Strong sedative found in Jackson's home
LOS ANGELES - The powerful sedative Diprivan was found in Michael Jackson's home, a law enforcement official said yesterday. Diprivan is an anesthetic widely used in operating rooms to induce unconsciousness. Also known as propofol, it's given intravenously.
LOS ANGELES - The powerful sedative Diprivan was found in Michael Jackson's home, a law enforcement official said yesterday.
Diprivan is an anesthetic widely used in operating rooms to induce unconsciousness. Also known as propofol, it's given intravenously.
The law enforcement official spoke on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to speak about the matter.
A Los Angeles police spokesman, Lt. John Romero, declined to discuss the case. "It's an ongoing investigation," he said.
The cause of Jackson's death has not been determined, and autopsy results are not expected for several weeks.
Jackson was known to have suffered from severe insomnia. In the weeks before his death, Cherilyn Lee, a registered nurse, said that Jackson pleaded for Diprivan amid the stress of preparing for a massive series of comeback concerts.
Lee said she repeatedly rejected his demands because the drug was unsafe.
Told yesterday that Diprivan had been found at Jackson's house, she said: "I did everything I could to warn him against it."
Jackson had trouble sleeping as far back as 1989, said one of his former publicists, Rob Goldstone, who spent a month on the road with Jackson during the "Bad" tour.
"He had very bad nightmares, he found it very difficult to sleep," Goldstone said.
Diprivan, which has a milky appearance, is sometimes nicknamed "milk of amnesia."
Last fall, doctors from the Mayo Clinic warned at a conference that in rare cases, Diprivan can trigger a chain of events leading to heart dysfunction and death.
They said three patients receiving Diprivan to treat severe seizures had suffered cardiac arrest, and two died. The doctors said the clinic stopped using Diprivan to treat such patients because of the danger.
The drug's manufacturer, AstraZeneca P.L.C., warns that patients using Diprivan should be continuously monitored, and in a tiny number of cases patients using it have suffered cardiac arrest, although it was not clear the drug was to blame.
Authorities are investigating allegations that Jackson, who was 50, had been consuming painkillers, sedatives and antidepressants. Any criminal charges would depend on whether Jackson had been overly prescribed medications, given drugs inappropriate for his needs, or if doctors knowingly prescribed Jackson medications under an assumed name.
Edward Chernoff, an attorney for Jackson's doctor, Conrad Murray, would not discuss what drugs the doctor administered to Jackson, but said they would have been prescribed in response to a specific complaint.
Huge Crowd Expected in L.A.
Los Angeles officials are preparing for massive crowds during Tuesday's public memorial for Michael Jackson at Staples Center, even though only 17,500 tickets are being offered to the public.
Assistant Police Chief Earl Paysinger said that anywhere from 250,000 to 700,000 people may try to reach the arena, even though a wide area around Staples Center will be closed to those without tickets.
City Councilwoman Jan Perry urged people to stay home and watch the memorial on television. The ceremony will not be shown on Staples' giant outdoor TV screen and there will be no funeral procession through the city.
Staples Center is offering the memorial tickets through an Internet lottery, with 11,000 tickets for the arena and 6,500 for the adjacent Nokia Theatre.
People who want tickets must register on the Web at Staplescenter.com. After 6 p.m. today, 8,750 names will be randomly selected to receive two tickets each. Notifications will go out tomorrow.
- Associated PressEndText