Here’s a look at the life of physician Conrad Murray, convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Michael Jackson.
Personal:
Birth date: February 19, 1953
Birth place: St. Andrews, Grenada
Birth name: Conrad Robert Murray
Father: Rawle Andrews, physician
Mother: Milta Murray
Marriages: Dr. Blanche (Bonnick) Murray (date unavailable publicly-present); Zufan Tesfai (October 17, 1984-August 26, 1988)
Children: with Blanche (Bonnick) Murray: two children; with Nicole Alvarez: a son; Murray has several other children with different mothers
Education: Texas Southern University, B.S., 1983; Meharry Medical College, M.D., 1989
Other Facts:
He has a history of financial trouble and has owed hundreds of thousands of dollars related to unpaid bills, child support payments and defaults on education loans.
Is reported to have received $150,000 a month to be Michael Jackson’s personal physician.
Murray was raised by his maternal grandparents in Grenada until he was seven, when he moved to Trinidad and Tobago to join his mother and stepfather.
Before going to medical school, he worked as a teacher, a customs clerk and an insurance underwriter.
What is Propofol?
Propofol, also called Diprivan, is a short acting intravenous anesthetic used to put patients to sleep during hospital procedures.
It is not intended for home use, because of the usual lack of equipment required for emergency resuscitation.
Murray told detectives that he was treating Jackson for insomnia by giving him 50 mg of propofol, via an intravenous drip, each night, but lowered the dosage to 25 mg and combined it with other drugs in an attempt to wean Jackson off the propofol.
Timeline:
1980s – Moves to the United States to study medicine.
1991 – Is licensed to practice medicine in California.
1999 – Is licensed to practice medicine in Nevada.
2005 – Is licensed to practice medicine in Texas.
2000 – Opens Global Cardiovascular Associates in Las Vegas.
2006 – Opens Acres Home Heart and Vascular Institute in Houston.
December 2006 – Meets Michael Jackson for the first time when Murray treats one of Jackson’s children in Las Vegas.
May 2009 – Is hired by Jackson’s promoter, AEG Live, to be Jackson’s personal physician during his upcoming concert tour.
June 25, 2009 – Murray reportedly finds Jackson unconscious and unsuccessfully performs CPR. Jackson doesn’t respond to resuscitation attempts and dies the same day.
June 27, 2009 – The Los Angeles Police Department questions Murray in connection with Jackson’s death.
July 22, 2009 – Houston police serve a search warrant on Murray’s clinic and a storage unit. Later, Las Vegas police search Murray’s Red Rock Country Club residence and doctor’s office.
August 24, 2009 – After reviewing toxicology results, the Los Angeles coroner makes a preliminary conclusion that an overdose of the drug propofol is responsible for Jackson’s death.
August 28, 2009 – A Los Angeles coroner’s report declares Jackson’s death a homicide, due to the amount of drugs in his system.
August 2009 – Murray closes his Las Vegas clinic due to death threats and financial problems.
November 20, 2009 – Murray resumes practice at his Houston clinic.
February 8, 2010 – Surrenders to authorities in Los Angeles and is arraigned in Los Angeles County Superior Court on a charge of involuntary manslaughter. He pleads not guilty, surrenders his passport and makes bail of $75,000. As part of his bond, Murray is allowed to practice medicine but may not administer any anesthesia to patients.
February 10, 2010 – Resumes his practice in Las Vegas out of another doctor’s office.
April 10, 2010 – Texas limits his medical license to exclude anesthesia.
June 14, 2010 – A judge in Los Angeles rules that Murray can continue to practice medicine in California.
June 2010 – Nevada restricts scope of medical practice to exclude anesthesia.
January 11, 2011 – Murray’s license to practice medicine in California is suspended for the length of the trial.
January 25, 2011 – Enters a plea of “not guilty” at his arraignment on charges of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Michael Jackson.
July 2011 – Nevada medical license expires.
September 27, 2011 – Opening arguments in Murray’s trial begin.
October 24, 2011 – The prosecution rests its case.
November 1, 2011 – The defense rests. Murray does not testify.
November 7, 2011 – After deliberating for 10 hours and seven minutes, the jury finds Murray guilty of involuntary manslaughter.
November 29, 2011 – Murray receives the maximum sentence, four years, in the death of Michael Jackson.
December 4, 2011 – Notice is filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court that Murray will appeal his involuntary manslaughter conviction.
December 29, 2011 – The State of California suspends Murray’s medical license.
January 27, 2012 – Murray files a request to be released on his own recognizance or on bail while awaiting appeal.
February 10, 2012 – The Texas Medical Board suspends Murray’s medical license.
February 24, 2012 – Murray is denied bail while appealing his conviction.
October 11, 2012 – He is moved to a larger cell, one better able to accommodate his six foot five-inch frame.
March 25, 2013 – Murray’s lawyer files an appeal to the involuntary manslaughter conviction.
August 30, 2013 – The Texas Medical Board revokes Murray’s medical license.
October 28, 2013 – Is released.
January 15, 2014 – An appellate court upholds Murray’s involuntary manslaughter conviction.
June 26, 2014 – Murray admits he is remorseful that Jackson passed away.
January 30, 2015 – An appellate court denies the Jackson family’s attempt to reverse the decision that clears concert promoter AEG Live of negligence in hiring Murray as Jackson’s physician.