NEWSReport: Lethal Amounts of Propofol in Michael Jackson's System
Aug. 24 2009, Published 10:06 a.m. ET
According to a L.A. County coroner search warrant affidavit unsealed today in Houston, officials found lethal levels of the powerful anesthetic propofol after examining Michael Jackson's body, the L.A. Times is reporting.
In the search warrant, Dr. Conrad Murray, who was treating MJ at the time of his death on June 25, told LAPD detectives that he'd been administering various drugs to MJ for about six weeks to alleviate insomnia. He had been giving Jackson 50 milligrams of propofol every night using an intravenous line, according to the court records. He also told detectives he was worried that Michael was forming an addiction to Propofol, and tried to wean him off of it by lowering the dose from 50 milligrams to 25 and adding other sedatives, lorazepam and midazolam.
On the morning Michael passed away, Dr. Murray attempted to help him sleep without propofol, according to the affidavit. He says he gave him valium at 1:30 a.m., which diidn't work, followed by injections of lorazepam and midazolam at 2 a.m. and 3 a.m., respectively.
For the next few hours, Dr. Murray says he administered various drugs. Finally at 10:40 a.m., he gave Michael 25 milligrams of propofol after MJ repeatedly demanded it, according to the court records.
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While Dr. Murray admitted to police that he administered the propofol, authorities could not find evidence that he had purchased, ordered or obtained the medication under his medical license or Drug Enforcement Administration tracking number. Police detectives did see around eight bottles of propofol in the house along with other vials and pills that had been prescribed to Michael by Dr. Murray, Dr. Arnold Klein and Dr. Allan Metzger. Dr. Murray also had propofol in his medical bag, and claimed he wasn't the first doctor to give it to Michael.
