Assistant Coroner Visits Michael Jackson Dermatologist Arnold Klein
Investigators say Klein has been cooperating in investigation.
By Gil Kaufman
Michael Jackson
Photo: Tony Barson/ WireImage
As part of the ongoing investigation into the death of Michael Jackson, Los Angeles County Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter visited the office of the singer’s longtime dermatologist, Dr. Arnold Klein, on Tuesday According to the Los Angeles Times, Winter was following up on a subpoena requesting additional medical records.
Winter told reporters that Klein had been cooperating with the investigation, and the doctor’s lawyer confirmed that his client would provide the requested documents on Wednesday (July 15). While the coroner’s office would not reveal what records were being sought, investigators have been focusing on the role prescription drugs may have played in Jackson’s June 25 death. Klein has said in recent interviews that he had sedated the singer in the past during medical procedures, but denied giving Jackson unnecessarily large doses of medication.
Winter showed up at Klein’s office after the doctor failed to provide records he’d promised to give authorities when they first requested them on July 2, according to TMZ. The site reported that Klein’s lawyer sent over partial medical records and promised the rest, but never delivered them. When Winter’s office called Klein’s to say they had not received the documents, the doctor’s reps reportedly never responded.
A definitive cause of death has not yet been determined in the case, as authorities await the results of toxicology tests, which are said to be due within the next week. Among the focuses of the investigation is the role the powerful anesthetic Diprivan may have played in Jackson’s death. Numerous outlets have reported that police investigators found the drug at Jackson’s home and several sources, including Klein, have said the singer used the drug to combat chronic insomnia.
The Times reported that one of the companies that produces a generic form of the drug was contacted by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration — which has joined the investigation — and asked about a “specific lot number” stamped on the drug’s packaging in an attempt to track down the wholesaler or distributor that supplied the Diprivan allegedly found in Jackson’s home.
To date, the coroner’s officer has issued subpoenas to several of Jackson’s doctors as part of its investigation, including Dr. Conrad Murray, the live-in cardiologist who attempted to revive Jackson on the day he died, and the LAPD chief has said that the investigation could become a homicide probe if evidence emerges that suggests criminal activity. A lawyer for Klein told the paper that “neither the coroner’s office nor the Los Angeles Police Department have advised Dr. Klein or his representatives that he is a target of their investigation,” calling media reports that Klein is not cooperating with the investigation “patently false.”
For complete coverage of the life, career and passing of the legendary entertainer, visit “Michael Jackson Remembered.”
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Netmix founder, Tony Zeoli is an accomplished DJ and currently works in Product Development and User Experience Design for Zaah Technologies in Farmingdale, NY. Netmix founder, Tony Zeoli, is an avid blogger and DJ. His day job is in Product Development and User Experience Design for Zaah Technologies. In his spare time, he likes to work on electronic dance music, play basketball and develop his digital photography skills. Once in a while, he indugles in a peanut butter and fluff sandwich with an ice cold glass of low-fat milk. 
Tony Zeoli is an innovative digital media product development executive who has been at the forefront of the convergence of music and technology since he founded Netmix.com in 1995.
