PHOTO GALLERY - Remembering the King of Pop
Michael Jackson's family gathered at his parents' suburban Los Angeles home on Saturday to make funeral arrangements for the troubled King of Pop amid reports that they are seeking a second, independent autopsy. Jackson's body was returned to his family on Friday night after an examination by the Los Angeles County coroner's office failed to determine what killed the 50-year-old entertainer, pending toxicology tests that were expected to take four to six weeks.
Meanwhile a lawyer for Dr. Conrad Murray, who was at Jackson's rented mansion in the Holmby Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles when he collapsed, said the physician had agreed to answer questions from police detectives. "Dr. Murray intends to fully cooperate with investigators and law enforcement as they attempt to piece together what happened," attorney Bill Stradley told Reuters in an interview.
"Contrary to what has been out there, Dr. Murray has been cooperating with authorities from the outset and will continue to do so," Stradley said. "The impression that he has been hiding from authorities, that's not correct."
Murray was desperately trying to revive Jackson when paramedics arrived and he rode with the singer in an ambulance to the hospital where the pop star was pronounced dead. Police have said they wanted to further question Murray, a Houston-based cardiologist, about the circumstances of Jackson's death but had not been able to arrange an interview.Doctors conducted an autopsy on the body of Michael Jackson on Friday but could not immediately determine what killed the "King of Pop," amid reports he had been injected with a narcotic painkiller shortly before collapsing. Jackson was in full cardiac arrest when paramedics arrived at his rented mansion in the Holmby Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles on Thursday afternoon, with his personal physician trying desperately to revive him. The 50-year-old pop superstar was then rushed to nearby UCLA Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead without regaining consciousness.
Body released to family
"The cause of death (determination) has been deferred, which means that the medical examiner has ordered additional testing such as toxicology and other studies," Los Angeles County Coroner's spokesman Craig Harvey said. "Those tests we anticipate will take an additional four to six weeks."
Speaking to a throng of reporters outside the coroner's office, Mr. Harvey
said, "There was no indication of any external trauma or indication of
foul play to the body of Mr. Jackson." Police said they were seeking to question Jackson's personal physician,
identified by news media as Houston-based cardiologist Dr. Conrad Murray. Jackson's body has been released to family member, late Friday and taken to an undisclosed mortuary waiting for funeral
arrangements, Harvey said. There was no immediate word on when he would be laid
to rest. Celebrity website TMZ.com, citing an interview with an unidentified
"close member" of the Jackson family, reported the entertainer was
injected with Demerol about half an hour before he went into cardiac arrest. Daily shot of Demerol? TMZ, citing family members, said Jackson received a daily shot of Demerol, a
narcotic painkiller, and that the family believed his death was caused by an
overdose of the drug. Detectives searched Jackson's home and impounded Murray's Mercedes from the
driveway, saying it might contain evidence. An unidentified man called a 911 emergency phone line from the mansion at
12:21 p.m. local time, saying Jackson was unconscious and not breathing. In excerpts from the call released by authorities, the caller said the
physician was the only other person present and was frantically performing
cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the unconscious Jackson without results. "He's pumping, he's pumping his chest but he's not responding to
anything, sir, please," the man said. A senior law enforcement official told ABC News that Jackson was
"heavily addicted" to the painkiller Oxycontin and was injected daily
with that medication, along with Demerol. Lawyer Brian Oxman, a Jackson family spokesman, told CBS' "The Early
Show" he had been concerned about the prescription drugs Jackson took due
to injuries suffered while performing. "I do not want to point fingers at anyone because I want to hear what
the toxicology report says and the coroner says but the plain fact of the
matter is that Michael Jackson had prescription drugs at his disposal at all
times," Mr. Oxman said. Fans and fellow pop stars revived memories of Jackson's musical genius,
tarnished over the past decade by accusations of child molestation and
eccentric behavior. U.S. President Barack Obama called Jackson a "spectacular
performer" but said he believed aspects of his life were "sad and
tragic," the White House said. Fans pay tribute Jackson's death was front-page news around the world as airwaves filled with
his greatest hits from "Thriller" to "Billie Jean" and
social networking sites were bombarded with messages and tributes. "My heart, my mind are broken," actress Elizabeth Taylor, long a
close friend of Jackson, said in a statement. "He will be in my heart forever but it's not enough," Taylor said.
"My life feels so empty. I don't think anyone knew how much we loved each
other." On Hollywood Boulevard, police put up barricades to control thousands of
fans who filed past Jackson's star on the Walk of Fame to honor the child
prodigy who became one of the top singers of all time with an estimated 750
million albums sold. About 50 people danced to such Jackson hits as "Rock with You" and
"Beat It" in New York's Washington Square. When "Thriller"
played, the crowd formed into lines to imitate the moves from Jackson's
ground-breaking video for the song. Facing a battered reputation and a mountain of debt that The Wall Street
Journal reported ran to $500 million, Jackson spent the last two months
rehearsing for a series of London concerts, including Wednesday in Los Angeles. Despite reports of Jackson's ill health, the promoters of the London shows,
AEG Live, said in March that Jackson passed a 4 1/2-hour physical examination
with independent doctors. In death, Jackson's music enjoyed an immediate rebound that eluded him for
years. His songs surged to the top 15 on online retailer Amazon.com's
best-selling albums within hours. He dominated the charts in the 1980s and was one of the most successful
entertainers, with 13 Grammy Awards and several seminal music videos. His 1982
album "Thriller" yielded seven top-10 singles. But he was twice accused of molesting young boys and was charged in 2003
with child sexual abuse. He was acquitted of all charges in a four-month trial
in 2005. How would you remember Michael Jackson? Share your memories
with us by posting a comment below. Related: Michael Jackson was a genius and his genius was Black Related: Michael Jackson (1958-2009) Related: Jackson family statement Related: Stars speak on Michael Jackson Jackson's Musical Videos Michael Jackson - Blood on the Dance Floor Michael Jackson - Remember The Time Michael Jackson - Black or White
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