Re: MSNBC to air Murray Documentary "Michael Jackson and the Doctor" / Estate letter @pg18
Conrad Murray - NBC Today Show Interview - Part 1 - Aired 11-10-2011
Savannah: Michael Jackson was one of the most beloved entertainers in this country, around the world. what is like to be blamed for his death ?
Murray: Well I love Michael too. I'm as much of a fan as any of the others. To be blamed for his death has not been an easy thing.
(Voice over) Murray first met Michael Jackson during a house call in Las Vegas at 2006 and then saw him on and off from that point forward.
(Video of TII announcement)
(Voice over) When Jackson agreed to a comeback tour in 2009, he wanted his own full time doctor with him and the concert promoter agreed to hire Jackson's pick Dr. Murray for a salary of $150,000 a month.
Savannah: Do you now wish that you never met Michael Jackson?
Murray: (I don't want to?) put blame on Michael as an individual. I'm not sure I regret that I meet Michael, I only wish maybe in our dealings with each other he was more forthcoming and honest to tell me things about himself.
Savannah: You think he lied to you?
Murray: Definitely.
Savannah: About what?
Murray : Well certainly he was deceptive by not sharing with me his whole medical history, the doctors he was seeing, the treatments he might have been receiving.
(video of Walgren at trial talking about medicines)
(Voice over) In court prosecutors laid out dozens of prescription bottles found in Michael Jackson's home days after his death. A pharmacopia of pain killers, anti depressants and anti anxiety medications.
Savannah: Did you really not know he had an addiction problem?
Murray : Absolutely not. did not have a clue.
Savannah: But wait a minute, you knew he was seeing other doctors. on bedside there are all these prescriptions with other doctors names on it.
Murray : I cannot prevent Michael from seeing other doctor for whatever reason.
Savannah: When he hired you, you must have realized the main reason he hired you was to give him this drug Propofol.
Murray: No. Not at all.
Savannah: But when he hired you full time one of the first actions you took was to start buying Propofol and sending it to California.
Murray : Absolutely that's not correct. First of all I met Michael with Propofol. This was not something that I introduced to Michael.
(voice over) In fact Murray was hired in March 2009 and between April and June of that year prosecutors say he ordered 255 vials of Propofol adding up to more than 4 gallons for Jackson's personal use.
(video of security footage)
(voice over) For 2 months Jackson came home late at night for rehearsals and Dr. Murray's work day began. Setting up Michael with an IV in his bedroom, administering Propofol to help him sleep.
Savannah: To you there's still nothing wrong with giving Propofol in a home setting?
Murray: I think Propofol is not recommended to be given in a home setting but it's not contraindicated.
Savannah: Was it wrong for you to give it in the conditions in which you gave it to Michael Jackson?
Murray: I look at Mike's condition but Michael - not as giving it but trying to find a method to take away something from him that I felt he should not be using on his own.
Savannah: but why didn't you just walk away?
Murray: I should have walked away but if also I walked away I would have abandoned a friend.
(voice over) Dr. Murray claims he was weaning Jackson off the drug.
Savannah: Why should anyone believe that after 60 days of administering Propofol that suddenly in those last few days you decided to stop giving him Propofol? Why should anyone believe that?
Murray: Well I tell you what. That happened. 3 days towards his death he was weaned off and I was success- I was extremely happy. because I finally received the state I wanted. The state was Michael away from Propofol.
(voice over) Whatever his state was that night, at trial one of the most shocking pieces of evidence showed Michael Jackson in early May under the influence of something
(partial audio of May 10 recording)
(voice over) The slurred voice of Michael Jackson 6 weeks before his death in a recording police found out on Conrad Murray's iPhone.
Savannah: What was the purpose of recording him in that state?
Murray : It was incidentally recorded.
Savannah: You mean an accident?
Murray: Yeah it was an accident.
Savannah: When did you find out that it had been recorded?
Murray: In court.
Savannah: During the opening statements?
Murray: H-hmm.
(another part of May 10 recording is played)
Murray : I ask him a question "Are you okay?" , I'm heard saying that to Michael. Then he says yes and then the next thing I heard is that he says "I'm asleep".
Savannah: Was he on Propofol?
Murray : He was.
(footage from TII movie)
(Voice over) Although he desperately wanted that comeback, Michael Jackson's days was numbered and Dr. Murray was the last person to ever to see Michael Jackson alive.
Savannah: How much pressure did you feel to get him to sleep?
Murray : Tremendous, tremendous. It was like nothing that I had ever encountered.
Savannah: You are the last person to see him or talk to him before he died. What was he like in those final hours?
Murray: A desperate man. Desperate.
Savannah : Are you the cause of Michael Jackson's death?
Murray: No. I'm not.
Savannah: Do you remember his final words before he died?
Murray: (thinks for a while) It was probably - I don't know - Probably when he was pleading and begging me to please please let him have some milk because that was the only thing that would work.
Tomorrow he'll answer : why he didn't call 911 right away, why he didn't tell paramedics that he had given Propofol and how long was he really out of the room.
