Black Widow
06-26-2009, 05:02 PM
MICHAEL Jackson's doctor is being hunted by cops who want to quiz the missing medic over an injection which led to the star's death.
LAPD are said to be examining a BMW which was towed yesterday from the singer's home.
It is believed the medic gave the star a dose of Demerol — a painkiller similar to morphine — before he suffered a cardiac arrest.
Earlier, it was claimed Jacko's upcoming tour and "life threatening" addiction to pain relief drugs had pushed the fragile star to breaking point.
The King of Pop was under immense pressure to perform a series of epic concerts in London as part of his "This Is It" tour.
It is feared Jacko may have developed an increasing dependence on painkillers to cope with his gruelling pre-show rehearsals.
A post-mortem examination is now being carried out by Dr Lakshmanan Sathyavagiswaran who was a witness in the OJ Simpson case to find the cause of death.
Jackson, 50, collapsed and stopped breathing after the injection at his rented home in Los Angeles.
It is believed he may have overdosed on the drug.
The Jackson family's lawyer - who was at the hospital when medics failed to resuscitate the star - later revealed the legend's addiction to medications had become deeply worrying.
Brian Oxman told reporters: "I have been very critical of the use of pain medications.
"I have told people in no uncertain terms that if Michael one day woke up and he was dead I would not be silent, I would not permit this to go unchallenged."
Jacko had been rehearsing solidly in the run-up to the series of eagerly-awaited gigs due to start at London's O2 next month.
More than 750,000 tickets had been sold for the 50 concerts, which were scheduled to continue into next year.
Mr Oxman said Jacko started taking pain relief for a number of injuries several years ago.
He said the singer had needed them after once setting fire to his hair and falling from a stage, cracking a vertebrae in his back and breaking a leg.
He said: "If you will also remember many many years ago his hair caught on fire while he was doing the Pepsi commercial.
"That started the use of pain medications in Michael Jackson's life so they've been to treat actual pains he's had, but the use of these medications I felt had become life threatening."
Jacko's opening tour dates were postponed last month after concert promoters AEG said Jackson, who had not performed since the 1990s, needed more time to rehearse his complex dance routines.
But after The Sun revealed that he was suffering from skin cancer there were fears that he was not fit enough to complete the tour.
Experts found spots of skin cancer on his upper body and pre-cancerous cells on his face.
The singer was left fuming after concert promoters booked 50 gigs.
He told fans earlier this month: "I don't know how I'm going to do 50 shows. I'm not a big eater - I need to put some weight on.
"I'm really angry with them booking me up to do 50 shows. I only wanted to do ten, and take the tour around the world to other cities, not 50 in one place.
"I went to bed knowing I sold ten dates, and woke up to the news I was booked to do 50."
Yet Jacko, who had been blighted by a string of previous health problems - including rumoured heart trouble - had still vowed to perform the £150million comeback shows.
Mr Oxman also compared Jacko to Playboy pin-up Anna Nicole Smith, alleging that Michael had "enablers" just like her.
He said: "This (Jackson) family has been trying for months and months and months to take care of Michael Jackson.
"The people who have surrounded him have been enabling him.
"If you think the case of Anna Nicole Smith was an abuse, that is nothing compared to what has taken place in the life of Michael Jackson.
"I do not know what medications he was taking, but the reports that we have received within the family are that they were extensive."
California Attorney General Jerry Brown previously said Ms Nicole Smith's former boyfriend was the "principal enabler" in a conspiracy with two doctors to provide the "known addict" thousands of prescription pills in the months before she died of an overdose.
Paramedics raced to Jacko's home last night after a panic-stricken emergency call found he had no pulse. And frantic attempts to revive him failed.
Last night American website ETonline.com published astonishing pictures of the dying star as medics fought to save him.
Authorities have begun a post-mortem examination today. But they warned it could take weeks to determine a cause of death, which will likely have to wait for the return of toxicology tests.
Shock
The dramatic call from the superstar's LA home was made by a member of staff at just after 8pm UK time.
Fire Department medics responded to the alert and arrived to find the singer collapsed and not breathing.
The emergency staff rushed him to hospital in their ambulance, as an on-board computer screen gave chilling details of his condition.
A record of the call-out read: "50 year old male. Not breathing at all." It gave the time of the alert as 12.21pm local time.
Desperate medics gave the stricken star heart massage and oxygen along the route. But they were unable to revive him.
Jacko's family were informed of his collapse and rushed to his bedside as weeping fans began massing outside the city's giant UCLA Medical Centre.
There were screams of "You've got to save him, you've got to save him" as the star was stretchered in.
Mum Katherine made it to the hospital shortly after her son, although his father Joe was in Las Vegas when told the news. Close pal Elizabeth Taylor also rushed to the hospital to say her goodbyes.
Finally a doctor appeared and told shocked relatives and aides that all efforts to restart his heart had failed and that he had died.
Sister La Toya was seen running into the hospital sobbing after her brother was pronounced dead.
Los Angeles County Coroner Fred Corral last night confirmed that Jackson had died of heart failure at 2.26pm local time.
An Emergency Room source at UCLA hospital said Jackson aides told medics he had fallen ill after an injection of potent Demerol.
A Jacko source said: "Shortly after taking the Demerol he started to experience slow shallow breathing.
"His breathing gradually got slower and slower until it stopped.
"His staff started mouth-to-mouth and an ambulance was called which got there in eight minutes.
"But paramedics found he was in full respiratory arrest, no breathing and no pulse. They started full CPR and rushed him to hospital.
"When he arrived they started resuscitation, giving him heart shocks and inserted a breathing tube and other supportive measures to try and save his life.
"He never regained consciousness. The family was told that he had passed."
It is claimed custody of the star's three children — Michael Jackson Jr, 12, Paris, 11, and seven-year-old Prince "Blanket" Michael Jackson II — will be given to Jacko's elderly mum Katherine.
Mr Oxman said: "Probably Mrs Jackson will take care of them, she loves them dearly."
He also confirmed that the children did not accompany their famous dad to the UCLA Medical Center and said they are still in LA with a nanny.
Mr Oxman said the star collapsed at his rented home in LA's Holmby Hills area while brother Randy was present.
Los Angeles City Fire Department confirmed the emergency call was made from Jackson's home.
"The call came in because a person was not breathing," said a spokesman.
"When the team arrived, they saw that CPR was already in progress by someone at the home.
"The person not breathing was transported to UCLA Medical Centre."
Last night the singer's close pal Uri Geller was "too upset for words" after hearing news of the superstar's death.
He said: "The whole world's absolutely devastated and I'm lost for words because everyone expected him to come to England to do his concerts.
"He was in good health. He was rehearsing, dancing, practising for the shows in England and I am shocked, that is all I can say."
Jackson's grieving brother Tito last night said he regretted not having spoken to Jacko "in a while".
The Sun
LAPD are said to be examining a BMW which was towed yesterday from the singer's home.
It is believed the medic gave the star a dose of Demerol — a painkiller similar to morphine — before he suffered a cardiac arrest.
Earlier, it was claimed Jacko's upcoming tour and "life threatening" addiction to pain relief drugs had pushed the fragile star to breaking point.
The King of Pop was under immense pressure to perform a series of epic concerts in London as part of his "This Is It" tour.
It is feared Jacko may have developed an increasing dependence on painkillers to cope with his gruelling pre-show rehearsals.
A post-mortem examination is now being carried out by Dr Lakshmanan Sathyavagiswaran who was a witness in the OJ Simpson case to find the cause of death.
Jackson, 50, collapsed and stopped breathing after the injection at his rented home in Los Angeles.
It is believed he may have overdosed on the drug.
The Jackson family's lawyer - who was at the hospital when medics failed to resuscitate the star - later revealed the legend's addiction to medications had become deeply worrying.
Brian Oxman told reporters: "I have been very critical of the use of pain medications.
"I have told people in no uncertain terms that if Michael one day woke up and he was dead I would not be silent, I would not permit this to go unchallenged."
Jacko had been rehearsing solidly in the run-up to the series of eagerly-awaited gigs due to start at London's O2 next month.
More than 750,000 tickets had been sold for the 50 concerts, which were scheduled to continue into next year.
Mr Oxman said Jacko started taking pain relief for a number of injuries several years ago.
He said the singer had needed them after once setting fire to his hair and falling from a stage, cracking a vertebrae in his back and breaking a leg.
He said: "If you will also remember many many years ago his hair caught on fire while he was doing the Pepsi commercial.
"That started the use of pain medications in Michael Jackson's life so they've been to treat actual pains he's had, but the use of these medications I felt had become life threatening."
Jacko's opening tour dates were postponed last month after concert promoters AEG said Jackson, who had not performed since the 1990s, needed more time to rehearse his complex dance routines.
But after The Sun revealed that he was suffering from skin cancer there were fears that he was not fit enough to complete the tour.
Experts found spots of skin cancer on his upper body and pre-cancerous cells on his face.
The singer was left fuming after concert promoters booked 50 gigs.
He told fans earlier this month: "I don't know how I'm going to do 50 shows. I'm not a big eater - I need to put some weight on.
"I'm really angry with them booking me up to do 50 shows. I only wanted to do ten, and take the tour around the world to other cities, not 50 in one place.
"I went to bed knowing I sold ten dates, and woke up to the news I was booked to do 50."
Yet Jacko, who had been blighted by a string of previous health problems - including rumoured heart trouble - had still vowed to perform the £150million comeback shows.
Mr Oxman also compared Jacko to Playboy pin-up Anna Nicole Smith, alleging that Michael had "enablers" just like her.
He said: "This (Jackson) family has been trying for months and months and months to take care of Michael Jackson.
"The people who have surrounded him have been enabling him.
"If you think the case of Anna Nicole Smith was an abuse, that is nothing compared to what has taken place in the life of Michael Jackson.
"I do not know what medications he was taking, but the reports that we have received within the family are that they were extensive."
California Attorney General Jerry Brown previously said Ms Nicole Smith's former boyfriend was the "principal enabler" in a conspiracy with two doctors to provide the "known addict" thousands of prescription pills in the months before she died of an overdose.
Paramedics raced to Jacko's home last night after a panic-stricken emergency call found he had no pulse. And frantic attempts to revive him failed.
Last night American website ETonline.com published astonishing pictures of the dying star as medics fought to save him.
Authorities have begun a post-mortem examination today. But they warned it could take weeks to determine a cause of death, which will likely have to wait for the return of toxicology tests.
Shock
The dramatic call from the superstar's LA home was made by a member of staff at just after 8pm UK time.
Fire Department medics responded to the alert and arrived to find the singer collapsed and not breathing.
The emergency staff rushed him to hospital in their ambulance, as an on-board computer screen gave chilling details of his condition.
A record of the call-out read: "50 year old male. Not breathing at all." It gave the time of the alert as 12.21pm local time.
Desperate medics gave the stricken star heart massage and oxygen along the route. But they were unable to revive him.
Jacko's family were informed of his collapse and rushed to his bedside as weeping fans began massing outside the city's giant UCLA Medical Centre.
There were screams of "You've got to save him, you've got to save him" as the star was stretchered in.
Mum Katherine made it to the hospital shortly after her son, although his father Joe was in Las Vegas when told the news. Close pal Elizabeth Taylor also rushed to the hospital to say her goodbyes.
Finally a doctor appeared and told shocked relatives and aides that all efforts to restart his heart had failed and that he had died.
Sister La Toya was seen running into the hospital sobbing after her brother was pronounced dead.
Los Angeles County Coroner Fred Corral last night confirmed that Jackson had died of heart failure at 2.26pm local time.
An Emergency Room source at UCLA hospital said Jackson aides told medics he had fallen ill after an injection of potent Demerol.
A Jacko source said: "Shortly after taking the Demerol he started to experience slow shallow breathing.
"His breathing gradually got slower and slower until it stopped.
"His staff started mouth-to-mouth and an ambulance was called which got there in eight minutes.
"But paramedics found he was in full respiratory arrest, no breathing and no pulse. They started full CPR and rushed him to hospital.
"When he arrived they started resuscitation, giving him heart shocks and inserted a breathing tube and other supportive measures to try and save his life.
"He never regained consciousness. The family was told that he had passed."
It is claimed custody of the star's three children — Michael Jackson Jr, 12, Paris, 11, and seven-year-old Prince "Blanket" Michael Jackson II — will be given to Jacko's elderly mum Katherine.
Mr Oxman said: "Probably Mrs Jackson will take care of them, she loves them dearly."
He also confirmed that the children did not accompany their famous dad to the UCLA Medical Center and said they are still in LA with a nanny.
Mr Oxman said the star collapsed at his rented home in LA's Holmby Hills area while brother Randy was present.
Los Angeles City Fire Department confirmed the emergency call was made from Jackson's home.
"The call came in because a person was not breathing," said a spokesman.
"When the team arrived, they saw that CPR was already in progress by someone at the home.
"The person not breathing was transported to UCLA Medical Centre."
Last night the singer's close pal Uri Geller was "too upset for words" after hearing news of the superstar's death.
He said: "The whole world's absolutely devastated and I'm lost for words because everyone expected him to come to England to do his concerts.
"He was in good health. He was rehearsing, dancing, practising for the shows in England and I am shocked, that is all I can say."
Jackson's grieving brother Tito last night said he regretted not having spoken to Jacko "in a while".
The Sun