Conrad Murray Denies Giving Michael Jackson Demerol

Edward Chernoff, the lawyer for Dr. Conrad Murray, said his client found Michael Jackson on his bed not breathing, but he still had a faint pulse.

Edward Chernoff also said Dr. Conrad Murray never prescribed or gave Jackson the drugs Demerol or OxyContin. He denied reports suggesting Murray gave Jackson drugs that contributed to his death.

Chernoff told the AP that Murray was at the pop icon’s rented mansion on Thursday afternoon when he discovered Jackson in bed and not breathing. The doctor immediately began administering CPR, Chernoff said:

"He just happened to find him in his bed, and he wasn’t breathing. Mr. Jackson was still warm and had a pulse."

Jackson’s family requested a private autopsy in part because of questions about Murray, the Rev. Jesse Jackson said Saturday. Murray also told the family an autopsy should be performed, Chernoff said. This morning Joe Jackson said he had not spoken to Murray yet, which completely contradicts Murray’s claim to have told the family to have an autopsy. Anytime anyone dies suddenly, there is always an autopsy done.

People close to Michael Jackson have said since his death that they were concerned about his use of painkillers. Los Angeles County medical examiners completed their autopsy Friday and said Jackson had taken unspecified prescription medication. Toxicology reports are still pending.

Chernoff said any drugs the doctor gave Jackson were prescribed in response to a specific complaint from the Jackson:

"Dr. Murray has never prescribed nor administered Demerol to Michael Jackson. Not ever. Not that day. Not Oxycontin either for that matter."

Paramedics were called to the mansion while doctor Murray was performing CPR, according to a recording of the 911 call.

Chernoff said because Jackson was so frail, Murray:

"administered with his hand behind his back to provide the necessary support."

"He’s a trained doctor. He knows how to administer CPR."

I used to be a basic life support instructor and an advanced cardiac life support instructor, and I can tell you that a hand does not provide enough support to do effective chest compressions. The palm of the hand is about the size of the heart, and with the bed being higher than the floor, plus one hand behind Jackson’s back, Dr. Murray could not possibly push hard enough, or properly, to cause the right compression on the heart to circulate the blood. There is no leverage, or weight, with one person behind a person’s back, and the other hand on their chest. In an emergency situation the person in trouble is always placed immediately on a hard flat surface. At home that surface would be the floor, in the hospital the surface would be a back board placed under a patient. Paramedics or EMTs would have placed Michael on a backboard immediately before taking over CPR, since the backboard is a better surface than the floor. Reports also suggest that Murray tried for a while, before having someone else call 911, to resuscitate Jackson without the use of a defibrillator, an external pacemaker, epinephrine, or atropine, which would all be necessary in this case for a successful outcome. The longer Murray waited to get proper medical assistance, the more likely a negative outcome would ocurr.

Murray was interviewed by investigators for three hours Saturday. His spokeswoman called Murray "a witness to this tragedy," not a suspect in the death, and police described the doctor as cooperative.

The attorney said Murray will wait to speak publicly until after the police and forensics investigation is complete. Chernoff said:

"One of his best friends just died, essentially in his arms, yeah, he’s looking forward to telling his story."

Chernoff also said the promoter of Jackson’s 50-show London concerts, AEG Live, owes the cardiologist $300,000.

"His contract with the promoters states he would receive an amount of money each month to be his (Jackson’s) personal physician and they have failed to honor that contract. They are two months behind."

Randy Phillips, president and CEO of AEG Live, acknowledged the contract called for Murray to be paid $150,000 a month, but said the contract required Jackson’s signature.

"Michael never signed the contract."

He also said the doctor’s claim for payment may be against Jackson’s estate, not AEG which was merely advancing the money to Jackson.

There is still a question as to whether Murray was licensed to practice medicine in California.

Murray’s statements sound like a desperate attempt to excuse his liability in Jackson’s death. There are too many errors made by Murray to convince us that he did not contribute to Jackson’s death. Murray did not have Narcan (Naloxone) on-hand to treat a narcotic overdose, Murray did not properly perform the CPR, and Murray claims to have told the family to have an autopsy done, when Joe Jackson denies having talked to Murray, and an autopsy is always done in cases like this. Murray seems to be saying anything he can to defend his innocence before he has even been accused of anything, which makes him look even more suspicious.