Even in death, the saga of Michael Jackson continues
This post is a bit off the beaten path for me, but I think it bears mentioning. Even in death, the saga of Michael Jackson
continues unabated. The focus is now on the attending physician at the time of his death, Dr. Conrad Murray. The good doctor was hired by the pop singer to be his personal physician while he was rehearsing for a much publicized comeback. Information is coming out in bits and pieces, but it appears Dr. Murray was experimenting with several different drugs in an effort to cure the two problems Jackson was having the most trouble with, depression and insomnia.
This is what we know right now, from CNN:
Murray was hired as Jackson’s personal physician last spring as the entertainer prepared for his comeback concerts in London, England.
The doctor told Los Angeles police investigators that he was with Jackson through the early morning hours of June 25 in an effort to help the pop star fall asleep, according to a police affidavit.
He administered sleep aids, and after Jackson finally began sleeping in the late morning hours, Murray said, he left the bedroom for “about two minutes maximum,” the affidavit said.
“Upon his return, Murray noticed that Jackson was no longer breathing,” it said.
The doctor stayed with Jackson as an ambulance rushed him from his $100,000-a-month rented mansion in Holmby Hills to UCLA Medical Center.
Efforts at CPR proved fruitless, and Jackson was pronounced dead at 2:26 p.m.
The Los Angeles County coroner ruled Jackson’s death a homicide resulting from a combination of drugs, primarily propofol and lorazepam.
The coroner’s statement said Jackson died from “acute propofol intoxication,” but there were “other conditions contributing to death: benzodiazepine effect.” Lorazepam and two other drugs Murray said he used are benzodiazepines.
The doctor told investigators he had given Jackson three anti-anxiety drugs to help him sleep in the hours before he stopped breathing, a police affidavit said.
Murray had been treating Jackson for insomnia for six weeks at the time of the singer’s death. The doctor told investigators he gave Jackson 50 milligrams of propofol, the generic name for Diprivan, diluted with the anesthetic lidocaine every night via an intravenous drip.
The doctor told police he was worried that Jackson was becoming addicted to the drug and tried to wean him off it.
During the two nights before Jackson’s death, Murray said, he put together combinations of other drugs that succeeded in helping Jackson sleep.
I have no interest in slamming Michael Jackson and his memory, but it was well known before his death that he had multiple problems. Some of those problems were drug related, as he was addicted to painkillers, and some were in regards to his relationship with children. Most people would have been thrown in jail before they had the chance to die, but not Jackson. Because of his popularity and his wealth, he was able to avoid jail time. That same wealth also provided him with a personal physician, in the person of Dr. Murray, who provided him with the drugs he was seeking. Furthermore, Dr. Murray is not the first physician to supply the singer with drugs without a proper prescription or supervision.
Am I the only one who sees a problem with this? Because the man could sing, are we supposed to overlook his behavior? Should his wealth provide him with an opportunity to avoid the consequences of said behavior? It seems that a lot of the world’s population believe that to be true, not only of Michael Jackson, but of other celebrities as well.
The point of this article is not to defend what Dr. Murray has done. It does appear he was negligent, at least to some degree. What I am concerned about is the lack of attention being shown to the behavior of Michael Jackson himself. The family seems to want a scapegoat, someone to blame for the death of their loved one and even more, the general public seems to be after the same thing. I am afraid they are pushing the investigators in this case to a conclusion that precludes any blame being placed on Jackson and is instead, placed on Dr. Murray.
No matter how this investigation finishes up and no matter what information is revealed to the public, keep one thing in mind. If our behavior is good or bad, there are always consequences and no amount of wealth or celebrity status will keep them from us. Michael Jackson or not, those consequences were paid in the end.
Larry,
Indeed-off your beaten path.
I have always found Jackson to be one of the most tragic entertainment figures in history. He was never given a chance at normal development, and complicit in that is his family, the “yes” people he surrounded himself with and even the public itself.
Yet, at some point, every adult must deal with the hand that was dealt and overcome. Jackson took the other route, and again society and the people he could afford were there to aid and abeit. His death was a consequence of his life-no question.
But I think the doctor must also be held accountable for his actions. Propofol, as you undoubtedly know, is a very powerful sedative that is only intended to be used in carefully monitored, clinical environments. Dr. Murray certainly knews this. Did the money his client offered him and Jackson’s “need for sleep” influence his actions? Sure, but the bottom line with Murray is that he was the one with the license. He had the power to say “no way, too dangerous” at any time. But he didn’t. Just like Jackson, Murray will have to pay the consequences of bad actions. And I find it appropriate.
The doctor was caught up in the Michael Jackson mania and now will pay a price for his greed and love of the limelight.
Ron Russell´s last blog ..The Noble Savage and the Evil White Man
The sad thing about the Michael jackson death is the 2 kids he has left behind. The kids have lived a reclusive life with little or no interaction with family. By all indications Michael’s problems started at an early age due to the actions of his father who is reported to have been abusive. Lets hope his children have a chance at a normal life.
You overlook the fact that the drugs found in MJ’s system were 1) prescription, and 2) none were painkillers. I don’t think Michael Jackson was competent to treat himself for persistent insomnia, but I think he presents a very different picture from your garden variety recreational drug user. I don’t think he was trying to get high, have fun, escape, get happy. He was trying to get a good night’s sleep, which he no doubt needed as you would recognize if you saw This Is It. The man was working very hard and needed his rest. If you were attempting a comeback on his scale you’d be pretty anxious too. He trusted this doctor to give him good care, and leaving him alone and without any monitoring is totally neglectful. So so sad.
I’m late to comment here, but I am compelled to do so now. Your blog fails to report that the only drugs in Michael’s body were those Dr. Murray admitted to giving. The drugs, all of them, were administered by the doctor. The autopsy report reveals Michael was a healthy man, with healthy organs at time of death. Not the results we expect to see with a hard core drug addict. And regarding his relationship with children. The only problems he had with children was when the childs parent was a con artist, and set out to extort money from Michael, who was the only true victim in both cases. Although he was acquited of all the charges, irresponsible journalism, and the ignorance of the believing public prevented the vindication he was entitled to after the not guilty verdict. Michael dedicated his life trying to improve the lives of children around the globe. His humanitarian efforts and contributions are unmatched. He visited orphanages and hospitals, and opened up his home to thousands of poor and sick children, and he made a positive difference in their lives. Michael was doing what the bible tells us we all should do, and he lived according to those beliefs.
Would it be so difficult to learn about this human being before repeating on your blog, the same lies that plagued him to death?