Michael Jackson: What Will an Autopsy Look For?

When any person dies suddenly or unexpectedly it becomes the responsibility of the medical examiner to determine the cause of death. Such is the case in the tragic death of Michael Jackson at the all too young age of 50. When I worked as a medical examiner in Washington, D.C., in the early 1980s, our policy was to automatically do a full autopsy investigation on anyone 50 or under regardless of their medical history. Over 50 and we might waive the autopsy if there were a clear medical history of illness or disease and there were absolutely no suspicious circumstances, as investigated by the homicide unit of the D.C. police force. Of course it goes without saying that for someone like Michael Jackson, who died suddenly at age 50 yesterday without any obvious cause, that a full scale investigation will be conducted including a complete autopsy and full toxicology work up. The police will do a thorough examination of his house, looking for any unusual findings, in particular, any evidence of prescription drugs, illegal drugs, alcohol, or any signs of violence. Eventually, however, it will be up to the medical examiner to conduct an autopsy. How is this done and what will they be looking for? First, bear in mind that the medical examiner is a physician who has specialized in pathology and then subspecialized in forensic pathology, the investigation of the causes of sudden and unexpected deaths. The autopsy begins with a careful examination of the body as it was found, including t...
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