When the Los Angeles Police Department declared Michael Jackson's fatal overdose to be a homicide, all eyes turned to Dr. Conrad Murray, the cardiologist who was attending to the pop icon the day he died. An autopsy revealed a disturbing cocktail of powerful drugs in his system, including an anesthetic that is usually reserved for the operating room and was apparently prescribed by Murray as a sleeping aid. Hired to be Jackson's personal physician during his ill-fated world tour, Murray failed to call 911 when he discovered on June 25 that Jackson wasn't breathing after nearly 30 minutes had passed, Jackson's bodyguard placed the call. In July, members of the Drug Enforcement Agency and the LAPD searched Murray's Houston office agency officials were careful not to use the word raid but so far he has not been charged with a crime. Murray returned to work on Nov. 23. Brian Oxman, an attorney and former spokesman for the Jackson family, told reporters regarding the ongoing investigation, "A big spotlight is on Dr. Murray, but it's not the only spotlight we're going to see."
The Top 10 Everything of 2009
- Top 10 Albums
- Top 10 Animal Stories
- Top 10 Apologies
- Top 10 Art Exhibitions
- Top 10 Awkward Moments
- Top 10 Best Business Deals
- Top 10 Breakups
- Top 10 Buzzwords
- Top 10 Children's Books
- Top 10 Crime Stories
- Top 10 Editorial Cartoons
- Top 10 Facebook Stories
- Top 10 Fashion Faux Pas
- Top 10 Fashion Moments
- Top 10 Feuds
- Top 10 Fiction Books
- Top 10 Fleeting Celebrities
- Top 10 Gadgets
- Top 10 Green Ideas
- Top 10 Heroes
- Top 10 iPhone Apps
- Top 10 Late-Night Jokes
- Top 10 Magazine Covers
- Top 10 Medical Breakthroughs
- Top 10 Movie Performances
- Top 10 Movies
- Top 10 New Species
- Top 10 News Stories
- Top 10 Nonfiction Books
- Top 10 Oddball News Stories
- Top 10 Pariahs
- Top 10 Pictures of the Year
- Top 10 Plays and Musicals
- Top 10 Political Gaffes
- Top 10 Quotes
- Top 10 Religion Stories
- Top 10 Scandals
- Top 10 Scientific Discoveries
- Top 10 Songs
- Top 10 Sports Moments
- Top 10 T-Shirt-Worthy Slogans
- Top 10 TV Ads
- Top 10 TV Episodes
- Top 10 TV Series
- Top 10 Tweets
- Top 10 Underreported Stories
- Top 10 Untruths
- Top 10 Video Games
- Top 10 Viral Videos
- Top 10 Worst Biz Deals
TIME charts the highs and lows of the past year in 50 wide-ranging lists