Michael Jackson died of “acute propofol intoxication,” the Los Angeles County Coroner said in a statement to Access Hollywood on Friday.
In the first official announcement on the cause of the King of Pop’s death, the long-reported anesthetic propoful was blamed for his June 25 passing. Also contributing to his death was “benzodiazepine effect” — a depressive reaction to the psychoactive drug, likely due to its interaction with other medications found in the star’s body.
“The drugs Propofol and Lorazepam were found to be the primary drugs responsible for Mr. Jackson’s death. Other drugs detected were: Midazolam, Diazepam, Lidocaine and Ephedrine,” the coroner’s office said in the statement released to Access.
The statement also confirmed the previous reports earlier this week that the singer’s death has officially been ruled a homicide.
“The final Coroner’s report, including the complete toxicology report will remain on Security Hold at the request of the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County District Attorney. In accordance with this request, the Department of Coroner will not comment on its completed investigation,” the statement concluded.
The news earned thanks from the Jackson family on Friday.
“The Jackson family again wishes to commend the actions of the Coroner, the LAPD and other law enforcement agencies, and looks forward to the day that justice can be served,” a family rep said in a statement to Access.
As a result of the findings, the Los Angeles Police Department announced to Access on Friday that the Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration and the California Department of Justice, Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement have launched “their own independent investigations into matters that the LAPD’s investigation uncovered that may not be directly related to the cause of death.”
The three organizations will cooperate as the ongoing investigation continues, and will “confer with District Attorney representatives,” an LAPD rep said in a statement to Access. The case has not yet been filed with the DA’s office.
Reports of drug use have swirled around Michael’s June 25 death for some time.
On Monday, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press that the star’s death had been ruled a homicide by the LA County coroner, with the cause of death the anesthetic propofol in conjuction with at least two other sedatives.
And on Thursday, a judge released two search warrants in the investigation into the King of Pop’s death that revealed drugs including marijuana and multiple prescriptions were found at the late singer’s rented Los Angeles home.
According to the search warrant affidavit, during the course of the investigation (which is still ongoing), members of Jackson’s family informed the Los Angeles County Coroner’s office that they had found some “tar heroin.”
A source close to the case told Access Hollywood, however, that the substance was not heroin.
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