LOS ANGELES – Dr. Conrad Murray spent 45 minutes on the phone as Michael Jackson lay dying, according to the prosecution in his involuntary manslaughter case.
The medic was accused of making five calls to friends and for business purposes after administering a 25mg dose of anesthetic Propofol to the singer at 10.40am on June 25, 2009.
Michaels' family, including parents Katherine, 81, and Joe, 82, his siblings Janet, 45, La Toya, 55, Tito, 57, Randy, 49, and Jermaine, 56, looked on as the prosecution and defense gave their opening statements in Dr. Murray's trial yesterday.
Prosecution lawyers told the court in Los Angeles the doctor was speaking to cocktail waitress Sade Anding when he first noticed something was wrong with Michael at 11.51am.
Deputy District Attorney David Walgren told the jury: "This phone call is likely the time Conrad Murray first noticed Michael Jackson's lifeless body. It won't reveal to you the time of Michael Jackson's death but it may reveal to you when Conrad Murray first noticed he had died.
"Sade Anding was speaking on the phone when she realized there was no response on the other end.
"Conrad Murray was not communicating, he was not responding to the conversation. She eventually hung up and tried to get back in touch with Conrad Murray but there was no response."
Dr. Murray then called security guard Alberto Alvarez into the house and told him to grab a bag. The doctor then grabbed a handful of vials and put them in the bag.
Dr. Murray is then said to have told Alberto to call an ambulance at 12.20 pm, but by the time emergency crews reached the scene six minutes later, Michael was already dead.
Dr. Murray is further accused of not telling medics he had given Propofol to the 'Thriller' star. He allegedly told the police he had been watching his patient, but went to the bathroom and only realized something was wrong when he returned.
It also emerged at the trial that Dr. Murray was being paid $96,000 a month as Michael's personal physician, and that he had ordered over 15 liters of Propofol - usually reserved for use in hospitals for patients about to undergo major surgery - before the singer's death.
The defense team claim Michael caused his own death by self administering the dose of Propofol that killed him.
If found guilty, Murray faces four years in jail. The trial continues.
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