Michael Jackson autopsy photo displayed in court – Day 9
On Wednesday, October 12 – Day 9 of the Michael Jackson manslaughter trial, a shocking autopsy picture was displayed after the afternoon break.
Michael’s mother Katherine and his sister left the courtroom and did not return after the break having been warned that the deeply disturbing picture would be presented to the jury.
Prosecutors showed an image of Michael Jackson’s dead, naked body sprawled on a gurney taken hours after the singer died.
Note: We have chosen not to include the 2 photos displayed although they are available on the Internet which occurs once anything is posted on the Web. They are so disturbing and graphic that we felt it not appropriate for our site to republish these pictures.
The date on the tiles beside his body appears to read August 25th, 2009 although the autopsy doctor Christopher Rogers claims the date is wrong as it should read June 25th.
Many are extremely critical that the photo was displayed in court and on TV for all to see. Defenders state that it is customary for the picture of the deceased to be shown while others state even though the trial is televised it should not have been shown to the public.
Others were critical that the prosecution did this. Some argue they must produce a body, drum the message home what was done to Michael by this incompetent doctor, etc. Others say it is simply disgusting.
We have extremely mixed feelings. We found it absolutely horrific when it was first displayed. No warning could prepare us and anyone watching the live trial really was not given that much warning. It just seemed to happen.
It became so obvious by these pictures in what state Michael was. How could those around him allow this to happen? How could he be in such bad fragile health and no-one acknowledge this? How could those experts still state he was in ‘good health’ seeing these images. The truth of what was done to this man become very painfully clear and for that the prosecution has probably got the message across as required to help convict this doctor.
On the other hand, it is heartbreaking to once again see the extent to which this man’s dignity and privacy is invaded. His lifeless body looks like a teenage boy not that of a 50 year old man. His children could at any point see this disturbing picture. It is now out there forever to see.
We just ask those that can to look away….
This is really how we want to remember him instead.
Michael Jackson did not kill himself – Day 9
Michael Jackson’s autopsy doctor, Christopher Rogers, told the jury Dr. Murray is to blame for the singer’s death and that Michael could not have killed himself.
Rogers testified there was no way Jackson could have self-administered the deadly dose of Propofol during the two minutes Murray told police he left MJ’s bedside.
“In order for Mr. Jackson to administer the Propofol to himself, you have to believe that he… woke up, although he was at least to some extent under the influence of other sedatives,” Rogers said.
Rogers testified no white substance resembling Propofol was found in MJ’s throat, stomach, or esophagus … suggesting the singer could NOT have taken the drug orally without Murray knowing about it.
Rogers is the Los Angeles county medical examiner and he told the jury that the lack of measuring and monitoring meant that Murray could have easily given the singer too much Propofol.
According to the Rogers, the King of Pop — who was 5-feet-9 and weighed 136 lbs.was well within the normal weight range. The arteries around MJ’s heart were free of any fat or cholesterol, showing the singer’s heart was healthier than most people his age.
The autopsy showed the 50-year-old singer suffered from an enlarged prostate, Vitiligo, and a chronic inflammation and swelling of the lungs. He also had a polyp in his colon, as well as an area of “irregular pigmentation” on his scalp — most likely the result of his hair catching fire during the filming of a Pepsi commercial in 1984.
This witness told the court he believed a combination of sedatives including Propofol eventually caused MJ’s heart to stop.
LAPD made mistakes – Day 9
Did LAPD Detective Scott Smith take shoddy notes during his search of the medical bags found in Michael Jackson’s closet?
We were introduced to Smith on Friday when the jury first heard the 2 hour taped interview with Dr. Conrad Murray.
Day 9 – Tuesday, October 11th saw the detective grilled on the stand by the defense who insisted they were shoddy after Smith admitted his notes did not mentioned finding a Propofol vial inside the IV bag.
Smith also confirmed MJ’s house was never locked in the days following the singer’s death. Anyone watching can now see the defense will insist that evidence-tampering occurred.
Murray’s explosive police interview continues – Day 9
Dr. Conrad Murray’s interview continued to be played on day 9 (Tuesday, October 11, 2011) for the jury.
In his own words he talks about his love for the singer, issues with the singer’s health, drug ritual and more.
This interview was conducted with police on June 27th, 2009. The doctor claims Jackson “was unable to sleep naturally.”
Murray told police, beginning around 1:30 AM, he gave MJ multiple doses of Lorazepam and Medazolam over the course of 9 hours on June 25th, 2009 to help the singer sleep. After these drugs had no effect he then gave him other drugs.
Around 10:40 Murray said he gave MJ 25mg of Propofol to put him to sleep … claiming, “I took all precautions that were available to me.”
Murray said he gave MJ Propofol daily — with a few exceptions … because he was trying to ween the singer off the “milk.” According to Murray, “Michael loved that drug.”
According to Murray he arrived at Jackson’s rented mansion at 12:50 a.m on June 25, went to Michael’s room to wait for him to come home after rehearsals. Jackson arrived at 1:05 am saying he was tired and fatigued. Murray rubbed a cream on Michael’s body to treat his Vitiligo and then gave Michael a 10 mg Valium pill. Michael couldn’t sleep, so Murray says he then gave him 2 mg of the anti-anxiety drug, Lorazepam.
Jackson complained he still couldn’t fall asleep, so Murray gave him 2 mg of the sedative Midazolam around 2 a.m. MJ remained awake. Dr. Murray said he suggested turning down the music in the room … and meditation. Murray said Michael “reluctantly” closed his eyes, finally dozing off around 3:15 am, only to reawaken at 4:00 am.
At 4:30 am Murray said Michael said, “I have to sleep, Dr. Conrad, I have to sleep.” Murray gave MJ another 2 mg of Lorazepam. Again, according to Dr. Murray, Michael couldn’t sleep. Jackson was still wide awake at 7:30 am, so Dr. Murray administered another 2 mg of Midazolam, yet Michael remained awake and complaining that he was going to have to cancel the “This is It” tour.
Murray said Michael began to beg for his “milk,” – according to Murray the name Michael used for Propofol. Murray agreed to give him 25 mg of the powerful sedative around 10:50 am, slowly infused over 3 to 4 minutes. Murray said Michael finally fell asleep around 11.
Dr. Murray said he monitored Michael until he felt comfortable to leave the room, that’s when Murray told the detectives that he went to the bathroom and was gone for about two minutes.
Murray said when he came back, he found Michael not breathing but had an accelerated pulse. Murray said he began mouth to mouth on Michael, and then chest compressions with one hand. Murray said he couldn’t take Michael off the bed to a harder surface, so he improvised by placing his left hand under the body. Murray said while he was giving compressions, he called MJ’s assistant on his cell. He said didn’t ask the assistant to call 911 because he was busy giving CPR. Murray also told detectives he didn’t call 911 himself because he didn’t know the zip code for Michael’s house.
Dr. Murray said he lifted Michael’s legs in the air to get more blood flowing to his heart. Murray told detectives that he then went downstairs to ask Michael’s chef to get security, who called 9-1-1. Murray continued CPR until the paramedics arrived and hooked Jackson up to a pulse oximeter and got him intubated.
Murray told detectives paramedics were talking to UCLA medical center and ready to give up, but he begged them to transfer care to him because Michael was his friend. Murray rode with Michael in the ambulance to UCLA, where Murray said they worked on Michael for about an hour.
After Michael was gone, the ER doctor asked Murray what happened, and he told her that maybe it was a massive pulmonary embolism. Murray told detectives he didn’t sign the death certificate because he didn’t understand the cause of death.
As far as Michael’s use of drugs, Murray told detectives he was surprised at Michael’s knowledge about all the different pills and medications he took. Murray said he first learned that Michael used Propofol when he asked Dr. Murray to help him get the drug. Murray said that Michael gave him the number of another doctor who would be able to provide it to him. In the interview, Murray said he called the other doctor, who said, “Michael loves that drug.”
Murray said he gave Michael Propofol every night for 30 days, except for three when he was trying to “wean him off.” Murray insisted that in the three days before Michael’s death he was trying to wean him off “milk,” giving MJ more Lorazepam and Diazepam to bring down the Propofol. Murray said two nights before MJ’s death, he had given him no Propofol and thought he was “onto something.”
Here are some other highlights of his interview:
MJ’s children “cried and cried and cried” when he broke the news that MJ died.
Paris said, “Dr. Murray, you said you save a lot of patients. You know, You save a lot of people with heart attacks, and you couldn’t save my dad,” Murray told investigators. ‘I know you tried your best, but I’m really sad. You know, I will wake up in the morning and I won’t be able to see my daddy.”
Children insisted on seeing MJ’s. While MJ’s body was being prepared for viewing, the rest of the family began trickling in.
Murray held Katherine’s hand when a member of the family asked, “Do you know why he died.” Murray said, No.
Joe Jackson never showed up to the hospital.
At around 4:30 pm Murray said he walked over to a different wing of the hospital to help the family lawyers draft a press release. This could explain why hospital surveillance cameras caught Murray leaving the emergency lobby two hours after the singer was pronounced dead.
Michael never told him he was seeing other doctors … but he knew he was. He said MJ would leave Dr. Arnold Klein’s office “basically wasted and would required 24 hours for recovery.”
Medical bags. They say he seemed “surprised” to learn detectives had not already recovered the items.
There are so many inconsistency with this statement and the facts known today it is hard to believe the jury could believe anything this doctor says.
Let us know what you think.
