Michael Jackson death: Police to probe 'drug dealers' in his life

The powerful sedative Diprivan was found in Michael Jackson's home, a law enforcement official said Friday as the city planned for a massive crowd at the singer's memorial service.

Diprivan is an anesthetic widely used in operating rooms to induce unconsciousness. Also known as Propofol, it's given intravenously and is very unusual to have in a private home.

The law enforcement official spoke on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to speak about the matter.

A Los Angeles Police spokesman, Lt. John Romero, declined to discuss the case. "It's an ongoing investigation," he said.

The cause of Jackson's death has not been determined. Autopsy results are not expected for several weeks.

At the downtown Staples Center, where Jackson's memorial will be held Tuesday morning, Assistant Police Chief Earl Paysinger said anywhere from 250,000 to 700,000 people could try to reach the arena, even though only 17,500 tickets will be available.

City Councilwoman Jan Perry urged people to stay home and watch the memorial on TV. There will not be a funeral procession through the city.

Download Michael Jackson's 911 call by clicking here.

Tickets to Jackson's memorial service will be free. They can be obtained by registering at Staplescenter.com. There will be 11,000 tickets for seats inside Staples Center and 6,500 for seats in the adjacent Nokia Theatre, where fans can watch a simulcast. On Saturday night, 8,750 names will be randomly selected to receive two tickets each.

No details about the memorial service itself were released.

Michael Jackson was known to have suffered from severe insomnia. In the weeks before his death, Cherilyn Lee, a registered nurse who was working with the singer, said Jackson pleaded for Diprivan amid the stress of preparing for a massive series of comeback concerts.

Lee said she repeatedly rejected his demands because the drug was unsafe.

Told Friday that Diprivan had been found at Michael Jackson's house, she said, "I did everything I could to warn him against it."

Michael Jackson had trouble sleeping as far back as 1989, said one of his former publicists, Rob Goldstone, who spent a month on the road with Jackson during the "Bad" tour.

"He had very bad nightmares, he found it very difficult to sleep," Goldstone said.

Diprivan, which has a milky appearance, is sometimes nicknamed "milk of amnesia." Last fall, doctors from the Mayo Clinic warned at a conference that in rare cases, Diprivan can trigger an irreversible chain of events leading to heart dysfunction and death.

They said three patients receiving Diprivan to treat severe seizures had suffered cardiac arrest, and two died. The doctors said the clinic stopped using Diprivan to treat such patients because of the danger.

The drug's manufacturer, AstraZeneca PLC, warns that patients using Diprivan should be continuously monitored, and in a tiny number of cases patients using it have suffered cardiac arrest, although it was not clear the drug was to blame.

Authorities are investigating allegations that the 50-year-old Jackson had been consuming painkillers, sedatives and antidepressants. Any criminal charges would depend on whether Michael Jackson had been overly prescribed medications, given drugs inappropriate for his needs, or if doctors knowingly prescribed Jackson medications under an assumed name.

Edward Chernoff, an attorney for Jackson's doctor, Dr. Conrad Murray, said Friday through a spokeswoman that he had agreed with investigators not to comment until information is released through official channels. Murray was in Jackson's rented mansion when the singer went into cardiac arrest in his bedroom on June 25.

Murray has spoken to police and authorities say he is not a suspect. In an earlier interview, Chernoff said Murray never gave or prescribed Jackson the painkillers Demerol or OxyContin, and denied reports suggesting that the doctor gave the pop star drugs that contributed to his death.

Chernoff would not discuss what drugs the doctor administered to Jackson, but said they would have been prescribed in response to a specific complaint.

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Kronologis Michael Jackson Terkena Serangan Jantung

Kematian ikon musik pop Michael Jackson akibat serangan jantung, Jumat dini hari WIB, telah membangkitkan keingintahuan orang mengenai apa penyebab kematiannya itu.

Mungkin perlu berminggu-minggu untuk menunggu hasil otopsi bisa mengungkapkan faktor sebenarnya yang membuat denyut jantung biduan ini berhenti seketika.

Salah satu penyebab telah dilaporkan oleh laman selibriti TMZ.com bahwa Michael telah menyuntikkan obat penenang Demerol sebelum kemudian terkena serangan jantung.

Spekulasi lain menyebutkan penyebabnya adalah kombinasi Demerol dan Oxycontin, obat penenang kuat lainnya yang merupakan salah satu dari yang paling umum disalahgunakan.

Berikut beberapa fakta mengenai serangan jantung dan kedua obat penenang tersebut.

Dengarkan dan unduh Panggilan 911 Michael Jackson di sini.

Demerol
Serangan jantung terjadi manakala denyut jantung berhenti menyalurkan darah. Pada 80 persen kasus, penyebabnya adalah penyakit jantung, namun obat penenang narkotik seperti Demerol bisa menimbulkan serangan jantung.

Dr. Daniel Simon, Kepala Kardiologi University Hospitals Case Medical Center di Cleveland, mengatakan jika Jackson telah disuntiki terlalu banyak Demerol, maka obat inilah yang menyebabkan nafasnya berhenti, satu kondisi yang harus ditangani dengan bantuan pernafasan.

"Skenario yang paling sering terjadi dengan Demerol adalah berhentinya saluran pernafasan karena udara habis dipompa untuk bernafas," kata Simon dalam satu wawancara via telepon.

Dia menyatakan bahwa kandungan oksigen yang rendah dalam darah bisa memicu detak jantung mematikan yang dikenal dengan sebutan "ventricular fibrillation" (kekacauan arus listrik pada jantung) dimana jantung berdenyut namun tidak mengalirkan darah. "Tanpa CPR dan defibrillator, anda tak punya peluang selamat," kata Simon.

Demerol dan Oxycontin
ABC News melaporkan bahwa Michael Jackson kecanduan obat penenang dan mungkin telah menggunakan Demerol yang dicampurkan dengan Oxycontin.

Kardiologis dari Klinik Cleveland Clinic dan mantan Presiden Heart Rhythm Society, Dr. Bruce Lindsay, menyatakan jika dikombinasikan, kedua obat penenang itu akan memicu terjadinya serangan jantung.

"Jika anda terlalu banyak mengonsumsinya, obat ini akan benar-benar menekan sistem nerves pusat sehingga pasien ambruk dalam tidur panjang atau bahkan koma. Dan jika daya tampung sistem pernafasannya terlalu dalam tertekan, maka nafasnya berhenti," kata Lindsay.

"Jika dia berhenti bernafas, maka tentunya jantung disebut terkena serangan kardial, tapi bukan karena masalah jantung utama. Itu sederhana saja terjadi karena pola kematian final adalah jantung berhenti berdenyut."

Penyakit Jantung
Simon mengungkapkan bahwa banyak media mencari alasan yang eksotis untuk menjelaskan kematian Michael karena dia masih muda, padahal umur 50an tidaklah terlalu muda untuk bisa terkena serangan jantung.

"Banyak orang terkejut ternyata di usia ke50nya mereka terkena jantung. 30 persen serangan jantung terjadi pada orang yang mengalaminya di gejala pertama penyakit jantung," kata Simon.

"Saat otopsi dilakukan, hal pertama yang mesti diperhatikan penguji medis adalah bintik pada otot jantung yang menunjukkan bekas serangan jantung," kata Simon,

Dia mengungkapkan, 25 persen pasien yang terkena serangan jantung, sebelumnya mengalami serangan tanpa diketahuinya. "Nah bintik itulah yang akan menerangkan hal itu."

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Cause of Michael Jackson Death

Cause of Michael Jackson death deferred

Los Angeles County coroner's spokesman Craig Harvey says determining the cause of Michael Jackson's death will require further neuropathology and pulmonary tests that will take four to six weeks.

Harvey says there were no signs of foul play or trauma to the body during the three-hour autopsy. He also says Jackson was taking some unspecified prescription medications.

The spokesman says Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter is with Jackson's family.

Harvey says the police department has requested a security hold on the investigation which limits how much the coroner's office can say about the case. He says the death became a coroner's case because there was no doctor to sign the death certificate.

Harvey says the body will be released once the family selects a mortuary.

Los Angeles County coroner's spokesman Craig Harvey says determining the cause of Michael Jackson's death will require further tests that will take six to eight weeks.

Harvey says there were no signs of foul play or trauma to the body. He also says Jackson was taking some unspecified prescription medications.

Listen to the Michael Jackson 911 call by clicking here.

The spokesman says Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter is with Jackson's family.

Jackson suffered a heart attack
Michael Jackson, who was with a cardiologist when he collapsed at his rented home in Los Angeles, appeared to have suffered a heart attack, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press.

The person, who was not authorized to speak publicly and requested anonymity, said Jackson suffered a heart attack, which is a blocking of the arteries that deprives the heart of adequate blood. That can lead to cardiac arrest, an interruption of the normal heartbeat.

Jackson's brother Jermaine said Thursday that it was believed the pop singer went into cardiac arrest. The Los Angeles County coroner's office, which completed its autopsy Friday, said determining the cause of death will require further tests that will take six to eight weeks.

The possibility of a heart attack could be a key clue as to why Jackson had a cardiologist at his home while he went through vigorous training for an upcoming series of concerts in London: Heart attacks can indicate a long-term problem, such as heart disease. It would not necessarily rule out another factor, such as drug use, however.

Coroner's spokesman Craig Harvey said Jackson was taking some prescription medications, but did not specify what they were.

Police earlier today seized the car of Dr. Conrad Murray, a cardiologist who practices in California, Nevada and Texas, who was with Jackson at the time of his death. Police said they believed the car may contain drugs or other evidence.

When autopsies are performed on cardiac arrest victims, as many as three-fourths show signs of heart disease, such as clogged arteries, said Dr. Douglas Zipes, an Indiana University heart specialist and past president of the American College of Cardiology.

Finding signs of a heart attack would not rule out drugs playing a role. For example, injections of the powerful painkiller Demerol can depress normal breathing or cause a sudden drop in blood pressure and trigger a heart rhythm problem, said Dr. Lance Becker, a University of Pennsylvania emergency medicine specialist and an American Heart Association spokesman.

If that occurred in someone who already had clogged arteries, it could make the situation much worse, he said.

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Michael Jackson 911 Call Audio

Michael Jackson Was Already Unconscious

The Michael Jackson 911 call made yesterday at 12:21 p.m. PST from the music icon's house in Holmby Hills, Calif., has been released. It is not pleasant.

The person who makes the call says that the "50-year-old gentleman" (Jackson) was not breathing and was already unconscious at the time of the call.

Michael Jackson was not responding to CPR or anything else. His personal physician was next to him at the time and attempting to revive him, to no avail.

The caller, who is not identified, says he did not see what happened to Jackson. The caller says the singer's - Dr. Conrad Murray - was the only witness.

"The doctor has been the only one here," the caller says.

Listen to the Michael Jackson 911 call by clicking here.

The unidentified caller immediately requests an ambulance and gives the address of the 50-year-old singer's rented Holmby Hills mansion. Without giving Jackson's name, the caller tells the dispatcher that Jackson had collapsed and appeared to be lifeless.

Caller: Uh, sir, I have—we have, uh, a gentleman here that needs help, and he's not breathing. He's not breathing and we need to—we're trying to pump him, but he's not. . .He's not.

911 Operator: OK, how old is he?

Caller: He's 50 years old, sir.

911 Operator: 50? OK. He's unconscious, he's not breathing?

Caller: Yes. He's not breathing, sir.

Moments later, the increasingly anxious caller tells the dispatcher that Jackson's personal physician—later identified as Dr. Conrad Robert Murray—was performing CPR but the music legend remained unresponsive.

The dispatcher asks the caller if the doctor saw what happened, at which point a voice is heard in the background shouting, "They need to come!"

Caller: Sir, if you just, uh, um, if you can please—

911 Operator: We're on our way, we're on our way, I'm just passing these questions on to my, uh, paramedics that are on the way there, sir.

Caller: Thank you, sir. He's pumping, he's pumping his chest, but he's not responding to anything, sir, please.

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Michael Jackson Autopsy Results

Millions of fans and admirers are awaiting the Michael Jackson Autopsy Results.

Speculation That Michael Jackson may have OD’d on Demerol, family members were concerned that Jackson was taking too much morphine.

A close member of Michael Jackson’s family stated Jackson received a daily injection of a synthetic narcotic similar to morphine Demerol and yesterday he received a shot at 11:30 AM.

Family members are saying the dosage was “too much” and that’s what caused his death.

The Los Angeles County Coroner has started the autopsy on Michael Jackson.

Dr. Lakshmanan Sathyavagiswaran is performing the autopsy.

The Los Angeles County Coroner says Michael Jackson's autopsy is complete, but more testing is needed before the official cause of death can be determined.

The coroner said the cause of Michael Jackson's death Thursday was deferred because additional testing - including toxicology and other tests - is needed.

That will take 4-6 weeks to complete.

There was no trauma to Michael Jackson's body and "no indication of foul play" - but he said the superstar had been taking "some prescription medications."

It has been theorized - though not confirmed - that a Demerol overdose may have played a role in his demise by slowing Jackson's breathing until it stopped.

While the singer pronounced dead in the emergency room of UCLA, evidence suggests he was not breathing or conscious at the time a 911 call was placed.

Listen to the Michael Jackson 911 call by clicking here.

His personal physician, Dr. Conrad Robert Murray was presumably the last person to see him alive, performing CPR before paramedics arrived.

Jackson's body will be released after 6 p.m. PST.

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Michael Jackson Coroner’s Report

The Michael Jackson Coroner’s Report is expected Friday. The autopsy of Michael Jackson’s death will answer what did Michael Jackson die from, a mystery even to his family Thursday.

While initial reports broke on LALATE from Los Angeles shortly after noon Thursday said Jackson had gone into cardiac arrest, a late afternoon press conference by Jackson’s brother Jermaine said the family has not ruled that cardiac arrest led to Jackson’s death. Jermaine said that UCLA medical doctors after Michael was transported to the Westwood facility took 1 hour and never were able to revive the pop singer.

UPDATE:
The Coroner has just announced the following findings on Michael’s death. Full details were revealed. They amounted to the following:
1. the complete autopsy results will take 4-6 weeks to allow for testing like toxicology.
2. Jackson suffered no trauma, “no… foul play”
3. Jackson had been recently taking “some prescription medications.”

Original Story Below:

The Coroner’s report Friday will reveal what led to Jackson’s sudden loss of breathing promptly.

Listen to the Michael Jackson 911 call by clicking here.

Much of Michael Jackson’s medical history has been guarded, disputed, and never confirmed. Jackson had once said he suffered from the skin disorder vitiligo which affects pigment cells in the skin.

In fall 2008 LALATE reported to you that Ian Halperin claimed Jackson suffered from alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, needed a lung transplant, and intestinal bleeding. Reps for Jackson passed the reports off as utterly false saying Jackson was in perfect health. Recent 2009 reports then claimed Jackson suffered from skin cancer, another report thereafter denied.

Michael Jackson's toxicology and other drug tests will not be completed for weeks, and rumors that a celebrity "rush job" is underway are bunk, says Craig R. Harvey, Chief Coroner Investigator and Chief of Operations at the Los Angeles County Department of Coroner.

"Is this rumor just nonsense? Yes, that would be nonsense. You can't rush science," Harvey emailed to LA Weekly. "Our lab director says you can have it fast, cheap or accurate, but you have to decide which two you want, because the third will not be an option depending on the two you pick."

So Liza Minelli's broadside, that "all hell's going to break loose" when the results come in, is way premature.

Harvey says: "Almost all of the toxicology testing is done in-house. In some cases, testing for certain prescription drugs may have to be sent to an outside lab. ... The testing looks for certain drugs of abuse, and where indicated, will look for specific prescription drugs. The testing is then validated and the results must then be analyzed to determine what they mean in the specific case they are being considered in."

TMZ is reporting that the 911 call referred to the mysterious doctor on the scene at Jackson's death, Dr. Conrad Murray, who abruptly vanished after Jackson's death but has now contacted authorities.

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Michael Jackson Tribute Song

The Top 10 Most Thrilling Michael Jackson Moments

As we mourn the loss of Michael Jackson, the undeniable King of Pop, who succumbed to cardiac arrest Thursday, we take a look back at some of top news making moments in his life.

10) Michael Extends A Hand
Michael teamed with fellow pop star Lionel Richie to write the song "We Are The World," an All-Star benefit that included dozens of noted artists: Diana Ross, Willie Nelson, Bruce Springsteen, Bette Middler and Cyndi Lauper. The Quincy Jones produced song benefited United Support Of Artists For Africa and sold 800,000 copies.


9) Michael Amuses Himself
Since Michael's hectic professional work schedule prevented him from having a normal childhood, it is not surprising the he would eventually build his own personal amusement park. Michael opened the Neverland Ranch in 1988 on the lot of his estate in California's San Ynez Valley. The 2,800 acre attraction was both a zoo and theme park featuring a Ferris wheel, children's roller coaster, merry-go-round and exotic animals. Neverland was once valued at $120 million and is now in foreclosure proceedings as Michael's financial strains prompted him to relocate.


8) Michael Makes A "Thriller"
Michael recorded arguably the most popular music video to date. The video for Thriller's title track was shot like a scary film intermixed with dance sequences.


7) Michael Real Life Transformer
While Michael has never spoken candidly to the media about his alleged multiple plastic surgeries, the drastic changes to his facial features over the years have lead the public to draw its own conclusions.


6) Michael: "The Kid Is My Son"
Years before having a child, Michael sang the song "Billie Jean" which told the story of a man on the heels of a paternity suit. Michael's lyric notes, "the kid is not my son." On February 13, 1997, some 15 years later, Michael experiences parenthood, becoming the first time father to Michael Joseph Jackson, Jr.







5) Michael Too Hot For TV
Michael's hair catches on fire during the taping of a Pepsi commercial featuring pyrotechnics. Michael experiences third degree burns on his scalp.


4) Michael Accused Of Molestation
Michael is charged with molesting Jordan Chandler, the 13-year-old son of former Beverly Hills dentist Evan Chandler. Michael denied the charges and settled out of court for an estimated $18 to $20 million.


3) Michael Faced Additional Molestation Charges
In April 2004, 10 years after the first set of charges, Michael again is accused of molesting a young boy. This time, Michael fought the case on trial and was found not guilty.


2) Michael Scores Best Seller
Michael's sixth studio album Thriller has sold an estimated 42 - 108 million copies worldwide. The album was the first record to include more than four No. 1 hits. Thriller actually contained seven No. 1 hits and earned seven Grammys at the 1984 award show.


1) Michael Lands On The Moon
Michael introduced his Moonwalking dance move on the TV special Motown 25: Today, Yesterday, Forever.

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