Michael Jackson's death ruled a homicide

LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles County coroner has ruled Michael Jackson's death a homicide and that a combination of drugs was the cause, a law-enforcement official told the Associated Press - a finding that makes it more likely that criminal charges will be filed against the doctor who was with the pop star when he died.

Forensic tests found that the powerful anesthetic propofol acted together with at least two sedatives to cause Jackson's death June 25 in his rented Los Angeles mansion, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the findings have not been publicly released.

Dr. Conrad Murray, a Las Vegas cardiologist who became Jackson's personal physician weeks before his death, is the target of a manslaughter investigation by the Los Angeles police. A designation of homicide means that Jackson died at the hands of another, but does not necessarily mean a crime was committed.

A search-warrant affidavit unsealed yesterday in Houston includes a detailed account of what Murray told investigators.

According to the document, Murray said that he had been treating Jackson for insomnia for about six weeks with 50 milligrams of propofol every night via an intravenous drip. But, he said, he feared that Jackson was forming an addiction to the anesthetic, which is normally used in hospitals only, and was attempting to wean his patient by lowering the dose to 25 milligrams and adding the sedatives lorazepam and midazolam.

That combination succeeded in helping Jackson sleep two days prior to his death; so the next day, Murray told detectives, he cut off the propofol - and Jackson fell asleep with just the two sedatives.

Then, at about 1:30 a.m. on June 25, starting with a 10-milligram tab of Valium, Murray said, he tried a series of drugs instead of propofol to make Jackson sleep. The injections included two milligrams of lorazepam about 2 a.m., two milligrams of midazolam about 3 a.m. and repeats of each at 5 a.m. and 7:30 a.m., respectively.

But they didn't work.

Murray told detectives that about 10:40 a.m. he gave in to Jackson's "repeated demands/requests" for propofol, which the singer referred to as his "milk." He administered 25 milligrams of the white-colored liquid - a relatively small dose - and finally, Jackson fell asleep.

Murray remained with the sedated Jackson for about 10 minutes, then left for the bathroom. No more than two minutes later, he returned - and found that Jackson had stopped breathing.

"There's no surprise there" that death could result from such a combination, said Dr. David Zvara, anesthesia chairman at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

"All those drugs act in synergy with each other," Zvara said. Adding propofol on top of all the other sedatives "tipped the balance."

Besides the propofol and two sedatives, the coroner's toxicology report found other substances in Jackson's system, but they were not believed to have been a factor in his death, the official said.

When he died, Jackson was skinny but not overly emaciated, and his body had bed sores, the official said. The singer is believed to have developed bed sores in the months following his 2005 acquittal of child-molestation charges, when he went into seclusion and spent long stretches in bed.

Murray has spoken to police and last week released a video saying that he "told the truth and I have faith the truth will prevail." Murray did not say anything about the drugs that he gave to Jackson. Murray's attorney, Edward Chernoff, had no immediate comment but has previously said that Murray never administered anything that "should have" killed Jackson.

A call to the coroner's office was not returned yesterday.

Jackson's family released a statement yesterday, saying that it has "full confidence" in the legal process and the efforts of investigators. It concludes: "The family looks forward to the day that justice can be served."

The 25 milligrams of propofol that Murray told police he gave Jackson the day he died "is not a whopping amount," said Lee Cantrell, director of the San Diego division of the California Poison Control System.