Michael Jackson's physician did not give the singer a shot of Demerol before he died, the doctor's lawyer said Sunday, amid a flurry of allegations linking prescription drugs to the death.
Lawyer Edward Chernoff said that his client, Dr. Conrad Murray, never gave Jackson Demerol or OxyContin, despite reports to the contrary.
Instead, the lawyer said that Jackson was found motionless in bed just before his death, prompting the cardiologist to immediately begin CPR.
"He just happened to find him in his bed, and he wasn't breathing," the lawyer told The Associated Press. "Mr. Jackson was still warm and had a pulse."
Earlier in the day, police heard a first-hand account of the final moments of Jackson's life from Murray.
Investigators met with Murray for three hours on Saturday, hearing his account of what happened the day that the 50-year-old star died.
Following the meeting, police said Murray was co-operative and "provided information which will aid the investigation."
The doctor's spokesperson said Murray helped police "identify the circumstances around the death of the pop icon and clarified some inconsistencies."
Jackson died Thursday afternoon, after suffering cardiac arrest at his rented Los Angeles mansion. He was rushed to UCLA Medical Center, only six minutes away, but doctors were unable to revive the pop singer.
An initial autopsy ruled out trauma or foul play, but medical officials said more tests are needed to determine an official cause of death.
Questions about Jackson's use of painkillers, however, have been raised. And medical examiners have confirmed the singer had taken prescription medication.
Murray had been hired to accompany Jackson on a set of 50 concerts that were to take place in London this summer.
On Saturday, the cardiologist hired a Houston law firm to represent him, though police have so far said he is only considered a witness in their investigation.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Times reports that Jackson's family has had a second, private autopsy conducted.
Civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson has said the family wants more information about Jackson's death.
"It's abnormal," Jesse Jackson said Saturday. "We don't know what happened. Was he injected and with what? All reasonable doubt should be addressed."
He said the singer's family is grief-stricken.
"They're hurt because they lost a son. But the wound is now being kept open by the mystery and unanswered questions of the cause of death," he said.
Obama sends condolences
On Sunday, it was revealed that U.S. President Barack Obama had sent a private letter to Jackson's family, expressing his condolences.
White House adviser David Axelrod mentioned the letter during a TV appearance on Sunday, but he did not provide any details about its content.
The White House has said the president saw Jackson as a top-level performer whose life had both sad and tragic aspects.
The singer's family has been staying together in Encino, Calif., grieving his loss, preparing funeral arrangements and caring for Jackson's three children.
His sisters, Janet and La Toya, were spotted visiting Jackson's rented mansion on Saturday. But they did not speak to reporters at the scene.
The Jackson family released a statement to People magazine on Saturday, describing the pain they are going through.
"In one of the darkest moments of our lives we find it hard to find the words appropriate to this sudden tragedy we all had to encounter," the statement said. "We miss Michael endlessly."
On Sunday night, the annual BET awards show is set to take place and organizers have been scrambling to put together a show to honour Jackson.
Singers Beyonce and Ne-Yo, both of whom were scheduled to perform at the awards show, said they hoped to change their performances to honour the recently deceased King of Pop.
BET network chair and chief executive Debra Lee said the broadcast was thrown into "total overhaul" following Jackson's death.
With files from The Associated Press
