Michael Jackson's life was destined to end early, according to Lisa Marie Presley -- but she wishes she'd tried harder to save him.
"I know it's naive to think that I could've, but I wanted to," Presley said on The Oprah Winfrey Show Thursday, where she opened up about the death of her ex-husband. "Had I just said, 'How are you?' Can I try to make a phone call? I really... regret that I didn't."
Jackson died last year at age 50 from an overdose of the powerful sedative Propofol and had a history of prescription drug abuse.
Presley believes Jackson's "God-like" existence made it difficult for people to stand up to him about his dangerous habits.
"If he didn't want you around, if you were going to make him confront something he didn't want to confront, he could make you go away -- including his own family," she said. "I think that was a train heading in a certain direction that no one could have stopped. I've had to really get my head around that in order to stop the pain."
She also recalled her last "coherent" conversation with Jackson, whom she married in 1994 and divorced soon after. "I was very distanced, and he was checking to get a read, you know?" she says of the chat in 2005. "He was trying to throw a line out to see if I would bite emotionally, and I wouldn't."
When he asked her if she loved him, "I told him I was indifferent," she says. "He didn't like that word. He cried."
He also said something chilling at the end of that call: "He felt that someone was going to try to kill him to get hold of his catalogue and his estate," she says, adding that Jackson named names but that she couldn't reveal them.
Presley, 42, lives in England with her guitarist husband Michael Lockwood. She has four children.
As the world around them honors Friday's first anniversary of their father's sudden death, Michael's Jackson's three grieving children escaped to the islands of Hawaii, where they were treated to a day of fun in the sun by their grandmother, Katherine.
The kids -- Prince, 13; Paris, 12; and Blanket, 8 -- were spotted this week on their quick family getaway in Maui with Katherine, a security team and friends.
Paris, who has had the most trouble privately coping with the loss of their famous father, was photographed swimming at the hotel pool with a solemn expression on her face.
Says a source close to the Jackson family: "Early on, Paris didn't think she could live without her father ... she just didn't know how she was going to function. But [Katherine] has been so supportive of her that Paris is much better.
Her brothers, meanwhile, appeared more carefree on the trip, often smiling and playing in the waves with other children on the beach.
"You have to remember that everybody in that family was suffering from grief, so Michael's kids never felt alone in it," the source continues. "That helped them to become stronger."
Clearly, the children have come a long way in the past year. Says the source, "They are much more open, and playful. They have matured."
On Friday's actual anniversary of Jackson's death, the family is scheduled to head to their late father's hometown in Gary, Indiana, where Katherine is expected to reveal a
large monument of the pop icon outside of the home where the Jacksons grew up nearly 50 years ago.
A memorial and candlelight vigil is due to follow, concluding with Jackson's hit "We Are The World."
On Friday's "Oprah Winfrey Show," Janet Jackson spoke out about the man who has pleaded not guilty to an involuntary manslaughter charge tied to her brother Michael Jackson's death.
Asked by Oprah if she blames Murray, Michael's former personal physician, for his death, Janet said: "Yes, I do. He's the one that was administering the drug, from what I do know." (Michael died of acute Propofol intoxication last June.)
Janet said that prior to her brother's passing, the Jackson family "knew that he had a problem" and "tried an intervention several times." She added, though, that Michael "was very much in denial."
She also said that the King of Pop's kids are doing "okay" in the aftermath of their iconic dad's death: "They're dealing with it. And thank God they have their family," she said.
Later, Janet was joined on the show by Tyler Perry, her director and co-star in 'Why Did I Get Married Too?', which opens today.
Tyler told Oprah he was very protective of Janet while shooting the film and even decided to change the ending "because [in the script] there was something that happened where she had to speak at a funeral."
TMZ has learned Dr. Conrad Murray's legal defense is that Michael Jackson gave himself the fatal dose of Propofol.
Multiple sources familiar with the strategy tell TMZ the defense argument goes like this:
- At around 10:50 AM, Dr. Murray gave Jackson 25 mg of Propofol from a 20 ml bottle -- that's only about 1/8 of the bottle.
- The dose Dr. Murray administered would keep someone asleep for only 5 to 10 minutes, But the Propofol, along with the Ativan and Versed that was already in MJ's system, had a synergistic effect that put Jackson to sleep for a longer period of time.
- For the next hour, Dr. Murray stayed in the room and was on the phone for much of the time. Dr. Murray didn't leave the room to make the calls because MJ liked activity in the room, regularly sleeping with the lights on and cartoons blaring on the TV.
- At around noon, Dr. Murray left the room for approximately two minutes to go to the bathroom. While he was gone, the defense believes Jackson suddenly awakened and was frustrated he had spent nearly 9 hours trying in vain to sleep. The defense theory -- Jackson took the 20 ml bottle of Propofol and self-injected the remaining contents through the IV, causing a massive overdose that stopped his heart.
- Dr. Murray walked back in the room and saw Jackson with his eyes open and pupils dilated. Dr. Murray dropped the phone (he was speaking with his girlfriend) and began administering CPR.
The defense will argue Michael Jackson was a long-time Propofol addict -- something TMZ first reported shortly after the singer's death. As one source said, Jackson liked the sensation of Propofol being administered by IV, adding, "Michael liked to push it."
L.A. County Coroner's investigators took a picture in the room, showing an empty Propofol bottle on the floor, underneath the nightstand by Jackson's bed. The defense will argue Jackson grabbed the bottle from the nightstand, injected himself and then dropped the bottle.
Remember, law enforcement believes Dr. Murray hid bottles of Propofol before paramedics arrived. The defense will argue ... if Dr. Murray was really hiding Propofol, he would have removed the empty bottle under the nightstand that caused Jackson's death.
Ed Chernoff, Murray's attorney, could not be reached for comment.
Joe Jackson, father of the King of Pop, told CNN's Larry King Monday night he believes Dr. Conrad Murray is "just a fall guy," and that there are other people involved in Michael Jackson's death.
"He got off too easy in court today," Joe Jackson told Larry King. "I'm looking for justice and justice to me would be the murder charge."
Joe Jackson told CNN, if Murray was interrogated enough, "he would come clean and tell everything he knows."
Joe Jackson also alluded to a vague conspiracy to kill his son. Speaking of his planned concert tour before his death, Joe Jackson told King, "He couldn't do all those shows back-to-back. Even his kids say that he had told them that he would be murdered."
Latoya Jackson stated she will not rest until all individuals involved are "brought forth and justice is served," CNN reported. The King of Pop's sister also believed that "Michael was murdered and although he died at the hands of Dr. Conrad Murray, I believe Dr. Murray was a part of a much larger plan,"
Michael Jackson's death was ruled a homicide by the L.A. County Coroner. CNN reported he died from a combination of drugs, mainly propofol and lorazepam. The doctor was reportedly with Michael Jackson when he died. He remains out on bail and could face up to four years in jail if convicted.
Dr. Conrad Murray, personal physician to Michael Jackson, was charged Monday with involuntary manslaughter in connection with the pop star's death last summer.
A criminal complaint filed earlier in the day alleged that Murray "did unlawfully, and without malice, kill Michael Joseph Jackson."
Murray turned himself in shortly before 4 p.m. at a branch courthouse near Los Angeles International Airport. He pleaded not guilty during a brief hearing before Judge Keith L. Schwartz.
The judge set bail at $75,000, despite arguments from prosecutor David Walgren that Murray is a flight risk.
The judge refused to suspend Murray's medical license as a term of his bond, but he did order him not to use any anesthesia on patients.
"I don't want you sedating people," Schwartz told Murray.
The involuntary manslaughter charge means that Murray caused Jackson's death by acting "without due caution and circumspection."
If convicted, Murray would face a maximum four-year prison sentence, according to prosecutors.
Members of Michael Jackson's family -- including his parents Joe and Katherine Jackson, sister La Toya Jackson, and brothers Jackie, Jermaine, Randy and Tito Jackson -- attended the hearing.
"Not enough," Jermaine Jackson said when asked what he thought of the charge.
"I don't like what happened," Joe Jackson said as he left the courthouse.
La Toya Jackson later issued a statement through a publicist.
"Michael was murdered and although he died at the hands of Dr. Conrad Murray, I believe Dr. Murray was a part of a much larger plan," her statement said. "There are other individuals involved and I will not rest and I will continue to fight until all of the proper individuals are brought forth and justice is served."
Her statement did not elaborate on what she meant in her reference to "a much larger plan."
Murray traveled to Los Angeles at the end of January from his home in Houston, Texas, in expectation of possible charges, his lawyer said.
He used part of his time last week to visit the pop star's resting place in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.
Murray, a cardiologist, was hired as Jackson's personal physician last spring as the singer prepared for comeback concerts in London, England.
The doctor told Los Angeles police that he was with Jackson at his $100,000-a-month rented Holmby Hills mansion through the early morning hours of June 25, 2009, in an effort to help the pop star fall asleep, according to a police affidavit.
He administered sleep aids, and after Jackson finally began sleeping in the late morning hours, Murray said, he left the bedroom for "about two minutes maximum," the affidavit says.
"Upon his return, Murray noticed that Jackson was no longer breathing," it says.
The doctor stayed with Jackson as an ambulance rushed him to UCLA Medical Center.
Efforts at CPR proved fruitless, and Jackson was pronounced dead at 2:26 p.m.
The Los Angeles County coroner ruled Jackson's death a homicide, resulting from a combination of drugs, primarily propofol and lorazepam.
The coroner's statement said Jackson died from "acute propofol intoxication," but there were "other conditions contributing to death: benzodiazepine effect." Lorazepam and two other drugs Murray said he used are benzodiazepines.
The doctor told investigators he had given Jackson three anti-anxiety drugs to help him sleep in the hours before he stopped breathing, a police affidavit said.
Murray had been treating Jackson for insomnia for six weeks at the time of the singer's death. The doctor told investigators he gave Jackson 50 milligrams of propofol, the generic name for Diprivan, diluted with the anesthetic lidocaine every night via an intravenous drip.
The doctor told police he was worried that Jackson was becoming addicted to the drug and tried to wean him off it.
During the two nights before Jackson's death, Murray said, he put together combinations of other drugs that succeeded in helping Jackson sleep.
The full autopsy report, which was released Monday afternoon, included an analysis by an anesthesiology consultant of the use of propofol.
The consultant, Dr. Selma Calmes, concluded that the "standard of care for administering propofol was not met."
"There was no evidence of an infusion pump for control of an IV infusion. No monitors were found at the scene; a blood pressure cuff and portable pulse oximeter were recovered from a closet in the next room," Calmes wrote.
An oxygen tank was found near where Jackson slept, but it was empty when the coroner investigator checked it two weeks after Jackson died, Calmes said.
"Multiple opened bottles of propofol were found with small amounts of remaining drugs," Calmes said. "A used bottle should be discarded six hours after opening, to avoid possible bacterial growth."
"The level of propofol found on toxicology exam are similar to those found during general anesthesia for major surgery," Calmes said.
During such surgery, any patient would be "intubated and ventilated by an anesthesiologist," she said.
The consultant's report said that the level of lorazepam found in Jackson "would have accentuated the respiratory and cardiovascular depression from propofol."
Dr. Conrad Murray, personal physician to Michael Jackson, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection with the pop star's death last summer.
A criminal complaint has been filed alleging that Murray "did unlawfully, and without malice, kill Michael Joseph Jackson."
Murray turned himself in shortly before 4 p.m. at a branch courthouse near Los Angeles International Airport.
Members of Jackson's family, including his parents, Joe and Katherine and three of his brothers, arrived at the courthouse minutes after the charges were announced. Asked for his reaction to the charge, brother Jermaine Jackson said, "Not enough."
The involuntary manslaughter charge means that Murray caused Jackson's death by acting "without due caution and circumspection."
More on involuntary manslaughter
If convicted, Murray would face a maximum four-year prison sentence, according to prosecutors.
Deputy District Attorney David Walgren will lead the prosecution.
Murray traveled to Los Angeles at the end of January from his home in Houston, Texas, in expectation of possible charges, his lawyer said.
He used part of his time last week to visit the pop star's resting place in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.
Murray, a cardiologist, was hired as Jackson's personal physician last spring as the singer prepared for comeback concerts in London, England.
The doctor told Los Angeles police that he was with Jackson at his $100,000-a-month rented Holmby Hills mansion through the early morning hours of June 25, 2009, in an effort to help the pop star fall asleep, according to a police affidavit.
He administered sleep aids, and after Jackson finally began sleeping in the late morning hours, Murray said, he left the bedroom for "about two minutes maximum," the affidavit says.
"Upon his return, Murray noticed that Jackson was no longer breathing," it says.
The doctor stayed with Jackson as an ambulance rushed him to UCLA Medical Center.
Efforts at CPR proved fruitless, and Jackson was pronounced dead at 2:26 p.m.
The Los Angeles County coroner ruled Jackson's death a homicide, resulting from a combination of drugs, primarily propofol and lorazepam.
The coroner's statement said Jackson died from "acute propofol intoxication," but there were "other conditions contributing to death: benzodiazepine effect." Lorazepam and two other drugs Murray said he used are benzodiazepines.
The doctor told investigators he had given Jackson three anti-anxiety drugs to help him sleep in the hours before he stopped breathing, a police affidavit said.
Murray had been treating Jackson for insomnia for six weeks at the time of the singer's death. The doctor told investigators he gave Jackson 50 milligrams of propofol, the generic name for Diprivan, diluted with the anesthetic lidocaine every night via an intravenous drip.
The doctor told police he was worried that Jackson was becoming addicted to the drug and tried to wean him off it.
During the two nights before Jackson's death, Murray said, he put together combinations of other drugs that succeeded in helping Jackson sleep.
Prosecutors investigating Michael Jackson’s death plan to file a criminal complaint charging the singer’s doctor with involuntary manslaughter rather than seek a grand jury indictment, The Associated Press learned Tuesday, a strategy shift that will give an eager public an earlier look at evidence.
While there is no public timetable for charges to be filed against Dr. Conrad Murray, there are strong indications the move is imminent. Murray and lawyer Edward Chernoff have traveled to Los Angeles from Houston, where Murray practices, and the attorney said his client is prepared to turn himself in.
“If they tell him to surrender in 10 minutes, he’ll go surrender,” said Chernoff, who spent several hours meeting with other members of Murray’s defense team Tuesday. “He’s never hidden, he’s always been available.”
David Walgren, the deputy Los Angeles County district attorney handling the case, declined to comment.
Reckless action?
Jackson, 50, hired Murray to be his personal physician as he prepared for a strenuous series of comeback performances in London. His stunning death on June 25 in Los Angeles came after Murray, tending to Jackson in the star’s rented mansion, administered the powerful anesthetic propofol and two other sedatives to get the chronic insomniac to sleep, according to the Los Angeles County coroner’s office, which ruled the death a homicide.
Propofol is only supposed to be administered by an anesthesia professional in a medical setting. The patient requires constant monitoring because the drug depresses breathing and heart rate while also lowering blood pressure, a potentially deadly combination.
Murray has maintained from the outset that nothing he gave the singer should have killed him. It wasn’t illegal for him to administer propofol to Jackson, though whether he followed proper procedures while Jackson was under the influence of the drugs is a key part of the case.
To bring a manslaughter charge, prosecutors must show there was a reckless action that created a risk of death or great bodily injury. If a doctor is aware of the risk, there might also be an issue of whether the patient knew that risk and decided to take it.
Change of strategy
Los Angeles Police Department investigators spent months gathering evidence, with detectives talking to numerous medical experts to determine whether Murray’s behavior, which included talking on his cell phone and leaving Jackson’s bedside, fell outside the bounds of reasonable medical practice.
Last month, a law enforcement official told the AP that prosecutors had decided to seek a grand jury indictment on an involuntary manslaughter charge. On Tuesday, a second law enforcement official said prosecutors were sticking with the charge but planned to file a criminal complaint to avoid the appearance of secrecy in the closely watched case.
Both officials requested anonymity because they are not authorized to publicly discuss the case.
Grand jury proceedings are secret. A panel meets, hears evidence and then decides whether to return an indictment. A criminal complaint is a prelude to a public hearing where a judge would weigh testimony from witnesses to decide if there is probable cause to bring a case to trial.
Legal experts debated the reason for the change of strategy.
“It appears they are not too concerned about the dangers of publicity,” said Stan Goldman, criminal law professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. “Maybe they even like the idea.”
Mark Geragos, a private criminal defense attorney who has represented a string of high-profile clients, including Jackson, said the decision suggests prosecutors are unsure they could persuade a grand jury that Murray was criminally liable for Jackson’s death.
“This may be one of those rare cases where a grand jury of citizens is not ready to attach criminal liability to the doctor,” Geragos said. “They may feel they are better off in front of a judge.”
Harland Braun, a celebrity defense attorney who also has represented doctors in court, disagreed, saying the move shows prosecutors are confident their evidence and witnesses could withstand cross-examination and public scrutiny.
“It’s really a test run on a case,” Braun said. “Both sides get to know what the strengths and weaknesses of the case are.”
Nearly seven months after Michael Jackson's death stunned the world, the official investigation of his death is edging toward conclusion with prosecutors prepared to seek an indictment of Jackson's doctor on a charge of involuntary manslaughter, The Associated Press has learned.
The fate of Dr. Conrad Murray has been the subject of speculation since he found Jackson unconscious in his home in Los Angeles last June. Jackson was preparing for a strenuous concert comeback in London, and Murray, a cardiologist, had been hired as his personal physician for the tour.
A law enforcement source who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation remains open said Friday that Murray would be prosecuted on a theory of gross negligence alleging that his treatment of Jackson was an extreme departure from the standard of care normally followed by physicians.
Court documents filed last summer concerning a search warrant said police were seeking evidence of manslaughter.
The coroner has ruled Jackson's death at age 50 was a homicide caused by acute intoxication by the powerful anesthetic propofol, with other sedatives a contributing factor.
Propofol depresses breathing and heart rate while lowering blood pressure, so it's supposed to be administered by an anesthesia professional in a medical setting.
The singer died after Murray administered propofol and two other sedatives to get the chronic insomniac to sleep, court documents state. Murray told police he left the room to use the bathroom, and phone records show he also made calls for 47 minutes around the time Jackson encountered problems.
When Murray realized Jackson was unresponsive, he began frantic efforts to revive him, but Jackson never regained consciousness.
The coroner found the propofol was administered to Jackson without any medical need and that recommended resuscitation equipment was missing.
As the police investigation neared an end, criminal attorney J. Michael Flanagan said Friday he had been hired to join Houston attorney Edward Chernoff in representing Murray.
In addition, Chernoff released a statement saying he had not received notice that a grand jury was hearing the case or inviting Murray to testify.
Chernoff spokeswoman Miranda Sevcik said earlier that Murray neither prescribed nor administered anything that should have killed Jackson.
Flanagan previously worked in the media spotlight representing Britney Spears in a hit-and-run case. He said he tried a propofol case several years ago, representing a nurse who was acquitted after it was shown she played no role in administering propofol to a patient who died.
Flanagan said there was a difference between a nurse's role and "a very sophisticated doctor making a medical judgment."
To prove gross negligence, he said, prosecutors would have to show a conscious indifference for life.
"This trial could end up being a trial of medical practice," he said. "The question is what discretion does a doctor have to treat a patient, and if a doctor makes a mistake, is it a crime?"
Jackson family spokesman Jesse Derris said he had no immediate comment from the family.
A final legal action could be weeks away, after the case is formally transferred to the district attorney's office by the Los Angeles Police Department. In a grand jury proceeding, testimony is presented in secret hearings and the panel has the final decision on whether to bring charges.
An involuntary manslaughter conviction carries a potential sentence of two to four years in prison.
The district attorney's office is waiting for Los Angeles police to turn over the case before presenting it to a grand jury, the source said.
However, a spokeswoman for the district attorney's office denied that any decisions have been made.
"We have been working closely with the Los Angeles police during the pendency of this investigation," spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons said. "There is no case before us at present, and no final decision has been made."
To prove a charge of involuntary manslaughter, authorities must show there was a reckless action that created a risk of death or great bodily injury. If a doctor is aware of the risk, there might also be an issue of whether the patient knows that risk and decided to take it.
A large number of witnesses have been interviewed by police, including those who were present during Jackson's last days and those who worked with him in preparation for his comeback concert, "This Is It."
Authorities have also lined up medical expert witnesses to testify about the normal standard of care in a situation such as Jackson's and to give opinions on why Murray's actions constituted gross negligence, the source said.
Murray's professional history is expected to be explored during a trial with an emphasis on whether he had the required expertise in administering propofol.
The timing of an indictment would be dictated by two factors – how long it takes for the district attorney's office to conduct an internal review of the evidence and when the grand jury will be available to hear the case.
The person said it was thought that it would be more efficient to go to a grand jury than to charge Murray and proceed by way of a preliminary hearing. A presentation to the grand jury could take three to five days.
An indictment also avoids the adversarial process of a preliminary hearing in which the defense can respond and a judge decides if there is enough evidence for charges to proceed to trial.
The FBI’s explosive, secret dossier on Michael Jackson was made public today and includes sickening — and surprising — allegations involving the kiddie-molestation raps against the superstar.
The sensational files on the late King of Pop — started after LA cops asked the federal agency to become involved in their sex probe of Jacko — include creepy new details of his antics with kids, specifically from a Canadian couple’s ride on the same train with him.
A Toronto woman told investigators probing allegations against Jackson in 1993 that she and her husband — both social workers in children’s services — were aboard a train March 7, 1992, during a visit to California and that the singer and his entourage had four compartments near them.
She said a 12- or 13-year-old boy — identified as Jacko’s "cousin" to anyone who asked — was with the singer at the time.
"Jackson was very possessive of the boy at night," the woman told cops, adding that she and her hubby grew even more suspicious of the star’s behavior when they "heard questionable noises through wall," according to one FBI file.
"She was concerned enough to notify the conductor of her suspicions," authorities wrote at the time.
The woman’s comments were part of the probe into allegations that the singer had molested Jacko mini-me Jordie Chandler, a young hanger-on who had been traveling with the star.
FBI files also contained information about the 2005 molestation trial against Jackson, as well as an attempted extortion of the singer in 1992.
The more than 300 pages of documents show:
* The FBI had been asked to analyze one of Jacko’s VHS tapes — home-labeled "Michael Jackson’s Neverland Favorites an All Boy Anthology" — seized amid a related child-porn probe.
The Sony tape was only described in the documents as a "poor-quality, third- or fourth-generation recording" that could be "a copy of a copy of a copy." There were no details of its contents.
* The LAPD appeared hot to nail Jackson on the federal Mann Act — involving "transportation of a minor across state lines for immoral purposes" — when it came to Chandler, and asked the FBI to consider the move.
But the agency balked at the idea.
* Investigators scribbled down notations about the case that included, "Chimp. Male chimp," apparently referring to Jacko’s beloved primate sidekick, Bubbles.
* Jackson had once been accused of molesting two Mexican boys in the mid-1980s — but the case was supposedly covered up.
An unnamed source told the FBI that while researching a book he was writing about Jackson, he was informed the agency had investigated the charge in 1985 or 1986.
But the case wasn’t pursued because "Jackson was to receive an honor at the White House from the president," the person said he was told. He added that his source insisted to him, "The investigation was covered up."
An FBI agent wrote that he turned up no such evidence of a probe.
The agency’s records also show that authorities were willing to traipse the world to collect dirt on the singer.
Detectives went to Manila in the Philippines to interview two former Jackson ranch employees, Mariano Quindoy and his wife, Faye. The probers also went to Canada to talk to the train-riding tourists.
Copies of newspaper clippings in one file allege that Mariano had seen the singer fondle young boys on two occasions. Jackson’s people called him a failed extortionist.
In their pursuit of Jackson, detectives even had the US Embassy in London send them British reports of a case involving the singer and a teen there.
The FBI pored over the newspaper articles, which reported a relationship between Jackson and 13-year-old British schoolboy Terry George in 1979.
George, who had met Jackson when he was a kid, had surfaced amid the Chandler case, saying he remembered what could now be considered a disturbing phone call that the pair once had shared about masturbation.
Chandler’s allegations were eventually settled with a reputed $20 million payout.
But Jackson — who died of a prescription-pill overdose at his LA home June 25 — was criminally tried in California in 2005 for allegedly touching a young cancer patient.
At the time of the singer’s arraignment, cops in Santa Maria, Calif., where the trial was being held, fretted that the media onslaught would make the venue a "soft target" for terrorists.
But the FBI said there was no evidence to suggest that. Still, the agency noted that a known Black Panther member had been at Jackson’s first court date.
A jury wound up acquitting the Gloved One.
Besides the molestation stigma, Jackson had other worries.
One involved an extortionist who targeted him — as well as infamous mob boss John Gotti — back in 1992, according to copies of the man’s threatening notes in one file.
"I told you what will happen to John if he doesn’t pay up. Michael, I will personally attempt to kill if he doesn’t pay me my money," reads one letter to a newspaper.
The deeply disturbed man, Frank Paul Jones, said he was willing to "commit mass murder at a Michael Jackson concert if necessary in an attempt to murder Michael."
The writer was eventually charged with extortion and sentenced to prison time.
The FBI papers were released after requests by The Post and other media outlets.
The gleaming glove Michael Jackson wore when he premiered his trademark moonwalk dance in 1983 has been auctioned off for $350,000, plus tax and auction fees.
As the glove’s price soared Saturday, fans roared and squealed with pleasure — echoing the kind of frenzy that accompanied the late pop star on his tours.
The rhinestone-studded white glove Jackson wore on his left hand for his moonwalk on Motown’s 25th anniversary TV special was the top item among the memorabilia auctioned at the Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square.
Sold to Ponte 16, a Hong Kong resort hotel, the glove went for about nine times its pre-sale estimate of $40,000. With taxes and fees, the new owner is paying $420,000.
A jacket that Jackson wore on his 1989 “Bad” tour fetched $225,000 — 20 times its low estimate of $8,000.
The sale, held by Los Angeles-based Julien’s Auctions, also included a fedora Jackson wore for the moonwalk. It sold for $22,000, against a $2,000 high estimate.
While Jackson didn’t invent the moonwalk, he did popularize it with his Motown performance.
The pop icon, who died June 25 at age 50, gave the glove to Walter "Clyde" Orange, of the singing group the Commodores, after the 1983 performance.
Jackson fans waited hours Saturday for his costumes and other memorabilia to come up for sale.
Linda Derogene, 54, said she was willing to spend up to $5,000 for a piece of her idol, who she never got a chance to see in concert.
"I can't even tell you what it would mean for me. It would be like a dream come true," she said.
Anita Bailey, 43, of Queens, said she hoped to be able to bid on a jacket or outfit, but felt the glove was out of her price range.
"I'm going to leave the holy grail alone," she said.
(Connick disgusted by Jackson parody. Singer Harry Connick Jr., who was serving as a guest judge on an Australian TV show, is visibly shocked when a of group singers parodying the Jackson Five performs in blackface. TODAY’s Natalie Morales reports.)
(In Australia during Wednesday night's "Hey Hey It's Saturday," four men with afro wigs and blackface sang and danced behind a Michael Jackson impersonator wearing white makeup.)
American singer and actor Harry Connick Jr., who was serving as a guest judge on Wednesday night's "Hey Hey It's Saturday," was visibly shocked by the skit, in which four men with afro wigs and blackface sang and danced behind a Michael Jackson impersonator wearing white makeup.
Connick, 42, gave the performance a zero score and told them that if it had been done in the United States it would have been pulled off the air.
Blackface was a traditional trope of minstrel shows in the U.S. that dates to the 19th century. Whites playing stock black characters — usually offensive stereotypes meant to demean — rubbed coal, grease or shoe polish on their faces. Blackface performances are not common in Australia.
Public reaction to the "Hey Hey" performance in online forums was mixed. Some Australians said they were embarrassed such a racist sketch had been broadcast, while others said detractors were too politically correct and that the skit was funny.
At a news conference on other issues Thursday morning, opposition politician Helen Coonan labeled the skit "disgusting."
Host Daryl Somers apologized to Connick at the end of the live show.
"I know that to your countrymen, that's an insult to have a blackface routine like that on the show, so I do apologize to you," Somers said.
Connick said he would not have appeared on the show if he'd known about the skit.
"I just want to say, on behalf of my country, I know it was done humorously, but we've spent so much time trying to not make black people look like buffoons, that when we see something like that we take it really to heart," he told Somers after his apology.
Anand Deva, the frontman of the "Jackson Jive" act, said it was not meant to cause offense but added he would not have performed it in the United States.
"Hey Hey" ran for 27 years starting in 1971. The "Jackson Jive" group first appeared on the show 20 years ago and were invited back to reprise their roles during the second of two reunion shows for the once-popular program.
(Results of Michael Jackson's autopsy, obtained by the AP, appear to show that he was in overall good health before dying from a propofol overdose. NBC's Jeff Rossen has the details.)
(The head costume designer for Michael Jackson's "This Is It" tour, Zaldy, talks about meeting Jackson, how they worked together, and what kinds of designs they came up with.)
Michael Jackson’s arms were covered with punctures, his face and neck were scarred and he had tattooed eyebrows and lips, but he wasn’t the sickly skeleton of a man portrayed by tabloids, according to his autopsy report obtained by The Associated Press.
In fact, the Los Angeles County coroner’s report shows Jackson was a fairly healthy 50-year-old before he died of an overdose. His 136 pounds were in the acceptable range for a 5-foot-9 man. His heart was strong with no sign of plaque buildup. And his kidneys and most other major organs were normal.
Still, Jackson had health issues: arthritis in the lower spine and some fingers, and mild plaque buildup in his leg arteries. Most serious was his lungs, which the autopsy report said were chronically inflamed and had reduced capacity that might have left him short of breath.
However, according to the document, the lung condition was not serious enough to be a direct or contributing cause of death.
“His overall health was fine,” said Dr. Zeev Kain, chairman of the anesthesiology department at the University of California, Irvine, who reviewed a copy of the autopsy report for the AP. “The results are within normal limits.”
Kain was not involved in the autopsy. The full autopsy report has not been released publicly, but the AP obtained a copy.
Jackson died at his rented Los Angeles mansion June 25 after his personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, administered the anesthetic propofol and two other sedatives to get the chronic insomniac to sleep, court documents state. Propofol, normally a surgical anesthetic used in operating rooms, acts as a respiratory depressant and requires constant monitoring,
Murray told police he left the room to use the bathroom and phone records show he also made calls for 47 minutes around the time Jackson encountered problems. When Murray realized Jackson was unresponsive, he began frantic efforts to revive him, but Jackson never regained consciousness and was declared dead at the University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center.
The coroner’s office announced last month that Jackson’s death was a homicide caused by “acute propofol intoxication,” with the other sedatives listed as a contributing factor. They said the standard of care for administering propofol was not met and the recommended equipment for patient monitoring, precision dosing and resuscitation was missing.
Murray is the target of what Los Angeles police term a manslaughter investigation. The decision on criminal charges will come from the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office. Murray has been interviewed twice by police.
Except for a brief video posted to YouTube, Murray has not spoken publicly since Jackson’s death. In the video, he said: “I told the truth and I have faith the truth will prevail.” Murray’s attorney, Edward Chernoff, previously has said nothing Murray gave Jackson “should have” killed him.
Jackson was declared dead a little more than two hours after paramedics were called. Evidence of the desperate struggle to save the star were evident on his body. He had chest bruising and cracked ribs from CPR, and a mechanical device known as a balloon pump was inserted into his heart to try to restart it, according to the autopsy report.
Jackson’s body was taken by helicopter to the coroner’s office where the following morning Chief Medical Examiner Lakshmanan Sathyavagiswaran and Dr. Christopher Rogers carried out an extensive review and ordered a toxicology screening to look for drugs in his system.
Aside from propofol and the sedatives, the only substances found in his system were the local anesthetic, Lidocaine, sometimes used to numb injection sites and ephedrine, a commonly used resuscitation stimulant.
No other drugs — legal or otherwise — were detected, nor was any alcohol.
Kain said he was surprised that three other sedatives, known as benzodiazepines, were present with propofol. Anesthesiologists sometimes mix one “benzo” with propofol to help put a patient under, but using three increases the danger for the patient.
“People don’t mix the benzodiazepines together because they interact with each other and increase the risk of respiratory arrest,” Kain said, adding it was likely Jackson first stopped breathing and then suffered cardiac arrest.
The autopsy findings cut off a potential defense for Murray — that Jackson hid serious pre-existing conditions that increased the risk of death from the drugs he willingly took. Even if he did hide a condition such as his weakened lungs, a prosecutor could argue Murray should have detected the condition before administering drugs, said Michael Brennan, a clinical law professor at the University of Southern California who specializes in criminal defense.
“A doctor has some obligation to know what his patient’s physical condition is,” Brennan said. “The doctor is going to try to substantiate whatever the patient told him ... and not simply rely on a patient’s descriptions of his physical condition.”
At the time of his death Jackson was preparing for a series of comeback concerts in London. Rehearsals were rigorous and there were questions about whether Jackson would be physically able to hold up.
But aside from his lungs, the autopsy report did not identify any serious physical problems that might have limited Jackson’s ability to perform. It also provided minute details about his physical state from head to toes.
He had a ¾-inch scar behind his left ear and another apparent scar behind his right ear. He had a scar beside each of his nostrils and another, 4-inch scar on his right shoulder. He had a pair of additional scars about 3-inches long at the base of his neck and smaller scars on his arms and wrist. He also had a small scar in the region of his naval and a 2-inch scar on the right-hand side of his abdomen.
Kain said most of the scars appeared to be from plastic surgery though others, like a scar on the knee, could have been from a medical procedure.
The medical examiner found numerous punctures on both arms and on a knee and ankle. The leg punctures could have been from intravenous therapies not described in the autopsy report, Kain said.
Jackson had several tattoos, all them cosmetic, including dark tattoos in the areas of both eyebrows and under his eyes, and a pink tattoo around his lips.
He was going bald at the front of his head, with his remaining hair described as short and tightly curled. The bald part of his scalp was darkened with what appeared to be a tattoo stretching across the top of his head from ear to ear.
The coroner found depigmentation of his skin around his chest, abdomen, face and arms.
The coroner also found Jackson was actively producing sperm.
Los Angeles Police Department spokeswoman April Harding said the investigation was ongoing and she couldn’t comment further.
Welcome to the BLACK POLITICAL BUZZ Blog. (Established 2008)
My name is Laurel. (Author & Publisher)
I Blog with a focus on POLITICS, Business, and occasionally Entertainment.
FACTS ABOUT LAUREL:
Wife,
Mother of a U.S. Soldier,
Sister,
Woman of GOD,
Loyal Friend,
Creative,
Blood-related to a nationally known Charlotte Politician.
Black Female, Intelligent,
Married,
Love to Travel,
Credentialed by the RNC and DNC.
Political Blogger/ Commentator
Grassroots Activist,
PROFESSIONAL STATUS:
Credential Political Blogger/ Commentator,
Registered Independent Voter
Original Native of BROOKLYN, NY
Currently reside in CHARLOTTE, NC
I’m Nice but don’t get it twisted because my Mind is Sharp!
Since You’ve Chosen to Visit and Read the Contents of this Blog by Personal Choice, and of Your Own Free Will,
Please don’t ask me to Compensate you for Expressing individual commentary/ Posted Articles, which are protected by the First Amendment, citing Freedom of Speech & Freedom of Expression.
No Intentionally Malicious Slander, Libel or Defamation of Character content will be published and I will always Credit all Sources.
NOTE TO ALL ELECTED OFFICIALS, APPOINTED OFFICIALS & PUBLIC FIGURES:
Per the Landmark U.S. Supreme Court Case: 1964 case of New York Times v. Sullivan………
The Public has a Right to Criticize the People who Govern them, so the least Protection from Defamation is given to Public Officials. When officials are accused of something that involves their behavior in office, they have to prove all of the above elements of defamation and they must also prove that the defendant acted with “actual malice.” (For a definition of actual malice, see the “History of Defamation and the First Amendment, below.”)
People who aren’t Elected but who are Still Public Figures because they are influential or famous — like Actors, Actresses, Movie Stars, Singers & Entertainers, Journalists, TV Hosts, Bloggers, etc., — also have to Prove that Defamatory statements were made with Actual Malice, in most cases.
To the Associated Press and other Media Organizations:
When I use your Content Links., I’m also citing the Fair Use Doctrine (Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107) for further Copyright permission.
Posts and Links published on Black Political Buzz are not endorsed by Black Political Buzz Blog Author Laurel’s Employer, nor the Employers of other Black Political Buzz employees.
This includes Links, Posts and Comments posted on Black Political Buzz’s Facebook and Twitter account pages.
Comments, Links and Opinions of site visitors are Independently-Owned and not endorsed by Black Political Buzz employees, Blog Author Laurel or Laurel’s Employer.)
(No Personal Offense intended) Please know that Black Political Buzz is not responsible for nor do I endorse Requests for Donations from Third Parties on this Blog.
I will Only Endorse Requests for Donations made on behalf of BLACK POLITICAL BUZZ Blog for Business Purposes & Operating Expenses.
I will also Only Endorse Requests for Donations on behalf of Legitimate Politicians and Legitimate Political Candidates. PERIOD!!
If anyone else or another Organization wishes to post a link to Request Donations, I am NOT endorsing ANY of those Requests!
Unless I receive a personal Request to do so and I have Professionally Confirmed that the Third Party Organization or Charity is indeed a Legitimate Entity.
NOTE: Anyone who chooses to give to any Third Party Organization NOT Endorsed by BLACK POLITICAL BUZZ is doing so at his or her own risk.
BLACK POLITICAL BUZZ does NOT Discriminate against Politicians, Political Candidates, Organizations or Charities based on Race, Color, Nationality, Ethnicity, Gender, Sexual Orientation, Religion, Faith, Disability, Political Affiliation, Creed, Education, Social Status, Age.
This disclaimer applies to ANY and All requests for Donations on this Blog. Thanks for understanding. Again No Personal Offense intended.
For Story Tips….Corrections…….. or Requests for Endorsements:
Please contact me via e-mail: blackpoliticalbuzz@gmail.com
or via my Facebook page: facebook.com/blackpoliticalbuzz
Thanks for stopping by
God Bless
Laurel @BLACK POLITICAL BUZZ
LINKS: POLITICAL PERSPECTIVE & INFORMATIONAL SITES
.jpg)
