Michael Jackson’s death: How did the singer die and what happened to Conrad Murray?

Michael Jackson moonwalked his way not just into incomparable fame but also into the hearts of millions of people around the world. The singer was one of the most popular best-selling singers of his time. His album Thriller (1982) became the best-selling album in world history - eventually selling 70 million copies.

However, soon the singer - who was described as a ‘disturbing person’ by Elton John - began to be known more for the controversies that surrounded him than his singing which made him avoid being in the limelight for a while. Just as the King of Pop was rebuilding himself and was ready for a comeback tour in 2009, life had other plans for him. Let’s dive deep into how Michael Jackson died.

When did Michael Jackson die and what was the cause of his death?

The world came to a standstill on June 25, 2009, when Michael Jackson’s death was announced. According to The Sun, Jackson was announced dead at 2:26 pm after several unsuccessful attempts to revive him were performed by medical professionals.

The singer’s personal physician Conrad Murray revealed he found him unresponsive in his bed in the afternoon. Murray tried to revive Jackson for five to ten minutes by himself and when he failed to do so, he called in the paramedics who performed CPR on the singer for 42 minutes at his rented house in Holmby Hills, Los Angeles. He was then taken to the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Centre. Jackson arrived at the medical centre at 1:14 pm, and Jackson was pronounced dead after over an hour of attempted resuscitation at 2:26 pm.

What did Michael Jackson’s final day look like?

2009 was a big year for Michael Jackson, the pop star was planning his big comeback after years of controversial news about him being a paedophile, his troubled love life and debt. He planned to do a 50-show comeback tour, This Is It, at London’s newly opened O2 Arena. On June 24, 2009, the singer left his home at 7 pm in the evening for a dress rehearsal of his show. He travelled to the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles for the practice that ended at midnight, reports Biography.com. Jackson hugged his dancers, thanked his crew and made his way back to his house where he was greeted by a small group of fans.

The singer complained of fatigue and had already requested his doctor Conrad Murray to be at his home before he reached there. Reportedly, Murray had been treating Jackson for insomnia for two months and had been giving him powerful sedatives to help him sleep. It is believed that Jackson was addicted to propofol - an unpredictable and potentially fatal anaesthetic.

Murray administered valium to Jackson and some more doses of sedatives to help him sleep. According to a police affidavit, Jackson repeatedly requested Murray to give him propofol but he refused to do so. However, he gave in to his demands and gave him the drug at around mid-morning on June 25. He added propofol to the singer’s intravenous drip and remained with him in the room for 10 minutes. He then left Jackson alone for less than two minutes as he went to the bathroom and returned to find him unresponsive on his bed.

What caused Michael Jackson’s death?

The Los Angeles County coroner’s office completed an autopsy on Jackson’s body by June 26, 2009, but refused to state the cause of his death until more tests were done. As reported by LA Times, an investigation went on to determine the cause of his death until it was clear that the King of Pop died due to a drug overdose.

On August 24, 2009, the coroner reported that the presence of anaesthetic propofol and sedatives found in the pop star's body caused a lethal mix leading to his death. The three-hour autopsy found the cause of his death was due to the presence of a combination of drugs. The two big ones that facilitated his end were propofol and lorazepam. Other drugs in his system included midazolam, diazepam, lidocaine, and ephedrine. Jackson’s death was ruled as a homicide putting his concert promoter AEG Live and his doctor Murray in the spotlight.

Michael Jackson’s doctor Conrad Murray convicted of his death

A jury found that AEG Live was not guilty of Jackson’s death as accused by his mother and children. However, Dr Conrad Murray was charged and convicted of involuntary manslaughter over Jackson’s death and was sentenced to 4 years. He reportedly gave Jackson propofol for two months at his residence even though it’s not meant to be used outside of hospital or a clinical setting. Murray was convicted on November 7, 2011, after witnesses testified that he covered up the pop star’s health both before and after his death, misleading concert promoters and his entourage.

Judge Michael Pastor sentenced Murray to four years in county jail and had a harsh assessment of the case. He found a secret recording of a heavily drugged and slurring Jackson in Murray’s phone. The recording was taped a month and a half before his death and was assumed to be used by the doctor to blackmail Jackson.

What is Conrad Murray doing now?

Murray served two out of four years of his jail time and then returned to Trinidad and Tobago - where he grew up, confirms People Magazine. He registered to practise and qualified as a medical doctor in Trinidad and Tobago as his medical licence was suspended in Texas, California and Nevada.

In June 2023, the publication reported that Murray had successfully opened up his medical institute in Trinidad and Tobago. The news came 12 years after he was convicted for Jackson’s murder - who could've also died in 9/11.

While Murray was found guilty by the jury, in a documentary released on Jackson's death - TMZ Investigates: Who Really Killed Michael Jackson - he continued to deny the accusations. The doctor revealed in the documentary that Jackson’s addiction to drugs was enabled by several doctors and he was not the sole physician that the pop star was seeing at that time, as per DeseretNews. Murray claimed in the documentary:

Michael Jackson was a drug addict, and he was a master at manipulation. I did not enable him at any time during his addiction.

Orlando Martinez, the LAPD detective who was assigned to Jackson’s death, also supported Murray’s statement and added:

Circumstances had been leading up to his death for years, and all of these different medical professionals had allowed Michael to dictate his own terms, get the medicines he wanted when he wanted them, where he wanted them.

Read More

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Sources Used

The Sun: When did Michael Jackson die and what was his cause of death?

Biography.com: The Final Days of Michael Jackson

LA Times: Michael Jackson’s final day: A sleepless night, dangerous drugs and a death that shook the world

People Magazine: Michael Jackson's Doctor Conrad Murray Opens Medical Institute 12 Years After Involuntary Manslaughter Conviction

DeseretNews: New documentary explores ‘who really killed Michael Jackson’