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Dr. Conrad Murray's fate is now up to jury of his peers.
On Thursday, closing arguments in the case against Michael Jackson's personal physician pointed out the reasons why the jury should either acquit or convict Murray. A California prosecutor told the jury that Murray should be convicted of involuntary manslaughter for performing "an obscene experiment" that he claims killed the King of Pop.
During his plea to the jury, People reports, Deputy Los Angeles District Attorney David Walgren said that Murray was more of an employee than a doctor to Jackson, and that in that duty he agreed to administer the ultimately lethal anesthetic propofol that led to the eccentric superstar's demise on June 25, 2009. When Jackson stopped breathing that day, Murray purposely delayed calling for help to cover his own wrongdoing, Walgren claimed.
"Conrad Murray chose not to call 911 because he had other things on his mind – protecting Conrad Murray," Walgren told the jury of seven men and five women. "He knew of his guilt and he was intentionally giving false and misleading statements."
In his defense, Murray's defense attorney Ed Chernoff lay the blame with Jackson himself, claiming his client is paying for the actions and decisions of the singer's unhealthy lifestyle.
"They're asking you to convict Conrad Murray for the actions of Michael Jackson," Chernoff said. "We've been dancing around it for two years. If it were anybody [other] than Michael Jackson, would this doctor be here today?"
Chernoff added: "This isn't reality TV, this is reality, and the decisions you make will affect real human beings and the people who love them."
The jury is now in complete control of the case's verdict, which could be announced as early as this afternoon.
