It has been 13 years since Michael Jackson — the man who captivated the world with his music — passed away. On August 29, 2022, the King of Pop would have turned 63. Although Jackson died from cardiac arrest on June 25, 2009, his death remains shrouded in mystery to this day.
Jackson died at the age of 50 from an overdose of the anesthetic propofol. Reports say that his doctor, Conrad Murray, found him with a weak pulse and was unable to revive him, even with CPR. Jackson was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California, almost two months later.
However, Michael Jackson’s only daughter, Paris, believes her father was murdered. In an old interview, she said she thinks her father’s death from cardiac arrest was staged. Others argue that Jackson died from a lethal combination of medications. Reports claim that he was “heavily dependent” on painkillers and was given daily doses of propofol, which ultimately killed him.
It is believed that when Dr. Murray administered another dose of propofol, Jackson had an adverse reaction, slipped into deep sedation, and stopped breathing. Murray attempted CPR, but things only worsened. Dr. Murray was later convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to two years in prison.
Several theories surround Jackson’s death—one of the most popular suggestions that Jackson faked his death due to massive debts. However, an autopsy confirmed the body was indeed Jackson’s. Still, soon after his death, media reports claimed a border agent allegedly saw Jackson crossing from California to Mexico — but no sightings of him in Mexico were ever confirmed.
Additionally, many questioned the photo of Jackson’s body taken in the ambulance. The body lacked the usual bluish tint of a corpse, and a vein on his forehead appeared swollen — something physically impossible an hour after death. Strangely, only one photo from the ambulance exists, and some argue it’s suspicious since such vehicles typically have tinted windows.
Paramedics also noted Jackson’s face was covered and only his hands, resembling those of a 70-year-old, were visible. Moreover, although ambulances in such cases usually drive with sirens on, footage from the scene shows the ambulance moving slowly and quietly, even yielding to a bus.
Adding to the mystery, Jackson was buried in a closed casket. His family claimed this was because his face had been damaged during resuscitation attempts. Yet many suspect the casket was empty. The family also refused to allow official postmortem photos but later released images themselves, which some believe were photoshopped.
Numerous unanswered questions linger. Aside from the strange behavior of Jackson’s relatives, his choice of doctor is also puzzling. Just two months before his death, Jackson had a medical check-up and was deemed to be in good health. Despite being able to hire the best doctors, Jackson instead employed Murray — a doctor burdened with debts, loans, and a questionable reputation — just 11 days before his death.
Investigative journalist Pearl Jr., who managed to sneak into Jackson’s burial site, discovered that the star’s family had paid cemetery staff nearly a million dollars to stay away that day.
According to a popular theory, Jackson’s entire family had a motive to fake his death. He was drowning in debt from lawsuits over abuse allegations, and no concert tour would have covered that debt. Even after his death, the family would have inherited those debts. But Jackson’s death brought his family massive wealth — far more than he had ever earned while alive. Reports estimate that Jackson’s death generated around six billion dollars for his family.
