Doctor's defense expert: It's plausible Michael Jackson caused his own death
An expert in anesthesiology testified in defense of Michael Jackson's doctor, saying the pop star may have given himself a fatal dose of drugs and that the prosecution's theory does not fit the evidence.
Dr. Paul White, an anesthesiologist and Propofol expert, holds a bottle of Propofol during Dr. Conrad Murray's involuntary manslaughter trial in Los Angeles on Friday. Murray has pleaded not guilty and faces four years in prison and the loss of his medical licenses if convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Michael Jackson's death.
Paul Buck/AP
Michael Jackson may have caused his own death by taking a large quantity of sedative pills and giving himself an intravenous dose of the powerful anesthetic propofol in the final moments of his life, an expert in anesthesiology testified Friday.
Dr. Paul White told the jury at the manslaughter trial of the pop legend鈥檚 personal physician that the most plausible explanation for the drug levels detected in Mr. Jackson鈥檚 system after his death is that he swallowed pills and injected himself with propofol when his doctor was out of the room.
Defense Attorney Michael Flanagan asked Dr. White whether he would expect 鈥渁dverse consequences鈥� if Jackson quickly injected a dose of propofol into himself after already ingesting a significant quantity of lorazepam pills and after having been injected with the sedatives lorazepam and midazolam.
鈥淚 believe it could potentially have lethal consequences,鈥� White said.
The testimony came on the 20th day of the trial of Dr. Conrad Murray in the Los Angeles County Courthouse. The Las Vegas cardiologist is accused of administering a fatal dose of propofol while trying to treat Jackson鈥檚 chronic insomnia.
Dr. Murray鈥檚 lawyers maintain that Jackson gave himself the fatal dose. Murray has pleaded not guilty.
White is believed to be the defense鈥檚 last witness. His cross examination is set to begin on Monday. The case could go to the jury later next week.
Murray had been hired for $150,000 a month to serve as Jackson鈥檚 physician during a planned series of concerts in London. With rehearsals escalating and the concert fast approaching, Murray was attempting to treat Jackson鈥檚 complaints of lack of sleep. For nearly two months the doctor had been administering nightly intravenous doses of propofol in the bedroom of Jackson鈥檚 rented mansion.
The anesthetic is not a recognized sleep aid and is usually administered by a trained anesthesiologist in a fully-equipped hospital or clinic. But Murray surrendered to Jackson鈥檚 insistence that propofol was the only medicine strong enough to help him sleep.
Murray set up an IV system in Jackson鈥檚 bedroom. Medical experts testified that the practice was unheard of and extremely dangerous.
Jackson died on June 25, 2009. An autopsy said the cause of death was 鈥渁cute propofol intoxication.鈥� Murray was charged with involuntary manslaughter and faces up to four years in prison and loss of his medical license, if convicted.
Dr. White鈥檚 suggestion that Jackson self-administered a lethal combination of drugs that killed him stands in sharp contrast to the testimony of the prosecution鈥檚 expert, Steven Shafer. The Columbia University professor and research scientist said Jackson most likely died while receiving a continuous infusion of propofol set up by Murray.
Mr. Shafer said Murray set up the propofol drip and then left the room. At some point, Jackson stopped breathing and died, Shafer said, because Murray was not at Jackson鈥檚 bedside to open his air way. Shafer said administration of propofol requires an array of resuscitative equipment, electronic monitoring equipment with alarms, and constant vigilance by the attending physician.
He said Murray had effectively abandoned his patient.
Defense attorneys are working to counter Shafer鈥檚 testimony and trying to raise doubts in the minds of the jurors about how Jackson died.
White said Shafer鈥檚 theory of the propofol drip did not fit with evidence recovered in Jackson鈥檚 bedroom. And he said Shafer鈥檚 theory that Murray gave Jackson a series of injections of the sedative lorazepam does not fit with drug concentrations found during the autopsy.
White testified that Jackson most likely gave himself a rapid injection of 25 milligrams of propofol between 11:30 a.m. and 12 noon.
He testified that his self-injection scenario better fit the known evidence than Shafer鈥檚 offered scenario.
鈥淚 cannot understand how it is possible that [Jackson] got a three hour infusion [of propofol] when the evidence does not show an infusion set up and the level of drug in the blood is not consistent with鈥� Jackson receiving an entire bottle of propofol, White said.
On Monday, prosecutors are expected to challenge White鈥檚 scenario. In addition they are likely to closely question White about whether Murray followed recognized procedures for administration of propofol and whether he took adequate safeguards. Analysts say prosecutors will likely argue that even if Jackson self-administered the drug, Murray still had a duty as a physician to monitor his patient at all times.