The Los Angeles coroner's office says it may be weeks before it is known exactly what killed pop star Michael Jackson.
Coroner
office spokesman Craig Harvey told reporters late Friday that an
autopsy of Jackson's body indicated no signs of external trauma or foul
play. But, he says the office is deferring determination on cause of
death for now.
Harvey says additional toxicology and pulmonary
testing is needed before a determination can be made. He says the
tests usually take four to six weeks to complete.
Late Friday, the coroner's office said the body of the international pop star was released to his family.
Meanwhile,
Los Angeles police are seeking to question Dr. Conrad Murray. He was
with the singer when he died suddenly on Thursday.
Police towed
the doctor's car, which was at Jackson's house, and say they are
looking for medications that could be related to the death.
Jackson was pronounced dead Thursday at the UCLA Medical Center after suffering cardiac arrest at his Los Angeles home.
White
House Spokesman Robert Gibbs said Friday that U.S. President Barack
Obama called Jackson a "spectacular performer" and a "music icon," but
said the president also noted parts of the singer's life were "sad and
tragic."
Jackson died about two months before his 51st
birthday, and just before July's scheduled launch of a series of
comeback concerts in London. Tickets for his London shows, offered in
March, sold out in minutes.
Jackson had been rumored to be in
ill health for years, but the promoters of his London shows say he
passed a recent medical examination.
The singer, dancer and
songwriter became famous as a child in the 1970s while performing with
his brothers in The Jackson 5 pop group. He went on to an
unprecedented solo career, selling more than 750 million records,
including the best-selling albums Off the Wall and Thriller, becoming a
dynamic live stage act, and pioneering the music video genre.
Jackson
was dogged by controversy in his later years. He was acquitted in a
child-molestation trial in 2005 and struggled with financial problems.
He was the subject of countless tabloid newspaper stories about his
eccentric behavior, close relationship with children and multiple
plastic surgeries that led to a dramatic change in his appearance.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
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