Jackson Death Treated As Homicide

By Akela Talamasca on August 24th, 2009

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The Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office has declared Michael Jackson’s death a homicide, though an investigation is currently underway to determine who is responsible, and to what extent their guilt determines a possible sentence.

Homicide, especially in this case, is not necessarily regarded as murder, though the ruling will likely be manslaughter. The coroner has determined that there were lethal levels of propofol — also known as Diprivan — an anaesthetic more commonly used as general sedation under surgical conditions, in Jackson’s system at the time of his death.

Jackson’s physician, Conrad Murray, admitted to giving propofol to Jackson at his insistence, but claimed that Jackson’s previous doctors prescribed it and that Jackson was possibly addicted to the substance, using it to help him with recurrent sleep issues. Murray further claims that he was attempting to wean Jackson from propofol by administering a cocktail of other drugs.

Should authorities decide to charge Murray with anything, it will likely be involuntary manslaughter, though at this time no official statements are being made.

One wonders at this point whether it will be possible to delve further into Jackson’s ongoing issues with insomnia, and their causes. With all the elective surgery he endured, the hyperbaric sleeping chamber, etc., is it any wonder there were medical issues at hand? If it can somehow be proven that Murray’s claims are true, will that mitigate any punishment levied against him?