Drug accusations fly, doctor sought in Jackson death probe

June 26, 11:49 AMSF Health News ExaminerJefferson Adams

Previous Next

Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the SF Health News Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

The family of Michael Jackson says that Demerol injections killed the legendary
star and that he was just a skeleton of his former self at the time of his death,
according to TMZ.com. Here, fans hold candle-light vigil at Jackson's star on
Hollywood's Walk of Fame. AP Photo: Chris Pizzello

As mourners await word of what may have killed Michael Jackson, investigators are looking into allegations that prescription drugs may have played a part in the untimely death of the 50-year old pop icon. Allegations have been raised by Jackson's family that the singer was receiving daily injections of Demerol, a synthetic narctoic, according to TMZ.com.

Police towed a car of belonging to the doctor who was present at Michael Jackson's home when he collapsed on Friday, saying it might hold drugs or other evidence that could help reveal the cause of the pop star's death.

Los Angeles police spokeswoman Karen Rayner said A County coroner investigators were looking to question the doctor but said she did not know the doctor's identity. She stressed the doctor was not under criminal investigation.

Police impounded the car "because it may contain medications or other evidence that may assist the coroner in determining the cause of death," Rayner said.

**Previous article appears below**

Did Demerol injections kill Michael Jackson?

UPDATE: The family of Michael Jackson says that Demerol injections killed the legendary star and that he was just a skeleton of his former self at the time of his death, according to TMZ.com.

TMZ cites a close member of Michael Jackson's family as telling TMZ that Jackson received a daily injection of Demerol, a synthetic narcotic similar to morphine, and that he received a shot at 11:30 AM, shortly before he collapsed and died.

Handling the autopsy for Michael Jackson, case number 2009-04415, will be chief Los Angeles County coroner Lakshmanan Sathyavagiswaran, a major figure, who was a prominent witness in the O.J. Simpson murder trial.

Meanwhile, the New York Daily News is reporting that the medical examiner plans to test for Demerol, though toxicology results will take several weeks to process.

**Original article begins below**

Did Michael Jackson OD on prescription drugs? (Video)

As fans, friends and admirers mourn the death of the man they knew as the 'King of Pop,' many are beginning to wonder what could have killed Michael Jackson at just 50 years of age. Autopsy results are expected soon, but accusations of prescription drug are already being leveled in what promises to be a highly watched affair.

Huffington Post has an interesting video post in which they describe the reaction of Brian Oxman, spokesman and attorney for the Jackson family, to the tragic news of Michael Jackson's death on CNN. Watch the segment here.

Oxman said he was "stunned" and that he wept along with the Jackson family on learning of Michael's death. He also mentioned that the people around Michael were "enabling him" and that he "warned" the family that Michael may have been abusing prescription drugs.

Speaking to Oxman, Geraldo Rivera said "we all knew that Michael Jackson suffered an addiction to pain killers and other opiates and sedatives." Rivera went on to made a bold prediction that the autopsy will reveal that Jackson was indeed abusing prescription drugs, and that he likely OD'd or suffered some adverse reaction. Rivera said "we all knew that Michael Jackson suffered an addiction to pain killers and other opiates and sedatives."

So, what's the bottom line? Were people around Michael enabling the use of prescription drugs? Was it part of efforts to get him ready to meet his tour obligations? No answers just yet, but signs, and lots of interesting questions emerging. Stay tuned for more updates...

**Previous story begins below**

What killed the King of Pop?

The death of legendary singer Michael Jackson has friends, fans and loved ones wondering what could have killed the legendary King of Pop, who was just 50 years old and, despite rumors to the contrary, reportedly healthy and energetic as he prepared to launch a worldwide comeback tour.

Questions had been raised about Jackson's health when his tour was announced in March. Promoters at the time said that Jackson had undergone a undergone a four-hour medical examination as part of his preparations for the tour.

Jackson's brother, Germaine, issued a statement to reporters this afternoon in which he said that the cause of Jackson's death was believed to be cardiac arrest, but that the official cause remains unlisted pending autopsy results.

He said that Jackson's personal physician had attempted to revive the star after he collapsed sometime after noon at this rented Holmby Hills home.

A 911 call was placed, and paramedics arrived at about 12:30 p.m., and began resuscitation attempts. They continued resuscitation efforts as they transported Jackson to nearby UCLA Medical Center, where they arrived at 1:14 p.m.  

At the hospital, a team of emergency room and cardiac physicians continued resuscitation efforts for about another hour to no avail. Jackson was pronounced dead at 2:26 p.pm. His body has been taken to the L.A. County coroner by helicopter.

Meanwhile, as friends and family await the autopsy results that will explain just what took the life of Michael Jackson, his fans continue to mourn one of the greatest entertainers of all time, the man the world knew simply as 'The King of Pop.'