LOS ANGELES [PeterPaul.ca] — Michael Jackson, the most memorable and famous celebrity of this generation who indured legal, financial and personal distress for the past few years, died Thursday at his rented home shortly after suffering cardiac arrest, officials said.
“He was pronounced dead this date at 14:26 hours [2:26 pm PSDST] at UCLA Medical Center,” Craig Harvey, L.A. county’s Chief Coroner, told PeterPaul.ca by email on Thursday.
During a phone interview just hours after Jackson’s death, Harvey confirmed the pop stars death and said the an autopsy was scheduled for “tomorrow morning.” Harvey added that Jackson’s cause of death had been “deferred” until “additional toxicological tests and tissue studies” were completed. The results are expected within six to eight weeks.
The LAPD said that an investigation has commenced into Jackson’s death but didn’t offer additional details. “As in all cases of undetermined death the Police Department will investigate this occurrence and the Los Angeles County Coroner’s office will determine the cause of death,” the department said.
UPDATE: June 26, 2009 — A three-hour autopsy was completed on Friday, Harvey said. “Anatomical findings show no evidence of trauma to the body or evidence of foul play. At the request of the Los Angeles Police Department, additional case information is being withheld to allow their inquiry into the death to proceed,” the email said.
