LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles County coroner's finding that the death of Michael Jackson was a homicide could mean criminal charges for his doctor, who told investigators he administered a mix of powerful drugs to treat the pop star's insomnia hours before his death.
The homicide ruling was based on forensic tests that found the anesthetic propofol combined with at least two sedatives to kill Jackson, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because the findings have not been publicly released.
The finding does not necessarily mean a crime was committed. But it does help prosecutors if they decide to file criminal charges against Dr. Conrad Murray, the Las Vegas cardiologist who was caring for Jackson when he died June 25 in a rented Los Angeles mansion.
Murray told investigators that at the time of Jackson's death, he had been trying to wean him off propofol, which is supposed to be used only in hospitals and other advanced medical settings. The doctor said he'd been treating Jackson for insomnia for about six weeks with 50 milligrams of the drug every night via an intravenous drip, a search warrant affidavit said.
The affidavit says Murray told detectives that two days before Jackson's death, he had lowered the propofol dose to 25 milligrams and added the sedatives lorazepam and midazolam.
It is no surprise that such a combination of medications could kill someone, said Dr. David Zvara, anesthesia chairman at UNC Chapel Hill. "All those drugs act in synergy with each other," Zvara said. Adding propofol on top of the other sedatives could have "tipped the balance" by depressing Jackson's breathing and ultimately stopping his heart, he said.
