LOS ANGELES – Lawyers for Michael Jackson’s doctor said yesterday they were negotiating his surrender to Los Angeles authorities, amid reports he could face an involuntary manslaughter charge within a day.
Conrad Murray, who has admitted giving the late pop singer a dose of the powerful anaesthetic propofol as a sleep aid, is expected to be formally charged today with involuntary manslaughter, celebrity website TMZ.com reported.
Dr Murray’s lawyer, Ed Chernoff, declined to comment on specifics but said on his legal firm’s website: “We are presently negotiating with the district attorney’s office the surrender of Dr Murray. The specifics have not yet been agreed to and when the agreement is complete we will report further on this website.”
The district attorney’s office was not available for comment.
Dr Murray, who was at Jackson’s house at the time of his June 25th death, has been a focus of criminal investigations for months.
The LA coroner’s office ruled Jackson’s death was a homicide, caused principally by propofol and the sedative lorazepam. A cocktail of other painkillers, sedatives and a stimulant were also found in the singer’s body.
Dr Murray, a cardiologist, has insisted he did nothing wrong and has told investigators he was not the first doctor to give Jackson propofol, according to court records.
He was hired in May 2009 to care for Jackson (50) while the entertainer prepared for comeback concerts aimed at reviving a career sidelined by his 2005 trial and acquittal on charges of molesting a 13-year-old boy.
Jackson’s death prompted a worldwide outpouring of grief for the singer, whose 1982 Thriller remains the world’s best-selling album. – (Reuters)