Topic: Conrad Murray

On June 25, 2009, American singer Michael Jackson died of acute propofol intoxication after he suffered cardiac arrest at his home in the Holmby Hills neighborhood in Los Angeles, California. His personal physician, Conrad Murray, said he found Jackson in his room, not breathing, but with a faint pulse, and that he administered CPR on his bed to no avail. After placing a call to 9-1-1 at 12:20 p.m., Jackson was treated by paramedics at his home, and later pronounced dead at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. On August 28, 2009, the Los Angeles County Coroner announced Jackson's death a homicide. Before his death, Jackson reportedly had been administered propofol, along with two anti-anxiety benzodiazepines: lorazepam and midazolam. Law enforcement officials investigated Jackson's personal physician. On February 8, 2010, Murray pleaded not guilty to charges of involuntary manslaughter, and was released after posting a US$75,000 bail. His trial is scheduled to start September 8, 2011.

Jackson's death also triggered an outpouring of grief around the world, creating unprecedented surges of Internet traffic and causing sales of his music and that of the Jackson 5 to increase dramatically. Jackson had intended to perform his concert series entitled This Is It to over one million people at London's O2 Arena, from July 13, 2009 to March 6, 2010. His public memorial service was held on July 7, 2009, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, where he had rehearsed for the London concerts the night before his death. His memorial service was broadcast live around the world, attracting a global audience of up to one billion people. In March 2010, Sony Music Entertainment signed a US$250 million deal with Jackson's estate to retain distribution rights to his recordings until 2017, and to release seven posthumous albums over the decade following his death. His death ranked #1 on VH1/VH1 Classic's list of 100 Most Shocking Moments in Music.

Jackson arrived for rehearsal at Staples Center around 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 24, according to a magician who was there. The singer complained of laryngitis and did not rehearse until 9 p.m. "He looked great and had great energy," the magician added. The rehearsal went past midnight. The next morning Jackson did not come out of his bedroom. According to the attorney of Conrad Murray, Jackson's personal physician, Murray entered the room in the afternoon and found Jackson in bed and not breathing. Jackson had a weak pulse, and his body was still warm. Murray tried to revive Jackson for five to ten minutes, at which point he realized he needed to call for help. Murray stated that he was hindered because there was no landline in the house. Murray also stated that he could not use his cell phone to call 911 because he did not know the exact address. Murray stated that he also phoned security, but did not get an answer. Finally Murray ran downstairs, yelled for help, and told a chef to bring security up to the room. By the time security called 911, Murray stated that only 30 minutes had passed.