Michael Jackson Trial Day Seven
Michael Jackson Trial: Star Heard in Disturbing, Sedated Call: “I Feel Their Pain. I Feel Their Hurt”
UPDATE: 4:15 p.m.: Court adjourned early due to scheduling conflicts. Testimony resumes Thursday at 8:45 a.m.
UPDATE: 2 p.m.: L.A. County Coroner’s Office investigator Elissa Fleak testified that she recovered a variety of prescription medications, lotions and medical supplies from Jackson’s bedside after his death, including a 20 ml bottle of propofol that was mostly empty under the nightstand. Among the substances and paraphernalia she found: diazepam, Flomax, lorazepam, lotions and creams, oxygen tanks, latex gloves, alcohol swabs, an IV stand, catheters a jug of urine, and a 10cc syringe with the needle missing.
UPDATE: 11:30 a.m.: Prosecutors play a disturbing, extremely slurred and basically unintelligible four-minute phone conversation recorded off Murray’s phone between the doctor and Michael. In it, he talks about caring about the children, “the angels,” says, “God wants me to” perform the London shows, and repeats that kids “don’t have enough hope, no more hope…they walk around with no mother…I love them. I love them because I didn’t have a childhood. I had no childhood. I feel their pain. I feel their hurt. I can deal with it.”
After a seemingly heavily sedated Jackson is silent for many seconds, Murray asks him if he’s OK. “I am asleep,” he replies. The court has recessed for an early lunch to allow both sides more time to prepare for the witnesses. Testimony will resume at 1:30 p.m. PT.
UPDATE 11:00 a.m.: A voicemail message left by Jackson’s manager Frank DiLeo to Murray on June 20, 2009 is played. On it, he says Michael “had an episode last night…I think you need to get a blood test on him. We need to see what he’s doing.”
UPDATE 10:55 a.m.: Marx reveals another email exchanged with Taylor at 11:08 a.m. the morning of Michael’s death. In it, he told London that any rumblings of Jackson being in ill health in advance of his comeback tour were simply “malicious rumors.”
UPDATE 10:25 a.m.: Marx testifies that he retrieved several emails and screenshots from Murray’s phone, including an email sent from Londoner Bob Taylor on June 25, 2009 at 5:54 a.m. on the topic of artist insurance. Break time! Testimony will resume with Marx back on the stand in roughly 20 minutes.
UPDATE: 9:50 a.m.: Even before the proceedings began, there was some bad news for the Jackson family: this morning, the Black Eyed Peas pulled out, without explanation, of performing at this weekend’s tribute concert. As for the trial, Seacoast Medical account rep Sally Hirschberg was first up on the stand, the agent who handled Murray’s order for condom catheters, an ambu bag (which is a disposable resuscitator), lidocaine, IV bags and other medical tools. They were delivered in March 2009, after a brief false start when the credit used to make the purchase was declined. On June 26, 2009, an employee at Murray’s Las Vegas practice phoned Hirschberg and canceled all remaining orders.
Next up: computer forensics expert Steven Marx, who will be testifying about Murray’s iPhone records.
Yesterday’s proceedings may have started late and ended early, but the Michael Jackson involuntary manslaughter trial is expected to get back on its timely track today.
If yesterday played like something of a soap opera, with a parade of Conrad Murray‘s lady friends taking the stand, today is more for the Law & Order-CSI set, as investigators and detectives in the case are expected to begin dominating the testimony, laying out more clearly a timeline of events of the day Jackson died.
At some point, prosecutors also plan on playing a two-hour interview with Murray conducted by police, though it’s unclear when that will take place.
