Week 2: Witness Testimonies Day 6
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
, Posted by KizzDaLipz at 7:20 PM
Day 6 of The People VS. Dr. Conrad Robert Murray focused more on four women, including one who testified Monday, whom prosecutors allege, were among the distractions preoccupying Murray during Michael Jackson's final hours of life.
In the hours preceding Jackson's death, Murray was reportedly communicating with four women: Sade Anding, Nicole Alvarez, Michelle Bella and Bridgette Morgan. Phone records show he made several calls during the critical period during which Jackson should have been closely monitored, prosecutors argue.
Stacey Ruggle, Murray's personal assistant since 1997 was first on the stand today. Ruggles, who could be seen in front of the court house earlier in the week carrying her placard in support of Dr. Murray, was called by the prosecution to testify about talking to her boss on the phone on the day of Michael Jackson's death.
Ruggles testified that she spoke to her Murray, her employer for about 8 1/2 minutes, starting at 10:34 a.m., the day Jackson died and spoke to him briefly again at 11:07 a.m. to let him know she had sent an email.
Under cross-examination by defense attorney Edward Chernoff, Murray's Ruggles said she helped Murray open an office in the Acres Home area of Houston in memory of his father.
"Most of them were indigent, on fixed incomes, unable to afford a physician," Ruggles said, noting that Murray was not profiting from that cardiology clinic.
She said she believes Murray told her in April 2009 that he was planning to go to work for Jackson.
Michelle Bella, an exotic Dancer Murray met at a social club was next on the stand.
Bella answered yes and no to the prosecution's questions about her relationship and meeting with Murray.
When asked if she received a text message from Murray on June 25, the day of Jackson's death, Bella Answered "Yesssss".
The defense objected to Bella being asked whether or not Murray made plans to meet with her sometime later.
Bella answered yes and no to the prosecution's questions about her relationship and meeting with Murray.
When asked if she received a text message from Murray on June 25, the day of Jackson's death, Bella Answered "Yesssss".
The defense objected to Bella being asked whether or not Murray made plans to meet with her sometime later.
Houston cocktail waitress Sade Anding, who met Murray in February of 2009, took the stand.
Prosecutors asked her about the odd phone call she had with Murray on the day of Jackson's death, during the moment when prosecutors believe Murray discovered Jackson had stopped breathing.
Anding said Murray called her at 11:51 a.m. on June 25, 2009. About five or six minutes into their call is when she noticed Murray was no longer paying attention to her.
" I said how are you doing? I haven't spoken to you in a while" and he said 'well.'
"There was a pause," Anding said. " So I said, well let me tell you about my day and I started telling him about my day...that's when I realized he was no longer on the phone … I was just talking and the next thing you know I said, 'Hello? Hello?' and I didn't hear anything. That's when I pressed the phone on my ear and I heard mumbling of voices … I heard coughing and nobody answered."
“It sounded like the phone was in his pocket or something.” Anding recalled.
Was it Murray’s voice or someone else’s voice, Deputy District Attorney Deborah Brazil asked.
“I didn’t recognize the voices at all,” Anding said.
According to prosecutors, this was the moment when Murray realized Jackson was in distress.
The fourth witness to be called to the stand is Nicole Alvarez, the mother of Murray's seventh child.
Alvarez told jurors during the involuntary manslaughter trial of Dr. Conrad Murray that the doctor had first told her that he was Jackson's personal physician a year before the singer's June 2009 death.
Alvarez,who says she is an actress registered with the Screen Actors guild since 1998 told prosecutors her duties as an actress consisted of taking care of her "Instrument", going on casting calls, taking classes and meeting with casting directors.
"As an actor, your instrument is yourself," Alvarez told the prosecution when asked what she means when she says "instrument".
Alvarez beamed with excitement as she described meeting Jackson for the first time (a surprise that was arranged by Murray) She said Murray told her he had someone he wanted her to meet, she said she had no idea who she was going to see.
"I was speechless," Alvarez said. "I couldn't believe I was meeting Michael Jackson."
Alvarez said she and Murray met Jackson several other times, including after the birth of the couple's young son.
"Mr. Jackson was very interested in the baby and wanted to schedule visits to see my son." Alvarez testified.'
Dr. Murray is accused of delivering 7 packages of propofol to Alvarez's apartment.
Alvarez says that while she lives with Murray that she is not involved in his business matters. However, after being shown a series of Federal Express shipping receipts ranging from April to June 2009, Alvarez confirmed that she signed for and accepted delivery for several shipments. noting that any UPS or Fed Ex shipments that may have come in, if they were propofol, she didn't know because she didn't look.
Alvarez also said the shipments were sometimes left in the common area of her apartment building where anyone would have access.
The proceedings became a little heated when Alvarez could not remember whether or not she received a fax of Murray's contract and was not aware of how Much Murray was to be paid as Jackson's personal physician.
Prosecutor Debra Brazil questioned Alvarez " Ms. Alvarez, do you remember testifying in a January preliminary hearing, that you received a fax of Murray's contract for providing medical services to Jackson. In that hearing, you said that you noticed that the contract said Murray would be paid $150,000. Do you recall that testimony?" Prosecutor Brazil asked.
Alvarez responded that it has been 2 years and today,she doesn't know how much Murray's contract with Jackson was, even if she received a fax of the contract at her home. Alvarez said she learned the contract was $150,000 later through news media.
Alvarez also testified that after April 2009, Murray would frequently leave her apartment at night around 9:00 p.m. and return early the next day between the hours of between 6 a.m. or 10 a.m. She said she knew Murray was working as Jackson's personal doctor while the singer prepared for a series of comeback concerts.
"I thought I was going to get to see the show" Alvarez said and testified that she planned to accompany Murray to London and expected to be there until November or December, "just before the holidays."
Alvarez, who confirmed that she currently lives with Murray, and that he pays her rent, approximately $2,500 a month, also recalled speaking to Murray briefly on the day of June 25,2009, as Murray accompanied Jackson in the ambulance en route to the UCLA hospital.
"I remember him telling me that he was on the way to the hospital in the ambulance with Mr. Jackson and for me not to be alarmed. He knew that I would be worried because I would learn about this through the news," Alvarez testified.
The last Witness to take the stand is Pharmacist Tim Lopez.
Lopez, owner of Applied Pharmacy Service [now out of business]
told prosecutors that Murray first contacted him in November 2008 to ask about acquiring the skin-whitening cream benoquin, to treat his patients' vitiligo. Lopez eventually located the source materials for the cream in March 2009, and Murray placed an order.
Murray said he had a lot of African American "patients" who suffered from "Vitiligo" -- the same skin condition Michael Jackson was diagnosed with. By 2009 Murray was inquiring about Propofol.
"He asked me specifically to find pricing and availability of Propofol and normal saline," Lopez told the court.
Murray placed an initial order on April 6, 2009, for 10 100-milliliter vials and 25 20-milliliter vials of the anesthetic, to be shipped to his Las Vegas office. When the courier arrived with the order, however, Murray removed several bottles of Propofol and asked that the rest be shipped to his Santa Monica, Calif. "office" which prosecutors believe to be the address of the home he shared with Nicole Alvarez.
Three weeks later, on April 28, Murray placed another order -- which was quadruple the size of his initial order. Lopez testified that, on the 28th, Murray ordered 40 100-milliliter vials of Propofol, plus 25 more 20-milliliter vials of the drug, to be delivered to his Santa Monica office.
After calling to tell Lopez how pleased he was with the order, Conrad made another request, according to Lopez.
"He asked me specifically to find pricing and availability of Propofol and normal saline," Lopez told the court.
Murray placed an initial order on April 6, 2009, for 10 100-milliliter vials and 25 20-milliliter vials of the anesthetic, to be shipped to his Las Vegas office. When the courier arrived with the order, however, Murray removed several bottles of Propofol and asked that the rest be shipped to his Santa Monica, Calif. office -- a request Lopez honored.
Three weeks later, on April 28, Murray placed another order -- which was quadruple the size of his initial order. Lopez testified that, on the 28th, Murray ordered 40 100-milliliter vials of Propofol, plus 25 more 20-milliliter vials of the drug, to be delivered to his Santa Monica office.
After calling to tell Lopez how pleased he was with the order, Conrad made another request, according to Lopez.
"He asked me specifically to find pricing and availability of Propofol and normal saline," Lopez told the court.
After assuring Murray that he could accomodate his request, Lopez stated that Murray placed the first of what would become several orders for the drug.
Murray placed an initial order on April 6, 2009, for 10 100-milliliter vials and 25 20-milliliter vials of the anesthetic, to be shipped to his Las Vegas office. When the courier arrived with the order, however, Murray removed several bottles of Propofol and asked that the rest be shipped to his Santa Monica, Calif. "office" --believed to be the address of the apartment he shared with Nicole Alvarez.
Lopez testified that initially, Murray would make payment and pick up his order in person. Later on he informed Murray that most clients keep a credit card on file and have the orders shipped. Lopez also testified that at the initial pick-up, Murray's credentials and licensure as a physician was verified.
Three weeks later, on April 28, Murray placed another order -- which was quadruple the size of his initial order. Lopez testified that, on the 28th, Murray ordered 40 100-milliliter vials of Propofol, plus 25 more 20-milliliter vials of the drug, to be delivered to his Santa Monica office.
Dr. Murray began ordering propofol regularly after that Lopez said.
"I was traveling to Los Angeles International Airport once and I offered to deliver one of the orders to Murray's Santa Monica office personally in order to save him the shipping charge, but Dr. Murray told me to continue using the delivery service."
Lopez testified, in total, Murray ordered 255 vials of Propofol, 20 vials of the anti-anxiety medication Lorazepam, and 60 vials of the anesthetic Midazolam from Lopez between April and Jackson's death in June.
Lopez also told the court that, at no time during their business transactions did Murray disclose that he was Michael Jackson's physician, nor did he disclose the identities of any of his patients.
After assuring Murray that
* Murray's first order of Propofol, in April of 2009, included 35 vials in total -- 10 bottles of 100 ml. and another 25 units of 20 ml. bottles.
* Lopez told prosecutors Murray kept some of the vials, then asked the rest be sent to an address in Santa Monica ... likely Nicole Alvarez's apartment.
* Murray ordered another 65 vials that same month to the Santa Monica address.
* On April 30, Murray ordered 10 vials of Lorazepam and another 20 vials of Midazolam -- another sedative.
* On May 12, 2009, Dr. Murray stocks up on 65 more vials of Propofol, 20 vials of Midazolam and 10 vials of Lidocaine cream -- used to numb the skin before sticking the needle.
* On June 10, Murray put in another order ... 25 vials of Lidocaine, and 90 vials of Propofol.
* On June 15th, yet another order ... 10 vials of Lorazepam, 20 vials of Midazolam, and 12 saline bags.
* Murray called Lopez on June 25th, the day MJ died... Lopez said he couldn't hear him because there was " a lot of noise in the background."
* In total, Lopez shipped Murray 225 vials of Propofol, 20 vials of Lorazepam, and 60 vials of Midazolam.
* During cross examination, Lopez told defense attorneys Propofol is NOT a controlled substance.
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