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As contradictory reports emerge, Jackson’s sister suspects foul play

Published:July 13, 2009, 6:53 AM

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Updated: August 21, 2010, 12:37 AM

Two British tabloid newspapers have quoted LaToya Jackson as saying she believes her brother Michael Jackson was murdered as part of a conspiracy to steal his fortune.

She reportedly said her brother’s assets of more than 1 billion dollars made him a tempting target and that cash and jewelry worth roughly $2 million was taken from his home after his death.

Her comments were published Sunday. The News of the World quoted her as saying she knows who is to blame for her brother’s death and is determined to see them brought to justice.

A dizzying collection of puzzle pieces about Jackson’s health and habits has come to light since his death on June 25. With as much as a month before a toxicology report determines the cause, more are sure to emerge.

Each is likely to fuel further speculation. None is sure to produce a satisfying conclusion.

Some who knew him even seem to contradict themselves.

Here’s what’s known so far:

During his final rehearsal at the Staples Center, Jackson was captured on video doing his signature moonwalk and dance spins. Randy Phillips, CEO of concert promoter AEG Live, told CNN he was a “healthy, vibrant human being.”

Phillips later told AEG concert organizers that he feared that Jackson was losing weight and showing signs of wear and tear. He said he hired a staffer whose purpose was to remind Jackson to eat.

Dr. Arnold Klein, Jackson’s dermatologist, who said he last saw Jackson less than a week before he died, told CNN’s Larry King that the singer was in “very good physical condition,” in “a very good mood,” and “was very happy.”

Klein also told CNN that he had given Jackson the painkiller Demerol but warned him about using the powerful sedative Diprivan. He also confirmed that Jackson was a former drug addict who went to rehab in England.

Two of Jackson’s former confidants, medium Uri Geller and ex-bodyguard Matt Fiddes, said they tried in vain to keep the pop superstar from abusing prescription drugs. Geller said he suffered a terrible falling-out with Jackson over the issue, but not before he had to “shout at Michael, to scream at Michael” in an effort to confiscate the singer’s stocks of medication during his travels in England.

The drug Diprivan, an anesthetic widely used in operating rooms to induce unconsciousness, was found in Jackson’s residence, a law enforcement official told the AP. Also known as Propofol, the drug is given intravenously.

Cherilyn Lee, a registered nurse, told the AP she repeatedly rejected his demands for Diprivan. But a frantic phone call she received from Jackson four days before his death made her fear that he somehow obtained Diprivan or another drug to induce sleep.

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