Jackson death ruled as homicide

Michael Jackson died from cardiac arrest in his rented home

The death of Michael Jackson was homicide due to intoxication by anaesthetic, the Los Angeles coroner has formally announced.

The 50-year-old singer died in June from cardiac arrest at his LA mansion.

The powerful anaesthetic Propofol and Lorazepam, a sedative, were the "primary drugs responsible for Mr Jackson's death", the report said.

The coroner's verdict increases the chances of criminal charges being brought against his doctor.

Police have interviewed Dr Conrad Murray but he has not been named as a suspect. He has strenuously denied any wrongdoing.

"The cause of death was established as acute Propofol intoxication," the coroner's report said.

"The manner of death has been ruled: Homicide," it adds. In the US, the crime of homicide includes manslaughter.

A cocktail of drugs - including Midazolam, Diazepam, Lidocaine, Lorazepam and Ephedrine - were detected in his body, the report said.

The full toxicology report remains sealed, at the request of the LA Police Department (LAPD) and the city's district attorney.

The lawyer for Dr Murray has demanded that the coroner's office release the full autopsy report, according to AP.

Edward Chernoff said he needed to know the exact levels of the various drugs in Jackson's system and said the refusal to release the report suggested "gamesmanship".

The LAPD said they were referring the case to prosecutors for possible criminal charges to be filed.

Conrad Murray insists he has done nothing wrong

An initial affidavit by the city's chief coroner had said that lethal levels of Propofol were judged to be the cause of Jackson's death.

According to those documents, Jackson's doctor told police he had been giving the singer the drug as part of his treatment for insomnia.

But, he said he had been concerned Jackson was becoming addicted to the drug and had been trying to wean him off.

The singer will be buried on Thursday at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, a suburb of Los Angeles, in a private ceremony.

The burial was initially scheduled to take place on Saturday - on what would have been Jackson's 51st birthday.