Fact and fiction in Michael Jackson's death

The death of Michael Jackson has prompted an explosion of rumour that has grown more lurid with every day that passes. Now more than a week since he died, there is no let-up in the speculation. But what are the facts, and what the fiction? What do we know for sure about why he died, and about the ungainly scramble for assets that his death has unleashed?

The death

Jackson was pronounced dead at about 2.26pm local time on Thursday, June 25, at the UCLA hospital in Los Angeles. He had collapsed at home in his rented mansion in the hills of LA. Paramedics were called on the emergency line at 12.22pm by a Jackson employee. His personal doctor was present and unsuccessfully attempted resuscitation.

The drugs

A raft of friends and employees have come forward since the death to give details about Jackson's addiction to painkillers that some say may have lasted for as long as 20 years. Specialist federal drug enforcement agents have been brought into the investigation. The star had a prescription medication habit at least as far back as 2005 when he was acquitted on charges of molesting a child. Prosecution evidence in that case included the painkiller Demerol found at his house, syringes and prescriptions in a variety of names. Several people, including his friend Uri Geller, have talked of his addiction to the painkillers OxyContin and Demerol, and it has been reported that he used a range of aliases - among them Jack London and Omar Arnold - to obtain prescriptions. A nurse employed by Jackson has come forward to reveal that he pleaded with her for Propofol, a highly powerful and dangerous anaesthetic, saying he needed it to sleep. That tallies with a report from the TMZ website that the drug, brand name Diprivan, was found at his house after he died. Multiple reports suggest he was given a shot of Demerol an hour before he collapsed.


The doctors

The personal doctor with him when he died was Conrad Murray, from Houston, Texas. He left the scene after paramedics arrived, which is unusual, though he has since come forward to cooperate with police. It has also been revealed through the transcript of the emergency call that he tried to resuscitate Jackson on his bed - that's also irregular as a hard surface is most effective. The attorney general of California has launched an investigation into the prescriptions meted out to the singer, which may bring several doctors under its scrutiny. They include Arnold Klein, Jackson's longtime dermatologist who is reportedly wanted for questioning by the LAPD. The Jackson family lawyer Brian Oxman has talked of a whole entourage of "enablers" around the star who facilitated his addiction.

The London concert series

Was the pressure on Jackson over his impending 50-show comeback tour starting in London's O2 Arena in July one factor behind his death? Geller, the illusionist at whose wedding Jackson served as best man, thinks it did. He has suggested the target of 50 performances put too much stress on a perfectionist like Jackson. An unconfirmed report on the Daily Beast website by Gerald Posner claims the number of shows was increased from 10 to 50 in order to help with Jackson's overwhelming financial problems. Posner says that Jackson was dismayed, and according to a "close confidant" staged his own overdose in the expectation it would lead to a minor hospital stay and allow him to get out of his tour obligations.

The children

Mystery surrounds his children, starting with who are the biological parents. The two eldest, Prince Michael 12 and Paris 11, were both carried by his former wife Debbie Rowe, but doubts have emerged about whether they came from her eggs or were surrogate. The youngest child Prince Michael II, 7, was carried by an unidentified surrogate mother. Rowe's intentions in relation to the children remain unclear. She gave up custody rights over them several years ago though she has said in an interview in recent days that she wants them. Rowe received an $8.5 million divorce settlement from Jackson in 2000. Jackson left custody to his mother Katherine in a 2002 will with the singer Diana Ross providing backup care in the event that his original wishes could not be carried out. A court hearing on the matter is scheduled for July 13.

The assets

Jackson's finances are a tangled web that will take time, and considerable lawyers' fees, to unravel. He may have left behind as much as $500m in debts, but against that are assets put as high as $1bn. They include Sony/ATV which owns copyright to more than 250 songs by John Lennon and Paul McCartney and Neverland, his 2,500-acre ranch in Santa Barbara that members of his family have suggested should be turned into a Graceland-style memorial.

What money remains will be divided 40% for his mother, 40% for the children and 20% to go to charity. There is likely to be much legal wrangling over the fine print, starting with a hearing in LA on Monday.

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