Feds Search Home of Jackson's Doctor

DEA Agents at Las Vegas Home and Office of Physician who was with Singer when He Died

(CBS/AP)  Authorities searched the sprawling Las Vegas home and medical office of Michael Jackson's personal doctor Tuesday, seeking documents as part of a manslaughter investigation into the singer's death.

Los Angeles police and federal Drug Enforcement Administration agents entered Dr. Conrad Murray's home in a gated community while others across town searched Murray's medical offices, Global Cardiovascular Associates Inc.

Michael Flanagan, assistant special agent in charge of the Las Vegas DEA office, said the warrants were sealed and he couldn't say what documents agents were seeking. He said he expected the search would last five hours.

It was the second time in less than a week that investigators targeted Murray's property. Last week in Houston authorities searched his clinic and storage. Court records show they were seeking evidence of whether the doctor committed manslaughter.

As CBS News correspondent Ben Tracy reports the manager of the Houston storage facility says on the same day Michael Jackson died, two women from Murray's clinic removed boxes from the locker.

With toxicology reports pending, investigators are working under the theory that Murray gave Jackson the powerful anesthetic propofol to help him go to sleep, and the drug caused his heart to stop, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press. Murray told investigators he administered propofol sometime in the early morning of June 25, the day Jackson died, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing.

A toxicology report could come as early as this week, Tracy reports.

Complete coverage of Jackson's life and death

The official told AP that Murray left the bedroom where Jackson was sedated and returned to find the star unresponsive.

Cops suspect Murray may have nodded off while Jackson was under the influence of propofol and awoken to find Jackson dead, according to celebrity Web site TMZ.com.

Acording to TMZ, "Two days after Jackson's death, Dr. Murray told LAPD (Los Angeles Police Department) detectives he administered Propofol to the singer hours before he died ... this, according to multiple law enforcement sources.

Police have said Murray is cooperating and have not labeled him a suspect.

When authorities arrived Tuesday, Flanagan said the doctor was at his Las Vegas home located on a cul de sac near the 18th hole of a golf course. Murray kept out of sight of neighbors who milled about outside the house and the reporters the residents had invited into the private community.

Flanagan said staff members at Murray's medical office were cooperative.

Murray's lawyer in Houston, Edward Chernoff, has said the doctor "didn't prescribe or administer anything that should have killed Michael Jackson." Late Monday, his office posted a statement online that said, "things tend to shake out when all the facts are made known, and I'm sure that will happen here as well."

Late Tuesday, Chernoff issued a statement saying that cell phones and a computer harddrive had been confiscated by the agents.

"We can verify that at approximately 8am, Officers from DEA, LAPD and various local agencies began executing a search warrant at Dr. Conrad Murray’s Las Vegas home and office. The search warrant authorized investigators to look for medical records relating to Michael Jackson and all of his reported aliases. Dr Murray was present during the search of his home and assisted the officers. Investigators left Dr. Murray’s home around 12 noon, seizing cell phones and a computer hard drive," said the statement.

Jackson is believed to have been using propofol for about two years and investigators are trying to determine how many other doctors administered it. Murray told investigators he had given Jackson the drug several times before, the official said.

Jackson relied on the drug like an alarm clock, the official said, explaining a doctor would administer it when Jackson went to sleep then stop the IV drip when the singer wanted to wake up.

Using propofol to sleep exceeds the drug's intended purpose. The drug can depress breathing and lower heart rates and blood pressure.

Home use of propofol is virtually unheard of. Because of its risks, propofol is supposed to be administered only in medical settings by trained personnel.

Guidelines issued by the American Society of Anesthesiologists say "during the administration of propofol, patients should be monitored without interruption."

Murray, 51, became Jackson's personal physician in May and was to accompany him to London for a series of concerts starting in July.

He was staying with Jackson in the Los Angeles mansion and, according to Chernoff, "happened to find" an unconscious Jackson in the pop star's bedroom the morning of June 25. Murray tried to revive him by compressing his chest with one hand while supporting Jackson's back with the other.

The law enforcement official also provided a glimpse into how the pop star was living in the weeks before he died, describing the room in which Jackson slept in his rented Beverly Hills mansion as outfitted with oxygen tanks and an IV drip.

Police found drugs in the home, including a stash of propofol and other liquid medications such as sedatives big enough to fill two gym bags. The drugs were hidden in a closet.

An IV line and three tanks of oxygen were in the room where Jackson slept and 15 more oxygen tanks were in a security guard's shack, the official said.

[paddyhayes]

Enough about Jacko already!

[ahmadshafi]

Why you people can't understand that MJ time came. Why you guys always want to blame others for something, people that help you and you call them your enemy. How absured peope can become.

[mike18881]

If he was a WHITE Doctor this would a no issure.
























































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[knowdalaw]

I agree that Michael may have inserted a needle himself. Perhaps the family does not want that said because insurance will not pay for suicide or accidental overdose.

This pharmacy report on wikipedia is a must read to better describe the drug.

Read on: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propofol

[prettylady0605]

Everyone be careful about wikipedia cuz they are not credited. A lot of what is on there is accurate, but back it up with like two or three other websites. Sometimes they have wrong information on there.

[knowdalaw]

The reports you have stated about the drug ?Propofol? have not been completely accurate.

I have read the pharmaceutical report of this drug from the Wikipedia website, and it states, ?Protocol is versatile; the drug can be given for short or prolonged sedation as well as for general anesthesia.

It also states, ?Any physician administering this drug without proper cause (surgery) will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law?. It does not say a physician cannot administer it.

Finally, you should report that this drug states if abused, if can produce mild euphoria, sexual hallucinations and disinhibition. This may be the reason that Michael Jackson did have sexual hallucinations.

Read on: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propofol

[denvermorgan3000]

Its a little ironic that in the end MJ looked like one of the zombies from his thriller video.

[prettylady0605]

One again, STUPID ASS COMMENT.He looked nothing like that. He changed a lot yes, but to say something like that is just stipd as hell and ugly.

[denvermorgan3000]

BTW backfrombanned if he had not have died he would still be a forgotten memory he had to die to get some air time sure he made a lot of albums but answer this what has he done in the past 20 years
name the albums he has done nothin but sit and rot in a drug induced stuper!

[Benton09]

When a person is taking high doses of Oxycontin or other opiates, the opiates interfere with sleep. So what does a rich person like MJ do? He buys a doctor to feed him Propofol by thesevenveils
**************
Rush LimpNuts must not get any sleep at all. He must be a zombie...and instead of a doctor to get his drugs, he used his maid. Ditto Oxycontin Heads!...Rush Zombiebaugh will tell you how to think each and every day.........What's worse than Rush? Someone who listens and believes him!

[denvermorgan3000]

What i dont understand how did he go from a has been washed up broke child molester that hasnt made an album in years to an icon
it just shows me how crazy our world is!

[prettylady0605]

You know what. There's no reason to be ugly. MJ was a musical genius. He gave so much to this world through his music. He was also an awsome dancer that the biggest stars today try to imitate and idolize. MJ would have never been "washed up" seeing how he sold out all of the concert dates within hours of them going on sale. Oh, and people all over the world, including other celebrities, were traveling to see him.

He was not "broke" in the typical sense of the word. Michael had money. He was "broke" according to MJ standards. He was also not a child molester. People who say that are so damn stupid. He was found NOT GUILTY. Futhermore, the man was rich as hell and people wanted his money. Him not making an album in years was HIS choice. Michael could have dropped an album at any time and crazed the world like he always did. And he NEVER stopeed being an icon. NEVER. People have always loved and will always LOVE Michael Jackson for the good, talented, caring, loving person he was.

[juwboy]

denvermorgan3000:

Jesus insisted on being surrounded by little children.

Was he a child molester?

[denvermorgan3000]

He is going down thats for sure he is the target of the investigation
and they aint gonna stop til they get em.

[Basketcase_1]

M.J Died of a drug overdose like any crack head if this doctor did'nt give him the drug he would have got it from any other doctor. Someone with that amount of money!! You can't stop them from committing suicide. What about Elvis who killed him or gave him his pills.
M.J did what he was told not to,even his family tried to get him off the drugs and he told them they were interfering in his life.
It's to bad he did it, but lets stop trying to pass the blame onto someone else...

Bryan....

[prettylady0605]

Just wondering if you have ever had an addiction? I haven't but from all my research on it, it is a extremely hard thing to overcome.

[rplat]

Who gives a rat's backside about that drug addicted, perverted freak? We have real issues to deal with in this country and don't have time for this meaningless trivia.

[culturechang]

Well, if there was anything, the doc had plenty of time (and warning) to dispose of it before this search.

[A_Creative_Username]

Honestly, who cares? Just another case of irresponsibility and greed, nothing new to this world. The doctor will go through an investigation, go through a trial, get sentenced, until another star decides they want to take a dangerous type of drug, overdose, die, and it'll be the same thing all over again. It's an endless cycle and it's always the same.

[prettylady0605]

I think the point is the doctors should know better than to be a part of these things.

[whymayiask]

Who cares?

[TNisgoodenoughforme]

Why now? It has been over a month since the death. Don't you think he's had more than enough time to destroy the med's if he had them their?

[erasmus111]

Exactly.

[jwesel1]

If the police can enter at will then why is it called a gated community. Don't you need permission to enter those premises?

[abcdgoldfish-2009]

This is really absurd. I know Michael had problems with insomnia, but this drug isn't event supposed to be used for sleeping. He was lucky that he hadn't died before now. That would be sad though if that is why, especially because the doctor giving him the meds fell asleep!! I can't believe that. I hope that this guy at least gets charged for something, considering he gave Michael drugs that weren't prescribed, and that it was not supposed to be used for that.

[anitaymoore]

I would find it highly unlikely that this guy won't lose his license and the very least. It's more likely he's not only going to lose his license but he will be charged with involuntary manslaughter as well if it is found that he fell asleep. Not to mention many other charges that he's likely to face for administering a controlled substance outside of a medical setting....AND he's very likely one of the Dr's who also prescribed drugs for MJ under false names as well. This guy IS NOT going to be walking away from this scott-free, I suspect he and others will lose their licenses and most likely face jail-time too.

[legacyabq]

How absurd this all is!

Propofol to go to SLEEP?!?

This guy should lose his license

[Newster1]

Yeah insane, Propofol on a daily IV drip no less, his arms and legs must have looked like pin cushions with all those needle tracks!