Breaking News
Conrad Murray guilty in the death of Michael Jackson
A Los Angeles jury found Dr. Conrad Murray guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the death of his patient, pop icon Michael Jackson.
Jackson, who was feverishly preparing for a comeback world tour in June 2009, died from a fatal dose of the anesthetic propofol, which Murray acknowledged giving him on a regular basis to help him sleep.
Prosecution attorneys portrayed Murray as a selfish doctor who was paid $150,000 a month to regularly inject Jackson with the drug that most medical experts agree should only be administered in a hospital setting.
Attorneys for the Houston-based doctor had argued that Jackson, who suffered from insomnia, gave himself a fatal injection when Murray left his bedside.
During the 23-day trial, jurors heard from 49 witnesses, including Murray's girlfriends and patients, Jackson's former employees, investigators, and medical experts for each side. Murray did not take the stand, but several witnesses from Houston who were patients at his Acres Home practice offered testimonials to his medical skills and ethical nature.
"If this man was greedy he never would have come to the community of Acres Home," said Ruby Mosley, adding that most residents in the Houston neighborhood are senior citizens on fixed incomes. Her testimony moved Murray to tears.
When the guilty verdict was announced Monday afternoon, however, Murray remained expressionless.
The seven-man, five-woman jury reached the verdict on their second day of deliberations Monday morning. Jackson's mother, Katherine, and sister, LaToya, were in the courtroom when the verdict was read.
Murray was immediately taken into custody and handcuffed in the courtroom. He will be sentenced on Nov. 29. Sentencing options range from probation up to four years in prison and having his medical license revoked.
