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Are Drugs to Blame for Jackson's Death? (with photo galleries
As the world continues to try to grasp and make sense of the incredibly shocking death of Michael Jackson, several people close to the family and investigation are hinting that prescription drugs may have played a role in the King of Pop's demise.
TMZ is reporting that a Jackson family members have confirmed that Michael received a shot of Demerol just before Noon on Thursday, and that the dosage was "too much." They say Jackson typically received a shot of Demerol daily.
Police on Friday were seeking Jackson's home physician, Dr. Conrad Robert Murray, who was believed to be with Jackson at the time his health took a turn for the worst. TMZ is now reporting that Murray will speak to police.
Police towed a BMW believed to be Murray's from Jackson's rented home "because it may contain medications or other evidence that may assist the coroner in determining the cause of death," police spokeswoman Karen Rayner said.
Britain's The Sun, citing sources at the UCLA hospital where Jackson was treated, is reporting that Jackson stopped breathing shortly after a shot of Demerol, a drug similar to morphine. "Shortly after taking the Demerol he started to experience slow shallow breathing. His breathing gradually got slower and slower until it stopped," the Sun source said.
"His staff started mouth-to-mouth and an ambulance was called which got there in eight minutes. But paramedics found he was in full respiratory arrest, no breathing and no pulse. They started full CPR and rushed him to hospital," the source continues.
Brian Oxman, the Jackson Family spokesman and former lawyer for Michael, told CNN in an interview on Thursday night that "I can only tell you that this is something that was not unexpected." Oxman went on to say that "the medications which Michael was under, this family has been trying for months and months and months to take care of Michael Jackson."
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Oxman went on to compare the Jackson situation to that of the late Anna Nicole Smith. "The people who have surrounded him have been enabling him. If you think the case of Anna Nicole Smith was an abuse, it's nothing in comparison to what we have seen taking place in Michael Jackson's life," Oxman told CNN.
Jackson's friend Liza Minelli seemed to hint at the same during a Friday morning interview on CBS' 'The Early Show,' during which she said: "When the autopsy comes, all hell's going to break loose, so thank God we're celebrating him now."