Jackson death being "treated as murder"

BEIJING, July 17 (Xinhuanet) -- Police attempting to establish what killed Michael Jackson have widened their investigation and are now treating his death as a possible murder, it was claimed Wednesday this week by celebrity website TMZ.

Citing "multiple law enforcement sources" the website said that a murder inquiry was underway. Investigations are said to be focused on Dr Conrad Murray, the physician who was with Jackson when he suffered a fatal cardiac arrest three weeks ago. A Los Angeles Police department (LAPD) spokesperson denied the report, but would not rule out homicide as the cause of death. Dr Murray, who was not licensed to prescribe controlled drugs in California, has been interviewed by police, in the company of his team of lawyers.

Suspicions have been raised by his public statements. While denying that he had injected Jackson with Demerol or Oxycontin, the doctor has refused to tell the media whether he injected him with another potentially deadly drug, Propofol. The reports come a day after police visited the Beverly Hills office of Jackson's former dermatologist Arnold Klein, saying he had not fully complied with a request to issue them subpoenaed medical records.

Earlier this week La Toya, Michael Jackson's sister, insisted her brother had been murdered and claimed she knew the killers. Last Sunday, British tabloid the News of the World reported her as saying Jackson was murdered for his money. "We don't think just one person was involved in the murder. It was a conspiracy to get Michael's money," she said. Further revelations were revealed in another British newspaper, the Daily Mail, who interviewed the 53 year old La Toya. She said Dr Murray's behavior left her "deeply troubled". He had distanced himself from the family and was evasive when asked about how Jackson died, she claimed.

"He had needle marks on his neck and on his arms and more about those will emerge in the next few weeks," La Toya told the paper. But she said she would not say more for fear of jeopardizing the investigation.

Meanwhile, William Bratton, the Los Angeles police chief, said last week that his officers were awaiting results of toxicology tests ordered by the coroner. "Are we dealing with a homicide? Are we dealing with an accidental overdose?" he told reporters. "Based on those [tests], we will have an idea of what we're dealing with."

Dr. Arnold Klein, who is not a suspect in Jackson’s death, told CNN on Wednesday last week (July 8) that he knew Michael Jackson was using Propofol to fight insomnia and said he told him "he was absolutely insane." Propofol is a sedative that is given intravenously. It is popular among some as a recreational drug but is considered extremely dangerous. Jackson is also believed to have taken other drugs including more than 10 Xanax pills a night.

The LAPD have said they cannot officially treat Jackson's death as a homicide because the autopsy results are not yet known. They are expected to be released within the next two weeks.