Michael Jackson Investigation's Lone Focus Turns to Dr. Murray

Michael Jackson's personal physician is the lone target in the investigation into the singer's death, a federal law enforcement official told CNN yesterday. "Dr. [Conrad] Murray is the only one we're looking at," the source said. Earlier this week, investigators raided Murray's Las Vegas home and medical offices seeking information pertaining to the many aliases Jackson used when dealing with doctors. As Rock Daily reported, investigators believe that Murray administered the powerful sedative Propofol to Jackson within 24 hours of his death. A toxicology report is still pending, but a ruling of homicide is anticipated.

(Look back at Jackson's life and career, in photos.)

Texas-based physician Murray was revealed to have been alone with Jackson when the 911 call asking for an ambulance was placed on June 25th. "Only the doctor was here," the caller, later identified as a security guard, told the emergency operator. After Murray spoke with police, his lawyers admitted the doctor waited up to 30 minutes to call 911 after finding Jackson with a faint pulse in the bedroom of his rented Los Angeles home. Explaining Murray "didn't know where he was, didn't know the physical address," attorneys revealed the physician first performed CPR on Jackson on a bed; a hard surface like a floor is more effective.

(Stars and fans honor Jackson at L.A. memorial — photos from the scene.)

Murray's lawyers denied initial rumors that Jackson was administered a shot of painkillers like Demerol shortly before his death, however the investigation soon turned to focus on a powerful anesthesia called Propofol, which Jackson often requested to aid his vicious insomnia. Propofol is administered through an IV and requires careful monitoring. Propofol, an IV line and multiple tanks of oxygen were discovered in Jackson's home, and a law enforcement source told the AP that investigators now believe Murray administered the drug to the star within the 24 hours before Jackson's death.

For more on Michael Jackson's last days and his ambitious plans for his This Is It comeback, see our investigation in the new issue of Rolling Stone.

Related Stories:
• Investigators Seek Medical Records For Jackson's Aliases
• Michael Jackson Doctor's Las Vegas Home, Offices Raided
• Police Believe Jackson's Physician Administered Deadly Propofol

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Song Stories

“Smells Like Teen Spirit”

Nirvana | 1991

"Smells Like Teen Spirit," named after a brand of deodorant marketed to girls, was Kurt Cobain's attempt to "write the ultimate pop song," he said, using the soft-loud dynamic of his favorite band, the Pixies. Cobain "had that dichotomy of punk rage and alienation," the song’s producer, Butch Vig, told Rolling Stone, "but also this vulnerable pop sensibility. In 'Teen Spirit,' a lot of that vulnerability is in the tone of his voice." Sadly, by the time of Nirvana's last U.S. tour, in late '93, Cobain was tortured by the obligation to play "Teen Spirit" every night. "There are many other songs that I have written that are as good, if not better," he claimed.

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