At first, Dr. Murray told authorities he only gave Jackson a small dose – 2.5 ml – of propofol, but test results showed the superstar received a dose 40 times greater. Murray hit back in an August 2014 YouTube video in which he claims Jackson was a secret Demerol junkie, and he was unaware the singer was suffering withdrawal from the powerful opioid.
“If Michael Jackson was on a propofol infusion or a drip, I would be completely responsible for not monitoring him – but he was not,” Murray, now 73, said. “I never knew Michael, who is a friend of mine, was a drug addict. Michael was going through withdrawal, full withdrawal, after being on opiates for years and years.”
The disgraced doc added, “His medication was stopped abruptly within 48 to 72 hours of his passing. And that night, Michael’s insomnia was worse because he was in withdrawal, and I did not know that. Had I been aware of that information, Michael would have been under treatment for withdrawal.”
Murray, Jackson’s former personal physician, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 2011 for his role in the singer’s death. He served about two years of a four-year prison sentence. Since his release, he has relocated, faced medical licensing suspensions, and opened a medical facility in Trinidad and Tobago. Following his conviction, Murray had his medical licenses in California, Nevada, and Texas suspended or revoked.
He served just under two years in a Los Angeles jail and was released in October 2013 due to prison overcrowding and credits for his time served. After leaving prison, he returned to his home country of Trinidad and Tobago, where he can practice as a physician.
In May 2023, he launched the DCM Medical Institute in Trinidad and Tobago. Over the years, he has continued to maintain his innocence, release memoirs, and done interviews regarding his time working with Jackson.