "items constituting evidence of the offence of manslaughter that tend to show that Dr. Conrad Murray committed the said criminal offence."
    Murray, who was in Jackson's personal bedroom on June 25 administering drugs to ease the pop star to sleep, administered a wide range of drugs to Jackson before he died, including a 25-milligram dose of propofol via an intravenous drip at 10:40 a.m. PDT (1740gmt), the state search warrant said.
    Jackson was "very familiar" with propofol and referred to it as his "milk" because of its milky appearance, the warrant said.
    In the early hours of June 25, Murray also gave Jackson doses of Valium, ativan, and versed, the filing said.
    Jackson went to sleep after Murray administered the propofol, and Murray stayed by his side for about 10 minutes and then left "to go to the restroom and relieve himself," the search warrant said.
    Murray was out of Jackson's room for about two minutes and when he returned, Jackson was no longer breathing, the warrant said.
    The singer, born in Gary, Indiana to Joseph and Katherine, was the seventh of nine children. His career started when he was a young boy with 'The Jackson 5' -- a group he performed in with brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine and Marlon.
    The Jackson 5 became a music phenomenon who produced hit songs such as "ABC" and "I'll Be There."
    In 1971, Jackson launched his solo career with "Got to Be There" which became a top-five hit.
    His career soared in the 1980s when he became a dominant figure in popular music. Many of his albums became some of the world's best-selling records including "Thriller" (1982), "Bad" (1987) and "Dangerous" (1991).
    The stars personal life garnered as much - if not more - attention as his career in entertainment.
    He was first married to Elvis Presley's daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, in a marriage that lasted less than two years.
    The couple wed in May 1994 and Presley filed for divorce in January 1996. Just 10 months later, in November 1996, Jackson married second wife Deborah Rowe.
    That marriage also ended in divorce in 1999.
    Jackson left behind three children - Paris Michael, Prince Michael I and Prince Michael II. As an infant, Prince Michael II - nicknamed Blanket - hit headlines when his father held him over the railing of a hotel balcony, causing widespread criticism.
    The pop star's life was also marred by accusations of sex abuse and a highly publicised eccentric lifestyle.
    In August 1993, the Los Angeles police launched a criminal investigation against Jackson following the disclosure by a 13-year-old boy that he was sexually molested by the singer. Sources said that Jackson agreed to pay the boy five million U.S. dollars in January 1994, most of it in a trust fund for his future.
    Ten years later Jackson was charged with seven counts of child molestation and two counts of administering intoxicating alcohol to a minor with the intent of committing a crime.
    In June 2005 Jackson stood trial and was cleared of all charges. However, according to testimony during the sensational case, years of extravagant spending left Jackson mired in debt.
    In November 2006, Jackson made his first appearance since the trial at the World Music Awards in London.
    His death came the month before his "This Is It" comeback tour, which was to be made up of 50 London concerts performed for over a million fans from 2009 to 2010.
    Jackson remains one of the most successful entertainers of all time with a lifetime record sales of around 750 million U.S. dollars. Album sales around the world surged after his death. His 2005 compilation album The Essential went to number 1 in the UK chart less than two weeks after he passed away.
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