None of the fingerprints on propofol bottles found in Michael Jackson's bedroom or in his doctor's possession belonged to the king of pop, sources close to the investigation told ABC News.
That revelation might deal a crippling blow to Dr. Conrad Murray's defense theory that Jackson himself took a lethal dose of propofol and the sedative lorazepam without Murray's knowledge, creating a "perfect storm in his body that killed him instantly." Murray is on trial forJackson's death and could face four years in prison if convicted of involuntary manslaughter.
In opening statements, defense attorney Ed Chernoff told jurors that Murray was actually trying to wean Jackson off the creamy anesthetic and that he had given him only 25 mg of the drug June 25, 2009, the day the singer died.
"When Dr. Murray came into the room and found Michael Jackson, there was no CPR, there was no doctor, no paramedic, no machine that was going to revive Michael Jackson," Chernoff said. "He died so rapidly, so instantly, he didn't even have time to close his eyes."
Prosecutors contend that Murray was reckless in his care of Jackson and that he failed to properly monitor the singer. Propofol is typically administered in a hospital setting. Prosecutors also argued that Murray did not let first responders and doctors know that he was treating Jackson with propofol.
Dr. Conrad Murray speaks with his attorney.
Meanwhile, Murray's former girlfriends, Nicole Alvarez and Sade Anding, are expected to take the stand today. The prosecution says Murray had phone conversations with the women on the day Jackson died. He also had bottles of propofol shipped to Alvarez's Santa Monica, Calif., home.
Murray's one-time girlfriend Bridgette Morgan told jurors Monday that she called Murray on the day of Jackson's death, but that he didn't pick up the phone.
Aside from the testimony of Morgan, Monday's testimonyin the manslaughter trial centered on the efforts of emergency room doctors at UCLA Medical Center to revive an already dead king of pop.
Cardiologist Thao Nguyen said Murray "sounded desperate" and "looked devastated" in the hospital. Both Nguyen and Dr. Richelle Cooper said that Jackson appeared dead when they saw him and that he showed no signs of life throughout their efforts to restart his hearth.
Nguyen also testified that when she began to ask Murray questions, he was not able to tell her the time Jackson stopped breathing, when medication was administered to him that day or the interval of time between the two events.
"He said he did not have any concept of time," Nguyen told the court Monday. "He did not have a watch."
She added that when she "specifically asked" Murray if Jackson had taken any other sedatives or narcotics, "his reply was negative."
The defense did appear to bolster their argument when one of the emergency room doctors said that even if she had known that Jackson had taken propofol, she would not have been able to revive the singer.
"Had Dr. Murray told you he had given 25 mg of propofol at 10:30, would it have altered your treatment of Michael Jackson?" asked defense attorney Michael Flanagan.
"No," answered the Dr. Cooper, who was on duty at UCLA Medical Center's emergency room the night Jackson died.
"Would that have altered the result that happened to Michael Jackson?" Flanagan asked.
"As I said, Mr. Jackson died long before he became my patient," Cooper answered. "Knowing more, it's still unlikely I could have done something different to him."
Murray told Cooper that he was treating the singer for dehydration and that Jackson had no history of health problems, witnesses have testified.
No comments:
Post a Comment