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Michael Jackson Doctor Conrad Murray Hid Evidence, Guard Testifies

Testimony has Conrad Murray removing IV stand and two bags of medication. By Gil Kaufman, with additional reporting by Kara Warner Alberto Alvarez, Michael Jackson’s bodyguard, leaves court after testifying at the preliminary hearing for Dr. Conrad Murray on January 5 Photo: Toby Canham/Getty Images The second day of testimony in the preliminary hearing of Michael Jackson’s doctor, Conrad Murray , featured damning testimony from one of the late King of Pop’s bodyguards about Murray’s actions in the critical minutes after the singer was found unresponsive. After a former Jackson staffer testified Tuesday that Murray appeared to not know how to perform CPR properly , security guard Alberto Alvarez said on Wednesday (January 5) that the cardiologist frantically grabbed medical evidence from the star’s bedroom before instructing Alvarez to call 911. The Los Angeles Times reported that Alvarez said he was the first person to walk into Jackson’s bedroom after Murray realized his patient was not breathing, where he found the cardiologist administering chest compressions with one hand while Jackson lay on his bed, which goes against the recommended procedure for the life-saving method. “I said, ‘Dr. Murray, what happened?’ ” Alvarez told the court. ” ‘He had a bad reaction, he had a bad reaction,’ that’s all he said.” Alvarez choked up as he described how Jackson’s daughter, Paris, followed him into the room and screamed when she saw her father sprawled out and unresponsive on the bed. He said Murray then instructed him to get the children out of the room, noticing as he left that Jackson’s penis was out of his underwear and that medical tubing was attached to it. When Deputy District Attorney David Walgren asked Alvarez if he knew what a condom catheter was, the security guard said he did not. Alvarez said he then witnessed Murray grabbing a handful of medicine bottles and instructing the security guard to put them in a bag. He told the court that he held open the bag as the doctor dropped the bottles of medicine inside and then put it in a brown canvas bag on the floor, per Murray’s instructions. Murray also allegedly told Alvarez to grab one of the two bags hanging on an IV stand next to Jackson’s bed and put it in another bag. Alvarez said he noticed a “milk-like substance” in the bottom of the IV bag. The Los Angeles County Coroner’s office determined that Jackson died of an acute intoxication of propofol, a powerful surgical anesthetic sometimes referred to as “milk of amnesia” thanks to its milky white appearance. Only after the medical materials had been put away did Murray tell Alvarez to call 911. “After you had collected the bottles per Dr. Murray’s instructions, and after you had collected the bags per Dr. Murray’s instructions, did Dr. Murray instruct you to call 911?” Walgren asked. “Yes, sir,” Alvarez responded. TMZ reported that during cross-examination, defense attorney Ed Chernoff got Alvarez to admit that he never told police about Murray ordering him to remove the bottles and Alvarez later admitted that he may try to sell his story. Later in the day, EMT Richard Senniff testified that he arrived at the Jackson home, just four minutes after the 911 call was placed. According to TMZ, Senniff said that, based on the condition of Jackson’s body, it appeared that Murray waited at least 20 minutes to call 911. Senniff also stated that when he asked Murray what meds Jackson had been administered, he only listed lorazepam (Ativan). Jackson cook Kai Chase also testified, revealing the food she prepared for Jackson prior to his death (seared ahi tuna and salad, white bean Tuscan soup) and that she knew something was wrong when Murray came downstairs in a panic and summoned Jackson’s son, Prince. The preliminary hearing is aimed at determining whether there is enough evidence to try Murray on a felony count of involuntary manslaughter in the June 2009 death of the King of Pop. It is expected to last two to three weeks. Related Artists Michael Jackson

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Michael Jackson Doctor Conrad Murray Hid Evidence, Guard Testifies

Michael Jackson Doctor Conrad Murray Didn’t Seem To Know CPR, Bodyguard Testifies

Jackson’s two oldest children were in bedroom witnessing drama, bodyguard Faheem Muhammed said. By Gil Kaufman Conrad Murray (file) Photo: AFP/ Getty Images One of the most shocking revelations to emerge from the first day of testimony in the pretrial hearing of former Michael Jackson doctor Conrad Murray is that as the pop icon lay dying in his rented Los Angeles mansion, cardiologist Murray asked in a panic, “Does anyone know CPR?” According to CNN , that’s what bodyguard Faheem Muhammed said on the stand. Tuesday was the first day of testimony in hearings aimed at determining whether there is enough evidence to try Murray on a felony count of involuntary manslaughter in the June 2009 death of the King of Pop. The hearing is slated to last around two weeks and feature 20 to 30 witnesses, most of whom will be medical professionals. But it was the shocking testimony of Muhammed on Tuesday that grabbed headlines. He said that he and fellow guard Alberto Alvarez walked in on a scene in which Murray was crouched next to the motionless body of Jackson and it appeared that the heart surgeon did not know how to give CPR. As they waited for paramedics to arrive, Muhammed said Murray stood next to Jackson’s bed and asked in a panicked voice if anyone else in the room knew how to administer the life-saving technique. “I looked at Alberto because we knew Dr. Murray was a heart surgeon, so we were shocked,” Muhammed said. When defense attorney Ed Chernoff asked whether Murray was asking for help because he was exhausted after staying up all night administering sleep aids to the chronically insomniac Jackson, Muhammed replied, “The way that he asked it is as if he didn’t know CPR.” He also said that he never witnessed Murray performing CPR on Jackson before paramedics arrived and that the singer’s two oldest children, Prince Michael and Paris, were in their father’s bedroom as the drama was unfolding. Among the Jackson family members in court on Tuesday to watch the proceedings were family matriarch Katherine, sister LaToya and brothers Randy and Jackie. Prosecutor David Walgren referred to Murray’s use of “ineffectual” CPR, which included using one hand while Jackson was on a soft bed, which is counter to recommended techniques. Walgren also told the judge in the case that medical experts would testify that Murray took “a number of actions” that “showed an extreme deviation from the standard of care,” after being hired to serve as Jackson’s personal physician in the lead-up to a series of comeback shows in England. The prosecutor also claimed that Murray waited at least 21 minutes to call an ambulance after he found Jackson unresponsive. “By all accounts, Michael Jackson was dead in the bedroom at 100 North Carolwood prior to the paramedics’ arrival,” Walgren said. The Los Angeles County coroner later determined that the singer died of “acute propofol intoxication,” saying the overdose of the surgical anesthetic and the combined effects of other sedatives caused his death. Chernoff has said that Murray administered propofol and other sedatives to Jackson in the hours before the pop star’s death, but not in quantities that “should have” caused his death. CNN reported that Murray’s defense team hinted that it would argue that Jackson was facing intense pressure over his upcoming 50-date This Is It comeback series of shows at London’s O2 Arena and that led to his demands for treatment to help his chronic insomnia. Also testifying on Tuesday was the director of the shows, Kenny Ortega, who described Jackson as “involved, active, participating” at his final rehearsal, which ended 12 hours before his death. That was very different from the out-of-it singer who could barely make it through rehearsals on June 19, six nights before his death. At a meeting called after Ortega sent Jackson home that night for some rest, the director described a scene in which Murray scolded him for cutting the rehearsal short. “Dr. Murray told me that this was not my responsibility, and he asked me not to act like a doctor or psychologist,” Ortega said. Murray has pleaded not guilty in the case, and according to a recent report, Walgren believes that the doctor’s lawyers may claim that Jackson self-administered the final, fatal dose of propofol and essentially killed himself after waking up in a panic from a fitful night of sleep. Testimony in the case will continue on Wednesday (January 5). Related Photos Michael Jackson: A Life In Photos Related Artists Michael Jackson

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Michael Jackson Doctor Conrad Murray Didn’t Seem To Know CPR, Bodyguard Testifies

Dr. Conrad Murray Ties One On

Filed under: Conrad Murray , Michael Jackson , Michael Jackson Manslaughter Prelim Dr. Conrad Murray stopped to have breakfast in downtown Los Angeles before heading to court today for the first day of his preliminary hearing in the Michael Jackson manslaughter case. They should throw the book at him … for wearing that tie. Read more

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Dr. Conrad Murray Ties One On

TMZ Live: MJ Predicts Death, ‘Bachelor’ Slap a Crime?

TMZ started a firestorm with ” The Bachelor ” slap and whether it’s a crime.

MJ’s Family — Michael Predicted He’d Be Murdered

Filed under: Michael Jackson , Conrad Murray Michael Jackson ‘s family claims the singer predicted his own death shortly before he died — telling TMZ, the King of Pop was paranoid he’d be murdered … for his incredibly valuable Sony catalog. The statement is in response to the story TMZ first… Read more

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MJ’s Family — Michael Predicted He’d Be Murdered

People vs. Dr. Conrad Murray

Filed under: Michael Jackson , Conrad Murray , Michael Jackson Manslaughter Prelim Kenny Ortega Testifies

Jackson Family Arrives at Court

Filed under: Conrad Murray , Jackie Jackson , La Toya Jackson , Katherine Jackson , Michael Jackson Katherine , Jackie and La Toya Jackson just arrived at court for the first day of Dr. Conrad Murray’s preliminary hearing — where a judge will decide if Murray will stand trial for involuntary manslaughter for MJ’s death. On his way into the courtroom,… Read more

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Jackson Family Arrives at Court

Livestream — Dr. Conrad Murray Prelim Begins

Filed under: Michael Jackson , Conrad Murray , Kenny Ortega , Michael Jackson Manslaughter Prelim , Celebrity Justice , Music The Michael Jackson manslaughter preliminary hearing is all set to begin — and Dr. Conrad Murray will be in L.A. County Superior Court. // We’re told prosecutors will be calling 30 witnesses to the stand. It’s all set to go down at 9 AM — and we’ll be… Read more

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Livestream — Dr. Conrad Murray Prelim Begins

Michael Jackson Doctor Conrad Murray Gets His Day In Court

Jackson’s choreographer Kenny Ortega is expected to testify at the preliminary hearing in Los Angeles. By Gil Kaufman Dr. Conrad Murray (file) Photo: Frederick M. Brown/ Getty Images More than a year and a half after the shocking death of Michael Jackson, the only person charged in the singer’s death, his personal physician Dr. Conrad Murray, will finally get his day in court. Murray, who has been charged with one felony count of involuntary manslaughter, will be in a Los Angeles courtroom on Tuesday (January 4) for the first day of a preliminary hearing to determine whether there is enough evidence to hold a full trial. The hearing, in front of Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor, is expected to last two weeks and feature testimony from more than two dozen witnesses, most of whom are medical experts. Prosecutors will attempt to show that Murray, who has pleaded not guilty to the manslaughter charge, was responsible for the singer’s death from an overdose of prescription drugs on June 25, 2009. Murray’s lawyers have said the doctor did inject the 50-year-old pop icon with the powerful surgical anesthetic propofol in an attempt to combat Jackson’s chronic insomnia, but that the dose “should have” not been enough to kill him. TMZ reported on Tuesday that one of the star witnesses during the preliminary hearing will be Jackson’s “This is It” choreographer Kenny Ortega. Citing an unnamed source, TMZ said that Ortega is expected to testify that the week before Jackson died , the singer complained that he felt cold, had the shakes and could not perform, which resulted in a canceled rehearsal. On the next day, June 20, 2009, an emergency meeting was reportedly called at Jackson’s rented Los Angeles mansion between the pop star, Ortega, several executives from concert promotion giant AEG Live and Murray. The meeting was described as “intense, loud and argumentative” and Ortega is said to have laid into Jackson, imploring the singer to take better care of himself in the lead-up to what was intended to be his live swan song. According to TMZ, Ortega is expected to testify that Murray said some “terrible things” during the meeting and displayed a lack of concern and respect for his patient, comments that could be “damaging” to Murray. Last week, one of the prosecutors in the case claimed that Murray’s lawyers were planning to claim that Jackson killed himself when he self-administered a lethal dose of propofol after waking up in a panic from a bout of fitful sleep. Ortega is also reportedly set to testify that in the two days before his death, Jackson was a changed man, impressing his backup dancers with his upbeat singing and dancing. The testimony could be key to the prosecutors’ case, since it could paint a portrait of Jackson as being healthy and energetic before Murray administered the cocktail of sedatives and propofol that allegedly resulted in the singer’s death. Related Videos Remembering Michael Jackson – One Year Later Related Photos Michael Jackson: A Life In Photos Related Artists Michael Jackson

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Michael Jackson Doctor Conrad Murray Gets His Day In Court

‘This Is It’ Producer — Star Witness in MJ Prelim

Filed under: Michael Jackson , Conrad Murray , Kenny Ortega , Celebrity Justice Michael Jackson ‘s producer/director for the ” This Is It ” tour will be a star witness for the prosecution in Dr. Conrad Murray ‘s preliminary hearing which begins today