When did Michael Jackson pass away? King of Pop’s toxicology report revealed enough propofol in his body to “put down a rhinoceros”

Michael Jackson: Image via Getty Images

The latest episode of TMZ Investigates, a docu-series that deep dives into interesting pop culture mysteries, featured pop icon Michael Jackson. Aired on June 10, 2025, the episode was titled ‘We Exposed Who Really Killed Michael Jackson’. It detailed a compilation of reactions and news from the time of the singer’s sudden passing on June 25, 2009, along with expert commentary on the same.

One of the central voices in the episode was Ed Winter, the former Assistant Chief of the Los Angeles County Department of Coroner. Winter was called on the day Michael Jackson was found unresponsive at the hospital and passed away. He further added that upon searching Jackson’s residence, he recovered large “Gatorade-sized bottles of propofol.”

“The criminalist who advised me (said) that the toxicology was showing an extremely large amount of propofol in Michael’s system…there was enough propofol in him to put down a rhinoceros. Michael Jackson died of acute propofol intoxication and I believe cardiac arrest,” Winter added.

Dr. Drew Pinsky, a certified addiction medicine specialist, also appeared in this episode. He discussed the medical side of Michael Jackson’s death on June 25, 2009. Dr. Pinsky cited Dr. Conrad Murray, Jackson’s personal physician at the time. Murray was later convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to four years in prison.

The addiction medicine specialist pointed out that, as per Murray’s statement, Jackson had long developed a dependence on propofol. Propofol was an anesthetic that could shut down the human body and disrupt restorative sleep cycles. Given Jackson’s long-term use of propofol, Pinsky remarked that it was “amazing that Mr. Jackson hadn’t passed away sooner”.

What else do we know about Michael Jackson’s death?

Michael Jackson: Image via Getty Images

As per an August 29, 2009, CNN report, the Los Angeles County Coroner released a formal statement on August 28, 2009, that officially ruled Michael Jackson’s shocking death a homicide caused by acute propofol intoxication.

As per the Los Angeles County Coroner’s statement, the Smooth Criminal singer’s body contained a high amount of propofol. The combination of benzodiazepine drugs like lorazepam, midazolam, and diazepam (found in his system), along with propofol can depress a person’s central nervous system.

Jackson also had a known history of painkiller addiction. In 1984, while shooting a Pepsi commercial, the singer faced a fire accident when the fireworks exploded too early and sparks ignited the gel in the star’s hair. This gave him second and third-degree burns on his scalp and a lifelong addiction to painkillers, something he publicly admitted to developing in 1993.

Due of this addiction, his liver function was compromised. Thus, Jackson was more vulnerable to the dangerous drug cocktail of lorazepam, midazolam, and diazepam, with propofol. This had a compounding effect on his body, severely impacting his respiratory function and leading to a cardiac arrest.

The CNN report also included statements from medical experts, unaffiliated with Jackson’s care. This included a statement from Dr. Eugene Viscusi, an anesthesiologist and director of pain management at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.

In his statement, Viscusi explained that while such drug combinations were sometimes used in medical procedures, their use outside a hospital setting posed grave risks. He clarified that propofol, typically reserved for surgeries or diagnostic procedures, becomes far more dangerous when mixed with other sedatives.

“In a hospital setting, however, these interactions are “managed all the time, and well understood…These drugs have no place in an unmonitored setting or in unskilled hands,” Viscusi explained.

He further criticized the administration of propofol at Michael Jackson’s home, calling the practice “ludicrous.”

As per the CNN report, further investigations into the case revealed troubling details about Jackson’s final days. An unsealed affidavit in Houston, Texas, revealed that Jackson’s personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, had been administering nightly doses of 50 mg of propofol diluted with lidocaine. This was done for six weeks leading up to the singer’s death

According to LAPD Detective Orlando Martinez, Murray admitted to giving Jackson a sequence of drugs on the morning of June 25, 2009—including diazepam (Valium), lorazepam (Ativan), midazolam (Versed), and finally 25 mg of propofol.

Referring to this revelation, Pharmacy expert Lois Parker explained that this constant layering of sedatives was extremely dangerous. Parker, a senior pharmacist at Massachusetts General Hospital, explained that even though the individual doses were not excessive, the accumulation over time was alarming.

“Typically, you wouldn’t see someone taking all of them in combination unless they were abusing them in some way,” she said.

According to the CNN report, despite the homicide ruling for Michael Jackson’s death, the coroner’s statement did not explicitly state whether a crime had occurred at that point.

Michael Jackson had transformed pop music, breaking records and redefining the concept of music videos and live performances. However, his death highlighted a tragic pattern of unchecked drug use and medical negligence that ultimately cost the ‘King of Pop’ his life.