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Coroner Officially Rules Michael Jackson's Death a Homicide

The Los Angeles County Coroner's office officially ruled Michael Jackson's death a homicide Friday, saying it was caused by acute propofol intoxication.The coroner's report also lists benzodiazepine as a condition contributing to the singer's death. Benzodiazepine is a group of drugs used to treat insomnia.Check out our full coverage of Jackson's death"The drugs propofol and lorazepam (Ativan) were found to be the ...

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Joyce Eng

The Los Angeles County Coroner's office officially ruled Michael Jackson's death a homicide Friday, saying it was caused by acute propofol intoxication.
The coroner's report also lists benzodiazepine as a condition contributing to the singer's death. Benzodiazepine is a group of drugs used to treat insomnia.

Check out our full coverage of Jackson's death

"The drugs propofol and lorazepam (Ativan) were found to be the primary drugs responsible for Mr. Jackson's death," the news release of the report read. Other drugs detected included midazolam (Versed), diazepam (Valium), lidocaine (anesthetic) and ephedrine (a drug used to treat hypotension associated with anesthesia), the release said.The coroner's office will not release the full autopsy report, which includes the final toxicology report, at the request of the Los Angeles Police Department.According to a search warrant affidavit unsealed earlier this week, Dr. Conrad Murray, Jackson's physician, told police he gave the singer propofol on the morning of his death after administering a variety of sedatives over the night that failed to induce sleep. Investigators have searched Murray's home and medical offices as part of their investigation.

See photos of Jackson with his children and family

Murray's attorney, Ed Chernoff, questioned the timeline in the affidavit earlier this week.Chernoff said in a statement posted on his firm's website Friday that the coroner's "press release contains nothing new" and declined to comment on the report until the full autopsy results are released."For two months we have been hearing the same information, usually from leaks out of the coroner's office. One has to wonder why the coroner felt compelled to release anything at all if the police investigation is not yet complete," the statement read. "In any case, this has all the earmarks of police gamesmanship, and we will not be responding until we get a full autopsy report, including the entire list of drugs found in Mr. Jackson, their quantities, and all other data that would allow independent medical experts to analyze and interpret."