Michael Jackson treated Dr Conrad Murray ‘like family’, attorney says
Posted on Jun 30, 2009 under Michael Jackson | No Comment
Michael Jackson asked Dr Conrad Murray to live with him because he “treated him as family”, the doctor’s attorney has insisted.
“Dr Murray was not a doctor first – he was a friend first,” his attorney Ed Chernoff claimed.
“He was a close personal friend and he had been for several years, before he ever became his doctor. Michael Jackson really treated him as family, and on occasion he would ask him to stay over.
“In this case it was tragic – but if he was ever going to be saved it was lucky he was staying over.”
Mr Chernoff said that Dr Murray had only been working for Jackson for less than two months, starting early May, despite the lengthy friendship.
And he swore that in that time he ‘didn’t know’ of the star ever using Demerol.
“He’s heard the reports now,” Mr Chernoff added.
“He’s been his doctor for less than two months but he has never seen him use Demerol, he’s never seen him use Oxycontin – so that would be a surprise.”
The attorney also dismissed criticisms leveled at how his client handled the crisis, saying there is a ‘difference in opinion’ as to whether CPR can be performed successfully while the patient is on a bed.
“Dr Murray is a cardiologist – he knows how to perform CPR, he knows the importance of getting Michael Jackson’s heart going, and he did just that,” he insisted.
“He worked and worked and worked to try to revive him.”
He also insisted that Jackson’s children were not in the room at the time and only knew what was happening when they arrived at the hospital.
“They were not allowed in Mr Jackson’s room, and the doctor does not recall them being around,” the attorney said. “But they did make it to the hospital after the fact.”
Of the police questioning Dr Murray, Mr Chernoff insisted: “He is not a suspect. “I think everybody is being investigated, if you put it that way, but he is not a suspect. We’ve been told he is not a suspect by the police many times.”