Jackson's fatal drug bought in Vegas
Any decision to lay charges won't come until 2010
Last Updated: Saturday, November 21, 2009 | 12:44 PM ET
CBC News
Related
Internal Links
Court records of a search of Dr. Conrad Murray showed that Murray bought the anaesthetic propofol from a Los Vegas company on May 12 and had it shipped to Los Angeles. (Houston Chrnicle)Michael Jackson's personal physician bought the powerful anesthetic propofol in Las Vegas and had it shipped to Los Angeles, according to search warrant records released over objections from the L.A. police.
The drug was found at the singer's bedside after he died on June 25.
Los Angeles police are treating Jackson's death as a homicide after the L.A. county coroner's office ruled in August that he died from "acute propofol intoxication," with other sedatives listed as a contributing factor.
Dr. Conrad Murray, Jackson's 56-year-old physician, is the focus of the investigation, but has not been charged.
Receipts found by police in Murray's office on Aug. 11 showed he bought propofol on May 12 when he was working full time for Jackson, the court papers say.
The lot numbers on the bottles found in Jackson's home matched those sold to the company by drug manufacturers, they say.
The records show Murray told investigatiors that, on the night of Jackson's death, he stepped out for a bathroom break after injecting the singer with propofol to induce sleep. But Murray didn't call for help until more than an hour after he realized Jackson wasn't breathing.
It will be at least a few more months before police decide whether to charge Murray.
"A decision [on whether to prosecute] will be made in 2010. It is not going to be made this year," Patrick Gannon, a Los Angeles police commander, told People magazine.
The police tried to keep the search warrant records sealed, maintaining their release before the new year would jeopardize the investigation.
Lawyers for The Associated Press, the Los Angeles Times, TMZ Productions Inc. and Stephens Media LLC, the parent company of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, argued there was no reason to keep the documents secret.
On Thursday, Clark County District Judge Valerie Adair decided to unseal the records.
Share Tools
- Spider-Man trailer: fresh take or more of the same?by Arts Online Feb. 7, 2012 5:15 PM Spider-Man? Yes. Amazing? Maybe. The first full-length trailer for The Amazing Spider-Man -- the reboot of the comic-turned-movie trilogy -- has been released. But considering the previous movie franchise ended a mere five years ago and that we've been bombarded with stories about the troubled Broadway musical adaptation since then, this reboot does beg the question: Do we really need to revisit Spider-Man?
Top News Headlines
- HMCS Corner Brook collision damage extensive
- The damage done to HMCS Corner Brook when it hit the ocean floor off B.C.'s coast last summer was more extensive than first reported, CBC News has learned by obtaining exclusive pictures of the submarine. more »
- Mandatory gun sentence struck down by Ontario judge
- An Ontario Superior Court judge has struck down a mandatory minimum sentence for a first offence of possessing a loaded firearm. more »
- O Canada! 12 Flag Day stories of patriotism
- Ahead of tomorrow's Flag Day celebrations, our readers shared some of their proudest Canadian moments. Here are some of the best. more »
- UN raises fears of civil war in Syria
- Syrian government forces renewed their assault on the rebellious city of Homs on Tuesday, activists said, as the UN human rights chief raised fears of civil war. more »
Latest Arts & Entertainment News Headlines
- Tintin in the Congo ban tossed by Belgian court
- A Belgian court has rejected a claim that Tintin in the Congo is racist and tossed a request to withdraw the controversial comic book. more »
- CBC digital music service launched
- CBC is diving into the world of online music with the goal of providing listeners access to their favourite tunes, and a way to discover new artists and connect with fellow music fans. more »
- Grammy ratings surge on Whitney Houston tributes
- The 54th annual Grammy Awards pulled in its largest audience since 1984 on Sunday night, as the music industry paid tribute to Whitney Houston following her sudden death. more »
- Henry Kissinger in running for Lionel Gelber Prize
- Nobel Prize-winner Henry Kissinger has been nominated for Canada's Lionel Gelber Prize for his book On China. more »
Q Blog
Enter our Six-Word Modern Love Story Contest! Feb. 13, 2012 10:50 AM The goal is simple: tell a full and rich modern love tale in just six words. Funny. Sad. Sexy. Or futuristic sexy, the kind with spaceships. Winners announced on Q's February 14th Modern Love special.
CBC Books
Exploring black Canadian literature Feb. 13, 2012 5:22 PM Throughout February, literary journalist Donna Bailey Nurse will be blogging about black Canadian writers and their important works. In her first post, she explains how she came to love reading and mentions some of the writers who have inspired her most.
- HMCS Corner Brook collision damage extensive
- Whitney Houston's body now at N.J. funeral home
- Online surveillance critics siding with child porn: Toews
- Mandatory gun sentence struck down by Ontario judge
- Stanley Cup rioter seen in brick attack on cop
- Whitney Houston estate value set to soar
- Man pleads guilty to murder of stepdaughter, 17
- Whitney Houston's body headed home to New Jersey
- HIV-positive B.C. man jailed for assault, child porn
