Michael Jackson's Death has been Ruled a Homicide

BY Nancy Dillon In Los Angeles and Corky Siemaszko In New York
NY DAILY NEWS
August 24th 2009

Eight weeks after the King of Pop was found unconscious, a search warrant of his doctor's office revealed Monday what had long been suspected - that Jackson was given "lethal levels" of a dangerous anesthetic.

Jackson's doctor, Conrad Murray, the target of a manslaughter probe, told Los Angeles cops that he had been treating the singer for insomnia for about six weeks, according to the document.

Murray, whose Houston offices were searched, also admitted he had been giving Jackson 50 milligrams of propofol every night intravenously, the records obtained by the Los Angeles Times state.

The doctor claims he feared Jacko was getting hooked on the drug so he began lowering the dosage and mixing in other powerful sedatives like lorazepam and midazolam.

Two days before Jackson died June 25, all he gave the singer were the substitute sedatives, he insists.

But on the morning Jackson died, Murray told cops he tried again to get the singer to sleep without using propofol, the records state. Murray said on that fateful night he first gave Jackson valium at 1:30 a.m. When that didn't work, the doctor said he injected lorazepam intravenously at 2 a.m.

An hour later, Jackson was still awake so Murray said he gave him midazolam.

Still, Jackson could not sleep.

And over the next hours Murray said he plied the singer with various other sedatives.

Finally, at 10:40 a.m., and after Jackson insisted on the propofol, Murray said he caved and gave into the singer's demands.

And Jackson was doomed.

A law enforcement official told the Associated Press that the LA County coroner has ruled Jackson's death a homicide.

But Murray, who has been the target of a manslaughter probe for weeks, has not yet been charged with a crime.

Murray has insisted - ever since Jackson was found unconscious at a rented LA mansion - that he did nothing wrong.

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