Michael Jackson's Death Was Fault Of Paramedics, Claims Conrad Murray

Conrad Murray served two years' prison sentence for the star's involuntary manslaughter.

Michael Jackson’s death has been blamed on the paramedics attending him, by Conrad Murray, the doctor convicted of the superstar’s manslaughter. 

Why is he still talking about an event for which he has already paid a price, with two years’ prison sentence, you may ask? Well, because he has a new book out, telling what he claims is the accurate account of the tragedy, and in an explosive extract, Murray claims the paramedics acted like “buffoons” when they responded to the emergency call, forcing him to take back responsibility for Michael’s care until he could be taken to hospital. 

He writes: “I’ve had the honour to work with excellent paramedics and other medical personnel as a physician, but in this particular case, this was a poor example of greatness, pardon my directness.

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Michael Jackson was in rehearsals for his forthcoming London tour
Getty

“They had no difficulty intubating Michael. But beyond that task, absolutely nothing else was done successfully for that man by paramedics, especially during the next 25 to 30 minutes following intubation. And after doing nothing except milling around aimlessly and fumbling, they wanted to pronounce him dead at the scene, based on a Los Angeles “timed protocol.”

In his book, Murray calls this “a pathetic effort”, and adds that he insisted he take back responsibility from the patient. 

“The ER physician at UCLA agreed to relinquish and transferred care to me.”

Murray also claims that Michael was still alive when he reached UCLA hospital, despite him being pronounced dead at the scene. He said in an interview this week, “This book will show you how.”

Murray, who served two years prison sentence for his part in the star’s death, writes that he had recruited to address Michael’s insomnia during his stressful rehearsals for his comeback ‘This Is It’ tour. 

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Conrad Murray was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the star's death
PA

He claims that he had successfully weaned the star off the drug Propofol in the days before his death. On the fateful day itself, Michael had been unable to sleep despite Murray administering an IV drip for hydration, and a combination of sedatives. Finally, he claims, he succumbed to Michael’s demands and gave him the minimum amount of Propofol, and left him sleeping before leaving to make some phone calls. 

On his return to the star’s bedroom, he found him lifeless, and he writes he attempted CPR on his own, before calling for help. 

Murray writes that the whole enterprise was not what he intended, when he agreed to work for Michael. He had thought he would be working in the day, resting at night, but the superstar’s insomnia meant he needed the doctor with him at night too. 

The night before Michael’s death, Murray writes that he had been hoping to stay at home until he got a call that the star was on his way home from rehearsals, and needed him to come back to the mansion. He writes:

“I said to (the caller), “I was not planning to be there tonight, it’s already past midnight, this is ridiculous, I’m not a machine, l too need my rest, just like he does. I didn’t come to Los Angeles for this.

“Then after thinking of Michael and his tenuous state of affairs, his future hanging by a thread, I fretfully got up from bed to go to work.

“I should have followed my intuition for once.”

Well, indeed. 

Tap the first picture below to open the slideshow:

Michael Jackson Style Evolution
1968(01 of33)
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CIRCA 1968: R&B quintet 'Jackson 5' pose for a portrait in circa 1968. Clockwise from bottom left: Michael Jackson, Tito Jackson, Jackie Jackson, Jermaine Jackson, Marlon Jackson. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
1970(02 of33)
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CIRCA 1970: Pop singer Michael Jackson of the R&B quintet 'Jackson 5' performs onstage in circa 1970. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
1970(03 of33)
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CIRCA 1970: Pop singer Michael Jackson of the R&B quintet 'Jackson 5' poses for a portrait in circa 1970. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
1971(04 of33)
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DECEMBER 1971: Pop singer Michael Jackson of the R&B quintet 'Jackson 5' performs onstage wearing a bright patterned shirt in December 1971. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
1971(05 of33)
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LOS ANGELES - JUNE 1971: Pop singer Michael Jackson of the R&B quintet 'Jackson 5' poses for a portrait wearing a Mickey Mouse t-shirt in circa 1971. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
1972(06 of33)
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LOS ANGELES - APRIL 20: Michael Jackson poses for a photo shoot at his Hollywood Hills home on April 20, 1972 in Los Angeles California. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
1972(07 of33)
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Michael Jackson of the Jackson Five, portrait, London, November 1972. (Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images)
1973(08 of33)
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American singer Michael Jackson (1958 - 2009) on stage with the Jackson Five at the Inglewood Forum in California, 26th August 1973. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
1974(09 of33)
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American singer Michael Jackson (1958 - 2009) posing in New York in 1974. (Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images)
1975(10 of33)
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JAMAICA - MARCH 01: Photo of Michael JACKSON and JACKSON FIVE; Posed group portrait, full length L-R Tito, Jackie, Michael, Jermaine and Marlon Jackson (Photo by Fin Costello/Redferns)
1976(11 of33)
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LOS ANGELES - SEPTEMBER 7: Pop singer Michael Jackson poses for a portrait session at home on September 7, 1976 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
1979(12 of33)
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1979: Pop singer Michael Jackson attends an event wearing a sequined shirt and a bow tie in 1979. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
1979(13 of33)
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NEW ORLEANS, UNITED STATES - OCTOBER 3: Michael Jackson performing on stage with The Jacksons on their Destiny Tour at the Municipal Auditorium on October 3,1979 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Ebet Roberts/Redferns)
1981(14 of33)
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American pop singer Michael Jackson carries the two American Music Awards he won for his album 'Off the Wall,' they are for Favorite Male Vocalist - Soul and R&B, and Favorite Album - Soul and R&B, Los Angeles, January 30, 1981. (Photo by Frank Edwards/Getty Images)
1983(15 of33)
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1983: Portrait of American pop star Michael Jackson wearing a red leather jacket at the opening of the stage musical, 'Dream Girls,' Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frank Edwards/Fotos International/Getty Images)
1983(16 of33)
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LONDON -1983 : Michael Jackson at the BPI awards to collect an award on behalf of Barbra Streisand held in London 1983.(Photo by Dave Hogan/Getty Images)
1984(17 of33)
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1984: Pop Star Michael Jackson performs onstage in 1984. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
1984(18 of33)
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11th Annual American Music Awards--Michael Jackson (Photo by Ron Galella/WireImage)
1986(19 of33)
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The 14th Annual American Music Awards--Michael Jackson and Elizabeth Taylor (Photo by Barry King/WireImage)
1988(20 of33)
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MN - 1988: Pop singer Michael Jackson performs onstage during his 'Bad World Tour' in 1988. (Photo by Jim Steinfeldt/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
1990(21 of33)
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Michael Jackson (Photo by KMazur/WireImage)
1993(22 of33)
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The 35th Annual GRAMMY Awards--Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California (Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage)
1993(23 of33)
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Michael Jackson is Honored With Hollywood Walk of Fame(Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)
1996(24 of33)
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AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND - NOVEMBER 10: Michael Jackson performs on stage during is 'HIStory' world tour concert at Ericsson Stadium November 10, 1996 in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images)
1997(25 of33)
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"Happy Birthday, Elizabeth Taylor: A Celebration of Life"
1999(26 of33)
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SUN CITY, SOUTH AFRICA - SEPTEMBER 5: Former South African President Nelson Mandela (L) claps his hands after American pop-icon Michael Jackson was given a lifetime achievement award during the Kora All Africa music awards in Sun City some 120 km northeast of Johannesburg , 04 September 1999. (Photo credit should read ADIL BRADLOW/AFP/Getty Images)
2001(27 of33)
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The 16th Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
2001(28 of33)
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Michael Jackson Tribute Celebrating 30th Anniversary of His Solo Years
2003(29 of33)
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The 3rd Annual BET Awards -Michael Jackson presents the Lifetime Achievement Award to James Brown (Photo by Steve Grayson/WireImage for BET Entertainment)
2004(30 of33)
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WASHINGTON - MARCH 31: Singer Michael Jackson waves to fans after a meeting with Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) on March 31, 2004 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Jackson was on Capitol Hill to meet with African-American lawmakers and offer his support on the fight against AIDS and help for African children. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
2005(31 of33)
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SANTA MARIA, CA - JUNE 3: Michael Jackson waves to fans as he arrives fo closing arguements in his child molestation trial at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse June 3, 2005 in Santa Maria, California. Jackson is charged in a 10-count indictment with molesting a boy, plying him with liquor and conspiring to commit child abduction, false imprisonment and extortion. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
2006(32 of33)
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Michael Jackson during MTV Video Music Awards Japan 2006 - Press Room at Yoyogi National Stadium in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Nathan Shanahan/FilmMagic)
2009(33 of33)
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LONDON - MARCH 05: Michael Jackson announces plans for Summer residency at the O2 Arena at a press conference held at the O2 Arena on March 5, 2009 in London, England. (Photo by Eamonn McCormack/WireImage)