Jackson's Death Could Be Ruled Homicide

07/10/09 12:49pm

by Kate Harper (CHARTattack)

Michael Jackson's death could be ruled a homicide once the results of a toxicology report are in, according to the Los Angeles Police Chief.

CNN reports an anonymous source told them the Jackson "family is aware of a potential criminal prosecution" that could arise in the Los Angeles Police Department's (LAPD) ongoing investigation into Jackson's death. The cause of Jackson's death has still not been determined. 

That comment came the same day LAPD Chief William Bratton told CNN the LAPD is still awaiting the coroner's report — which is based on toxicology results — to decide whether they should investigate Jackson's death as a homicide or an overdose.

"We are still awaiting corroboration from the coroner's office as to cause of death," Bratton said. "That is going to be very dependent on the toxicology reports that are due to come back. And based on those, we will have an idea of what it is we are dealing [with]: are we dealing with a homicide or are we dealing with accidental overdose?"

Jackson's father, Joe Jackson, recently told ABC News he believes his son was murdered.

"I just couldn't believe what was happening to Michael," he told ABC about the events of June 25.

"I do believe it was foul play. I do believe that. Yes."

Unnamed sources told TMZ Dr. Arnold Klein, Jackson's dermatologist, and Dr. Conrad Murray, Jackson's cardiologist who found Jackson in his home on June 25 before paramedics were called, are "not cooperating" with the Los Angeles County Coroner's office. The website reports the coroner requested they turn over their medical records, and states while both doctors have turned over some records, neither doctor has given the office their complete files.

A source told CNN any doctors who did not cooperate with investigators were given subpoenas, but it's not known whether Klein or Murray were among them.

Bratton also told the news network authorities seized "a number of items from [Jackson's] residence where the death occurred and those will assist" in the LAPD's investigation into Jackson's death.

It's not known what was found, but CNN reported on Thursday that Jackson took more than 10 Xanax pills a night and made his staff procure prescription pills for him under their own names.

The network obtained a document from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department that reportedly contains two confidential interviews with former Jackson security guards and was prepared for Jackson's 2005 child molestation trial. Jackson was acquitted of all the charges against him at the end of the trial.

TMZ reports Chris Carter, one of those former bodyguards, said Jackson frequently left the offices of his doctors looking "out of it." TMZ reports Carter named "Klein, Dr. [Allan] Metzger, Dr. Barney from Solvang, Dr. Saunders and Dr. Farshchian" in the documents that came out of the interview.

"Carter described Jcakson as being sharp and 'in tune' prior to the doctor visits and afterward he would be out of it and sedated," the notes from the interview say, according to TMZ.

The documents also state Farshchian told Carter Jackson was addicted to Demerol, but Farshchian was prescribing him a placebo "to wean him off" it.

TMZ also reports a 2003 raid on Jackson's home found a vial of Demerol, a bottle of the painkiller Percocet, a vial of the antihistamine Promethazine, which has sedative effects, a bottle of the corticosteroid Predinsone, a vial of the sedative Versed, several IV bags and IV stands, prescriptions for Xanax, oxygen tanks and other items.

More rumours have arisen about Klein being the father of Jackson's two eldest children, "Prince" Michael Joseph Jackson, 12, and Paris Katherine Jackson, 11.

Although Klein recently denied being their father, he appeared on CNN's Larry King Live to speak about Jackson's death and provided the following answer, according to a World Entertainment News Network (WENN) article:

"I still can't answer that one way or the other. I once donated sperm to a sperm bank. I think to the best of my knowledge I am not the father."

New photographs have emerged which show Debbie Rowe, Jackson's second wife and the mother of Paris Jackson and "Prince" Michael Jackson, wrapping her legs around Klein and holding his hand, according to WENN. They were reportedly taken for a magazine photo shoot in 1993.

"I have long heard that this was an agreement between Michael Jackson, Debbie Rowe and Arnie Klein," former Court TV reporter Dimond reportedly told Britain's Daily Star tabloid.

"Arnie Klein would provide the sperm, Debbie Rowe would provide the eggs and she would give birth to babies for Michael. It was sort of an open secret among a small cadre of people close to Jackson."

The mother of Jackson's third child, "Blanket" Prince Michael Jackson II, has never been revealed.