When it comes to Michael Jackson sounding slurred and out of it and the cornucopia of pharmaceuticals found in the singer's bedroom, prosecutors are obviously hoping that the jury puts two and two together in their involuntary manslaughter case against Dr. Conrad Murray.
Along with the recording that Deputy District Attorney David Walgren played only a snippet of during his opening statement, today's testimony veered into CSI (Miami, New York or Vegas, take your pick) territory as those who studied the scene of Jackson's death after the fact shared their findings.
Here's what popped:
Grand Design: In a four-minute-plus recording of a conversation he had with Murray on May 10, 2009, Jackson—his speech slow and heavy—said that his upcoming shows had to be bigger and better than anything that the Beatles or Elvis Presley ever achieved so that he could build a hospital for children. "That will be remembered more than my performances," he was heard saying. "My performances will be up there helping my children and always be my dream. I love them. I love them because I didn't have a childhood...I feel their pain. I feel their hurt. I can deal with it...God wants me to do it. I'm gonna do it, Conrad." To which Murray replied, "I know you would." "You OK?" Murray asks Jackson after a moment of silence, and Jackson said, "I am asleep."
Idle Hands: Drug Enforcement Administration investigator Stephen Marx testified that his analysis of Murphy's cell phone records showed that the doctor was emailing, texting and dealing with messages regarding Jackson's insurance and his upcoming spate of London concerts while his patient was under the influence of propofol on the morning he died. "As far as the statements of his health [published] by the press, let me say they're all fallacious to the best of my knowledge," Murray wrote in an email sent at 11:17 a.m. (Murray has claimed that he was trying to wean Jackson off of the drug, and that Jackson gave himself a lethal dose when the doctor left the room.)
Concerned Party: Jackson's former manager, the late Frank DiLeo, was heard on a voicemail to Murray sent five days before Jackson died, saying, "He had an episode last night. He's sick. I think you need to get a blood test on him. We've got to see what he's doing."
The Nitty-Gritty: L.A. County Coroner investigator Elissa Fleak described the state of Jackson's bedroom when she went to the scene on the night of June 25, 2009. She testified that she recovered a mostly empty, 20 ml propofol vial from under the singer's nightstand, as well as diazepam, Flomax, lorazepam, lotions and creams, oxygen tanks, latex gloves, alcohol swabs, an IV stand, catheters, a jug of urine, bloody pieces of gauze and a 10cc syringe with the needle missing. Fleak said that she returned to the house three days later and discovered three bags in a closet with more vials of propofol, both full and empty, including one inside an IV bag. Overall, she said, she removed 37 bottles of propofol and other medications from the house.
Michael's Milk: There was even propofol stashed in a brown-and-powder-blue diaper bag with a polka-dot bow marked "Baby Essentials," Fleak said. Previous interviews with authorities revealed that Jackson had referred to the anesthetic as his "milk."
Jackson Reappears: Fleak positively identified a photo of Jackson's lifeless, hospital-gown-clad body on a gurney at the hospital where he was pronounced dead. Brother Jermaine Jackson teared up when the graphic picture was shown in court.
What the Paramedics Saw: Martin Blount, one of the responders who transported Jackson to the hospital, testified that Murray picked up three bottles of lidocaine off the floor and put them in a black bag before they left.