Rock Stars Boxed Set: Murder, Manslaughter and Misadventure

by Joe Bensam

  ‘Michael is like a father to me. He’s never done anything to me sexually.’

  Their support for Michael was so clear cut that the Department of Children and Family Services decided that there was no case to answer, and that the case should be closed. The Sheriff’s Department reached a similar conclusion shortly afterwards.

  Nevertheless, Michael’s advisers recommended that he should distance himself from the Arvizos, to avoid further complications. This he did...and the action provoked a surprising response. It seems the Arvizos took exception to being suddenly cut off from Michael and his money, and suddenly they began to sing a very different song.

  As with Jordie Chandler, Gavin was taken to see a psychologist to assess his reaction to the Michael Jackson situation. As these sessions progressed, Gavin suddenly began to remember all kinds of incidents that he had previously forgotten. Now he remembered being plied with alcohol, and watching porn with Michael in his room. Next his brother Star was interviewed, and he belatedly recalled that Michael talked a lot about sex, and that all three of them often shared the same bed. He gave detailed descriptions of sexual acts he had seen Michael and Gavin perform. Gavin’s sister added that she was also plied with alcohol, and had frequently seen Michael hugging and rubbing Gavin.

  Once again, the psychologist was obliged to report his findings to the authorities, and soon the prosecution bandwagon started rolling. But an examination of the Arvizo family background paints a worrying picture. In 1998, the mother, Janet, had filed a lawsuit against J.C. Penney after the boys were caught shoplifting. When her initial claims of violence from the security officers failed to get her anywhere, she belatedly added another charge of sexual assault. Eventually, J.C. Penney paid the family $137,000 to settle the matter and prevent further litigation. Many people begain to question their motives in this matter.

  Michael was formally charged with a variety of child molestation offences at the Santa Barbara courthouse on 16 January 2004. Most of his family were there to support him, and a huge press contingent also attended, plus hundreds of fans eager to show their support, too. Michael pleaded not guilty to all the charges. On leaving the courthouse afterwards, he climbed on top of an SUV and gave his fans an impromptu show, much to their delight.

  Michael salutes his supporters

  The trial begain a year later in early 2005, and dragged on until June. In that time, the prosecution brought forth a vast amount of evidence, but as time went on, observers noted that none of the evidence carried much weight. Reporters speculated that the prosecution strategy was to throw enough mud, and hope that some of it would stick.

  Meanwhile, Michael’s appearance and demeanour deteriorated rapidly as the trial progressed. At the start of the trial, he was in good shape, and seemed positive. But as the day after day of evidence wore him down, he seemed to age visibly with each passing hour. One day he arrived an hour late wearing pyjamas. On other days, he seemed to be high on drugs, with limited awareness of what was going on around him.

  On the fortieth day of the trial, the prosecution called Debbie Rowe as a witness. As she had been prevented from seeing her own children for many years, the prosecutors must have thought she would be a good bet to bolster their case. But to their surprise, Debbie stood firmly by Michael, telling the court what a great father he was, that there was no way that he could hurt a child, and that he was clearly innocent of all the charges laid against him. As one of the prosecution team said later: “We didn’t see that one coming.”

  But if the prosecution were shooting themselves in the foot, Michael’s defence attorneys were not much better. They brought out several young lads to testify that they had indeed slept in Michael’s bed, but that nothing had happened. Their intention was obviously to show that Michael could be trusted. Instead, they simply confirmed that this inappropriate behaviour had been going on for a very long time.

  On the 13 June 2005, it was finally over. The verdicts were read out...and on every single count, the verdit was ‘not guilty.’ Michael must have been relieved, but you couldn’t see it on his face - he seemed to be too depressed to care about anything any more.

  Chapter 9 - This is it For Michael

  When the trial was over, Michael craved nothing more than solitude and seclusion. The entire affair had been dragging on for over two years, and although his name was cleared, Michael was now a shattered and broken man. He left Neverland, never to return, as he said the property had been violated by the 70 police offers who ransacked the place, without even a search warrant to justify their actions. Michael found solace in Bahrain, as a guest of his friend, the Prince.

  Many people thought that Michael would see his legal triumph as a chance to make a glorious comeback and rebuild his career. But nothing seemed further from his thoughts. He was content to drift aimlessly through life, enjoying only the company of his children. Various deals, proposals and ventures came his way, but he passed on most, and reneged on those that he took an interest in. His life seemed to be out of control, spiraling ever downwards in a downdraft of misery and despair.

  In 2008, he moved to Las Vegas, drifting around the city with his children with no apparent purpose in life. His debts were overwhelming him, and there seemed to be no way out. Now fifty years old, he was suffering from arthritis as a result of the decades of extreme dance routines he had subjected his body to. In December 2008, Michael rented a mansion in Holmby Hills, Los Angeles for $100,000 a month. Featuring seven bedrooms, 13 bathrooms, a guest house and a swimming pool, the home was opulent enough to suit Michael’s lifestyle expectations. Who knows what he thought when he moved in...but it is unlikely that he imagined this would be the place where his life would end.

  Michael had still not recovered from the trial, and his health was deteriorating. Ever since the Pepsi fire incident many years before, Michael had used strong painkillers, initially to deal with the pain from the burns, but later to deaden the pain from back problems and other health issues. On one occasion, he almost missed a major award ceremony, due to having knocked himself out with Demerol, a powerful prescription painkiller.

  He had long depended on a dangerous cocktail of powerful drugs and painkillers to get him through the day, and his needs were now greater than ever. As far back as the 1990s, he had hired doctors to go on tour with him. They would use hospital-strength anaesthetics to ‘take him down at night, and bring him back up in the morning.’ After one tour, a large doctor’s bill remained unpaid for some time, until it was realized that this doctor had been providing Michael with large quantities of illegal painkillers. The bill was them paid promptly in order to bury the matter and ensure that no-one started asking awkward questions.

  With his finances also in ruins, Michael knew that the only way he could restore his fortune was through playing more concerts. He had previously been offered $10 million to play just two nights in Las Vegas...a longer concert series could put his finances back in the black and secure his future for many years to come. After a great deal of negotiations, Michael announced in March 2009 that he would play 10 concerts at London’s 02 concert arena, commencing in July. The series would be entitled ‘This is It’ and Michael hinted that this would be his swansong...it really was a case of ‘This is It.’

  There was some concern as to whether the King of Pop could sell enough tickets after all the dramas that had brought his career to his knees.

  They needn’t have worried. All 10 concerts sold out within hours, and the promoters arrange to extend the run to 50 concerts. When the additional tickets went on sale, these also sold out within hours - and there were enough people still queuing to sell out another 50 concerts. Of course, this was just in the UK. If Michael had announced a world tour, the demand would have been extraordinary.

  Michael announces the London concerts he would not live to perform

  However, a world tour was out of the question - Michael’s health was clearly not up to the job. The big question was whether he was up to completing the
50 concerts he had already committed to. Michael knew he needed medical help if he was going to get through the concert series, and he asked his aides to hire Dr. Conrad Murray, who had once treated his children. Dr. Murray, was keen to come on board - but at a price of $5 million a year. This was declined, and Michael made a counter offer of $150,000 a month. Dr Murray accepted at once. Soon he was a regular fixture at the Holmby Hills estate, treating Michael with a surprising array of medications.

  Rehearsals for the London shows began at the Staples Center in LA, and in footage of the rehearsals, he appears to be in good shape. But behind the scenes, there was a lot of concern. In early June, with the concerts just a few weeks away, the choreographer of the show, Kenny Ortega, sent an email to Randy Phillips, producer of the shows. He said that Jackson was ill, should probably have a psychological evaluation, and was not ready to perform.

  'It's important for everyone to know he really wants this,' he wrote. 'It would shatter him, break his heart if we pulled the plug. He's terribly frightened it's all going to go away.'

  A meeting was called at Jackson’s house to discuss the matter. Ortega argued with Murray, who objected at Ortega’s interference in medical matters.

  ‘He [Murray] said Michael was physically and emotionally capable of handling all his responsibilities for the show,' said Ortega. 'I was shocked. Michael didn't seem to be physically or emotionally stable.'

  Michael’s last doctor, Conrad Murray

  Perhaps Murray should have been more concerned about the way things were developing. Back on May 10, Jackson had called him on his cellphone. In a recording of the conversation, Michael sounds like he was several miles high on drugs, with his voice heavily slurred and his conversation rambling and incomprehensible. Even a non-doctor hearing this would sense a major cause for concern. However, Murray was satisfied that Michael’s health was not in danger. Within a few days of the meeting with Ortega, Jackson had recovered and was rehearsing with enthusiasm.

  On June 24, Michael was recorded on video as he rehearsed at the Staples Center. He looked happy and positive. It would be the last time anyone would ever see him on stage.

  ***

  The drug that Michael had persuaded doctors to use to ‘take him down at night’ in the 90s was probably Propofol. Certainly, by 2008, Michael was a very experienced user of this drug , despite the fact that it should never be administered outside hospitals. Michael had suffered from insomnia for most of his life, and the problem had become worse as the years went by. When on tour, he knew he had to be able to sleep at night, in order to be ready for sheer hard work involved in presenting the next concert. He turned to drugs to help him, and then to high-powered anaesthetics. When he discovered Propofol, it became his drug of choice. He called it his ‘milk.’

  Michael died of an overdose of Propofol

  After the trial of 2005, Michael was so distressed and depressed that he found sleep impossible. He wanted to sleep not just for rest, but also for the relief of the oblivion it brought. He was prepared to risk almost anything to get the sleep he craved...and taking Propofol was certainly a risk, as it is no ordinary anaesthetic. It is used in extreme cases, such as for managing the sleep patterns of coma patients. It should only be used in a hospital environment with proper medical supervision throughout the entire process. This is because the drug slows the heart, which can lead to cardiac arrest and death.

  Murray knew that Propofol was a danger, but he also knew that if he wouldn’t give it to Michael, then Michael would simply find some other way to get it. He claimed later in court that his intention was to wean Michael off the drug gradually, and use a more suitable replacement instead.

  Some time before midday on 25 June 2009, Murray went to the Holmby Hills estate. Michael said that he had not slept for ten hours, and that if he did not sleep, he would not be able to rehearse, and would disappoint his fans. Murray reluctantly agreed to give him a 25 mg injection of propofol mixed with lidocaine, then left him to sleep. Murray called his girfriend on his cellphone, but in mid-conversation, he suddenly went silent, and a few minutes later, the phone went dead. Murry had discovered Michael’s lifeless body. It seems that Murray panicked and tried to resuscitate him with CPR. But he did not call 911.

  Some ten minutes later, he called Michael’s personal assistant, leaving a message saying, 'call me right away, please. Please call me right away. Thank you.' When the assistant called back, Murray said, 'get here right away Mr Jackson had a bad reaction, he had a bad reaction.’

  Still no-one had called 911. Security guard Albert Alvarez was asked to go and investigate. On entering Michael’s room, he saw Michael lying on the bed with Murray administering CPR. Murray told the guard to grab a bag, while he started picking up vials and a saline drip and started stuffing these inside the bag. Finally the security guard called 911, while Murray frantically attempted to remove any evidence that he had been giving Michael Propofol and other inappropriate drugs.

  Michael is rushed to hospital

  Paramedics arrived at 12.30pm, and spent 42 minutes trying to revive Michael. Murray neglected to tell them that he had administered Propofol. Michael was then transported to the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, arriving at 1.14pm. A whole team of doctors spent an hour trying to resuscitate him, but it was too late.

  Michael was declared dead at 2.26pm, with his family by his side. As the news spread like wildfire worldwide, the moment became frozen in time. Everyone remembered where they were when they heard that Michael Jackson had died.

  The King of Pop was gone for ever

  ***

  A little after 11.00am on 8 November 2011, three buzzes were heard on the ninth floor of the Los Angeles courthouse. The buzzes came directly from the jury room and indicated that the jury had reached a decision in the trial of Dr. Conrad Murray, accused of the involuntary manslaughter of Michael Joseph Jackson.

  Over 100mg of Propofol had been found in Michael’s system, enough to kill a cart horse. Murray claimed that he had only administered 25mg, and that Michael had self-medicated himself with the rest. The prosecution argued that this was not possible, and that Murray was responsible for the overdose.

  Journalists who had been waiting for the verdict to come through grabbed their phones and rushed to see the climax of the six-week trial. Outside, hundreds of fans were gathered, and the news spread that the big moment was imminent. The judge, however, ordered a two-hour delay in order to allow the families and the media time to get ready for the announcement. Michael’s family arrived shortly afterwards in darkened limousines, while the fans outside tried to watch the live feed from the courtroom on their cellphones.

  Soon news of the verdict spread - Dr Murray was found guilty of the involuntary manslaughter of Michael Jackson. He was later sentenced to four years imprisonment in Los Angeles County Jail.

  Chapter 10 - Long Live The King of Pop!

  Ever the showman, Michael would surely have approved of his memorial service at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, on 7 July 2009. The day started with a private family service at Forest Lawn Memorial Park’s Hall of Liberty in Hollywood, and another private gathering for family and friends.

  Michael makes his final public appearance

  Around one billion people watched on TV as Michael’s solid-bronze casket, plated with 140-carat gold, arrived at the Staples Center at 10.00am. The service began with a stage filled with floral arrangements, photos of Michael and video montages projecting onto screens at the back. Mariah Carey, Stevie Wonder, Lionel Richie, Jennifer Hudson, Usher, Jermaine Jackson, and Shaheen Jafargholi sang Jackson's songs, and John Mayer played guitar. Berry Gordy, Brooke Shields and Smokey Robinson gave eulogies, while Queen Latifah read the poem "We Had Him." The Reverend Al Sharpton famously said to Michael’s children, "Wasn't nothing strange about your daddy. It was strange what your daddy had to deal with."

  As the service ended, Michael’s daughter Paris - aged 11 - said tearfully:

  ‘Ever since I was born
, Daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine ... I just wanted to say I love him so much."

  ***

  You might reasonably expect that Michael’s death would signal the end of his career. But in the crazy world of 21st century entertainment, death is not a finale...but simply the end of Act One. It is little more than a strategic career move. Surreal it may be, but Michael is all set to make far more money dead than alive. Several years after his death, he is still one of the world’s hottest-selling artists.

  Michael always worried about his legacy. Long before the image troubles of later years, he tried to figure out why some stars like Elvis became legends after their deaths, while others like Sammy Davis Jr. were largely forgotten. He wanted both his music and his legend to live on for ever. Well, he certainly achieved that goal. Michael died with debts estimated at over $400 million As he earned at least $600 million as a solo artist, this means he managed to blow through over one billion dollars in the 30 years since his solo career took off. That in itself ought to be worth some kind of lifetime achievement award!

  But those debts are now a thing of the past, thanks to fanatical posthumous interest in all things Michael Jackson. Massive sales of all his albums, plus a resurgence in sales of music by The Jackson 5 and The Jacksons and endless radio plays generated around $300 million in the year after his death. As a result, he earned more than Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Madonna and Jay-Z combined during that year. His estate is now estimated to be worth in excess of $1 billion, and his legacy generated over a billion dollars in retail sales in the two years after his death. His lawyer John Branca said in a statement: