Jurors at the Michael Jackson’s wrongful death trial had yesterday a deeper insight into the pop star’s body after a lawyer showed them a photo of the autopsy.
The witness heard Tuesday in the trial was cardiologist Dr. Daniel Wohlgelernter, who offered an expert analysis on skills and decisions made by Dr. Conrad Murray, convicted already charged with involuntary manslaughter of the pop star.
“Michael Jackson had a history of substance abuse, addiction to medications and sleep disturbance,” Dr. Wohlgelernter said, not heart or cardiovascular problems. Therefore, according to him, Murray was not the right doctor that AEG Live was supposed to hire for Jackson since he was a cardiologist and had no training to handle the special needs of the singer.
The agreement stated that Murray had to close his clinic in Las Vegas to work full time for Jackson and this created a conflict, said Dr. Wohlgelernter. The contract provided that Murray could lose his job if the tour was delayed or canceled. “It meant that Dr. Murray was entirely dependent on the continuation of the tour for his income.”
Most of the issues raised by Dr. Wohlgelernter emphasize what Dr. Christopher Rogers said on Monday, but details in the coroner’s report provide a deep insight on the life of the singer rather than the circumstances of his death.
According to the autopsy report, Jackson’s lips were tattooed with pink, while eyebrows were tattooed in black. The front of the scalp was also tattooed in black, probably to blend his hair line with the matching wigs he wore.
The autopsy also confirmed that Michael Jackson had “vitiligo, a skin pigmentation disease,” said Dr. Rogers, making “some areas of the skin appear light and others appear dark.”
He added that in addition to propofol, which triggered the singer’s death, there was no indication in the autopsy that there was something wrong with him anatomically that could lead to premature death. In addition, there was no sign of any addiction to drugs used on the streets, such as needles or any signs of illness.
The lawsuit against the AEG Live company, considered by the Jackson family guilty for the death of “King of Pop”, debuted on April 29 in Los Angeles. They consider that AEG Live, the company organizing the 50-concert tour in London from July 2009, was negligent when it hired Dr. Conrad Murray to watch over the health of the artist. Jackson Family asked from AEG Live damages of $40 billion, money that the American star would have made if he were alive.
Representatives of AEG Live say that this amount is “absurd” as the singer’s career was in decline, mainly due to his problems with justice and self-imposed exile in the Middle East. Dr. Rogers’ testimony is important in case AEG Live is found liable, for the calculation of damages based on Jackson’s lifespan.
Dr. Conrad Murray was sentenced in 2011 to four years in prison for involuntary manslaughter, a sentence that he recently appealed.
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