Michael Jackson Autopsy Underway, Cops Search For Doctor

The autopsy to investigate Michael Jackson's cause of death has reportedly begun. Dr. Lakshmanan Sathyavagiswaran, the Chief Medical Examiner-Coroner for Los Angeles who gained national attention for his role in the O.J. Simpson trial, will oversee the examination. Initial autopsy results will likely show whether Jackson had a previous undetected heart condition, but the toxicology results won't be known for another six to eight weeks, CNN reports. However, the results may be expedited and the cause might be revealed with one to three weeks.

"The likelihood is very slim that we will have any results to release today because of the extensive level of the tests that we're going to be performing," assistant chief of the Los Angeles Coroners Office Ed Winter said. Following the autopsy, Jackson's body will be released back to his family.

Us Weekly reports that prescription drugs may have played a role in Jackson's death. The family's longtime attorney Brian Oxman told the magazine, "I don't know what caused Michael's death, and I don't want to speculate as to what the causes are. I only know that I warned them there was the misuse of prescription medications by people who were enabling him; his handlers, folks who should never have been permitted to allow him to use those medications in the manner I observed."

Meanwhile, investigators are reportedly in search of Jackson's personal physician, CNN also reports. Thus far, police have been unable to get in touch with the doctor, though the physician's BMW was seen being towed away from Jackson's home and later impounded. According to Houston, Texas' KHOU, the doctor has been identified as Dr. Conrad Robert Murray, a cardiologist licensed to practice medicine in Texas and Nevada who was living with Jackson at the time of his death. When asked why investigators towed the doctor's car, LAPD detective Agustin Villanueva said it was believed the automobile might contain "medications pertinent to the investigation."

Related Stories:
• Michael Jackson: Remember the Legend In the RS Archives
• Michael Jackson Dead at 50
• Music World Mourns Michael Jackson's Death

• 
  MUSIC 100 Greatest Debut Albums
• 
  MOVIES 'Star Trek' Is Crazy Good
• 
  TV 10 Shows to Watch This Summer
• 
  POLITICS No Price Big Banks Can't Fix

Song Stories

“(We're Not) The Jet Set”

George Jones and Tammy Wynette | 1973

George Jones and Tammy Wynette were still married when they recorded the tongue-in-cheek "(We're Not) The Jet Set." The lyrics, written by Nashville songwriter Bobby Braddock, who also penned Wynette's "D-I-V-O-R-C-E" and Jones' "He Stopped Loving Her Today," make fun of the good life by declaring, "We're not the Jet Set/We're the old Chevrolet set." Braddock recalled that while writing the song, he needed the name of a city that evened out the rhyme he had with "Riviera" and "Missourah." “I got out a Rand McNally atlas," he said. "In the first part are the maps. The last part is an alphabetical listing of cities. I wanted a rustic, small-time sound. I went to the listing for Missouri. And I found 'Festus.' I loved the sound of it."

More Song Stories entries »

Twitter