Michael Jackson Trial Update: Death Scene Investigation Was Shoddy
Attorney and head of Dr. Conrad Murray's defense team Ed Chernoff on Thursday accused crime scene investigator Elissa Fleak of conducting a shoddy investigation of Michael Jackson’s bedroom.
Pop superstar Michael Jackson was found dead in his bedroom after a lethal overdose in 2009.
"Would you agree with me that you made a substantial number of mistakes in your investigation?" asked Chernoff on Day 9 of the Conrad Murray trial.
Fleak denied Chernoff's accusation but admitted that her original notes taken in the investigation were destroyed once they were entered into an official report, which she claimed was a common occurrence.
Chernoff accused Fleak of changing her initial report to match up with witness testimony and evidence that was discovered days after Jackson's death, including the assertion that a bottle of Propofol was found in an IV bag.
Fleak admitted that that piece of evidence was not included in the original notes and that she first recorded it earlier this year, but she denies any wrongdoing or the assertion that she changed her findings to correspond with the claims of another witness.
The notion that the scene of Jackson's death was not properly investigated has been the defense's strongest argument against the involuntary manslaughter charges being brought against the cardiologist.
Murray was hired as Jackson's personal physician to oversee his care during what was to be his last world tour. The doctor allegedly injected Jackson with 100mg of Propofol, four times the amount that a person may ingest safely, in order to help the popstar sleep.
However, his defense attorneys claim that Murray only injected Jackson with 25mg of the drug, and that Jackson injected himself with the lethal dose after Murray left the room.
Both the prosecution and defense agree that while Murray's fingerprints were found on the Propofol bottle, Jackson's could not be found either on that bottle or those of other drugs found in the bedroom.
If convicted, Murray would serve up to four years in prison.
