LOS ANGELES: The owner of a Las Vegas specialty pharmacy has told a court hearing that he sent large quantities of propofol to Dr Conrad Murray in the three months before Michael Jackson died from an overdose of the surgical anaesthetic.
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The pharmacist, Tim Lopez, said Dr Murray never mentioned the pop star was his only patient at the time and instead led him to believe the 255 vials of propofol he requested were being used for patients at a Los Angeles clinic.
The four shipments Dr Murray placed, including a final order 10 days before Jackson stopped breathing, went to the Santa Monica apartment where Dr Murray's mistress and infant son lived.
Mr Lopez said that when he volunteered to personally deliver an order during a trip to Los Angeles, Dr Murray told him not to. ''He said just Fed Ex it the way we normally do,'' Mr Lopez said.
Mr Lopez gave evidence at a preliminary hearing to determine whether prosecutors have enough evidence to try Dr Murray for involuntary manslaughter. Dr Murray, 57, has pleaded not guilty. He has acknowledged using the drug as a sleep aid for Jackson, a chronic insomniac.
Defence lawyers have suggested in court that the amount of propofol Dr Murray gave Jackson was not enough to cause his death, on June 25, 2009.
Questioned by a prosecutor, Mr Lopez said Dr Murray asked several times for advice on what the doctor might take to boost his energy and ''wakefulness''.
Jackson usually had Dr Murray work an overnight shift at his rented Holmby Hills mansion, other witnesses have said. Mr Lopez said he created a capsule of three over-the-counter products - caffeine, ephedrine and aspirin - for the doctor, who later said it had helped his problem.
Judge Michael Pastor also reviewed data gleaned from Dr Murray's iPhone. Screen shots of the doctor's email inbox show he and others involved with Jackson's planned comeback concert series were discussing the singer's health in the hours before he died.
In one email, a London insurance broker trying to secure a policy in case of cancellation asked Dr Murray to provide details about the singer's care and to respond to media allegations that Jackson suffered from lupus, cancer and other ailments. The doctor replied that he could not share that information, but wrote, ''As far as the statements of his health published by the press, they are all fallacious to the best of my knowledge.''
Los Angeles Times
