The Los Angeles coroner has ruled that Michael Jackson's death was homicide, while police have found evidence pointing to manslaughter during a search of a clinic used by his doctor.

The coroner confirmed Jackson had lethal¹ levels of the powerful anaesthetic propofol in his body.

Court documents unsealed in Houston, Texas, revealed that Dr Conrad Murray had admitted to detectives that he gave the singer several different drugs in the hours before the star died, after he repeatedly complained of insomnia².

These included propofol, a powerful anesthetic³ usually only used in surgery, which the coroner said had been found in high levels in the body of the "King of Pop".

Forensic⁴ tests reportedly showed that propofol, acting⁵ together with at least two sedatives⁶, to cause his death.

The coroner's findings increase the likelihood that Dr Murray will face criminal charges, police in Los Angeles said.

The cardiologist was reportedly offered $150,000 a month to look after Jackson. He was with the singer at his rented Los Angeles mansion⁷ on the morning of his death.

Under Californian law, a homicide does not have to be intentional⁸ killing⁹ and investigators¹⁰ are understood to be looking at whether the doctor's decision to give propofol to Jackson outside a hospital environment constituted a level of negligence¹¹ required for an involuntary manslaughter charge.

Since Jackson, 50, suffered cardiac arrest and died on June 25, police have searched Dr Murray's home and his two clinics in Las Vegas and Houston.

According to a search warrant affidavit¹², Dr Murray told police he had been treating the singer for insomnia for around six weeks and had administered several drugs, including propofol. He claimed Jackson had already been given it by other doctors and referred to the drug as his "milk".

Dr Murray told investigators that he feared that Jackson was becoming addicted¹³ to the drug and halved¹⁴ his dosage from 50 milligrams a night to 25 milligrams, administering the drug via an intravenous drip.

On the morning he died, Dr Murray said he gave Jackson a cocktail¹⁵ of drugs, starting with valium at 1.30am, an intravenous injection of lorazepam half an hour later and, when the singer was still awake at 3am, some midazolam.

After giving various drugs over the next few hours, Dr Murray told officers he finally gave in to Jackson's repeated demands for propofol and administered 25 milligrams.

Returning from making phone calls to find his patient not breathing, he told police he tried to resuscitate¹⁶ him and one of Jackon's staff called for an ambulance. Jackson was later declared dead at hospital.

Dr Murray's lawyer has previously¹⁷ said he never administered anything that "should have" killed Jackson.

洛杉矶验尸官日前已将迈克尔•杰克逊的死因定为他杀，同时警方在搜查杰克逊私人医生诊所的过程中发现了可证明其过失杀人的证据。

这位验尸官证实，杰克逊的体内含有致命剂量的强力麻醉药异丙酚。

在得克萨斯州休斯顿市公开的一些法院文件表明，康拉德•穆雷医生已向侦探承认他在杰克逊死前几个小时给他用了几种不同的药物，因为此前杰克逊一直抱怨自己失眠。

这些药物中包括一种通常只在外科手术中使用的强效麻醉剂异丙酚，验尸官说他在“流行天王”的体内发现了大量的这种药物。

法医测试报告显示，异丙酚和其他至少两种镇静剂一起，导致了杰克逊的死亡。

洛杉矶的警方说，验尸官的发现增加了穆雷医生将面临犯罪指控的可能性。

据报道，这位心脏病科医师专门负责照料杰克逊的健康，每月的报酬为15万美元。在杰克逊死亡的那天早晨，他也在杰克逊租住的洛杉矶住所内。

根据加利福尼亚州法律，他杀不一定是蓄意杀人，目前调查人员应着手查明穆雷医生在医院外给杰克逊注射异丙酚是否构成了一定程度的疏忽，从而指控他过失杀人。

杰克逊于6月25日死于心脏骤停，享年50岁。他去世后，警方搜查了穆雷医生的家以及他在拉斯维加斯和休斯顿的两处诊所。

据一份搜查口供书显示，穆雷医生告诉警方他为杰克逊治疗失眠症已有约六个星期，并给他用了几种药物，其中包括异丙酚。他声称之前的其他医生也给杰克逊用过该药物，并称该药物就像杰克逊的“牛奶”。

穆雷医生告诉调查人员，他担心杰克逊会对该药物上瘾，所以就把剂量从每晚50毫克减为25毫克，并通过静脉内注射用药。

穆雷说，在杰克逊死亡的那天早晨，他给杰克逊用了一系列药物，先是在凌晨1点半给他用了安定，半小时后给他注射了“劳拉西泮”，之后因杰克逊在三点时仍然无法入睡，所以又让他服用了一些咪达唑仑。

穆雷医生告诉警方，在用药后的几个小时，他禁不住杰克逊的一再要求，最终答应给他注射了25毫克的异丙酚。

在他打完电话回去后，穆雷医生发现杰克逊已经没有了呼吸，他告诉警方当时他试图给他做心肺复苏，同时杰克逊的一个职员叫了救护车。但随后杰克逊在医院被宣布死亡。

之前穆雷医生的律师说，穆雷从未给杰克逊用过任何“可能会”致其死亡的药物。

Vocabulary:

coroner:验尸官

homicide: t he killing of one person by another（杀人行为；suicide自杀）

lethal:capable of causing death（可导致死亡的）

involuntary manslaughter:过失杀人

affidavit: a written declaration made under oath before a notary public or other authorized officer 宣誓书；口供书

administer: give or apply (medications) 给予，提供（administer drugs properly 正确给药）

cocktail: a mixture of drugs 药物混合

resuscitate: to restore consciousness, vigor, or life to （使）复活；（使）复苏（resuscitate a person who has been nearly drowned 使已将近淹死的人复生）