Mystery surrounds Michael Jackson's sudden death

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - One day after Michael Jackson's sudden death, speculation was already turning on Friday to what killed the 50-year-old "King of Pop" just weeks before his long-awaited series of comeback concerts.

Jackson, a former child star who became one of the best-selling pop artists of all time before a descending into a strange and reclusive lifestyle, died on Thursday afternoon at a Los Angeles hospital, where he had been rushed in full cardiac arrest after collapsing at his nearby rental home.

His passing was front page news around the world, airwaves were filled with his greatest hits from "Thriller" to "Billie Jean," social networking sites were bombarded with messages and tributes from fans and musicians continued to pour in.

"It's so sad and shocking," said former Beatle Paul McCartney. "I feel privileged to have hung out and worked with Michael. He was a massively talented boy man with a gentle soul. His music will be remembered forever."

Few details were known about the circumstances surrounding Jackson's death, but the entertainer was reportedly unconscious and not breathing by the time he arrived at UCLA Medical Center, and doctors were unable to revive him.

His body was flown by helicopter from the hospital to the coroner's office late on Thursday.

Brian Oxman, a spokesman for the Jackson family, told CNN on Thursday the family had been concerned about his health and had tried in vain to take care of him for months.

"Michael appeared at rehearsals a couple of times, he was very seriously trying to be able to do those rehearsals," Oxman said of Jackson's preparations for a series of 50 concerts that were scheduled to begin in London in July.

"His use of medications had gotten in the way, his injuries which he had sustained performing, where he had broken a vertebrae and he had broken his leg from a fall on the stage, were getting in the way," Oxman told CNN.

Authorities have scheduled an autopsy for Friday. But they cautioned it could take weeks to determine a cause of death, which will likely have to wait for the return of toxicology tests. Those tests will determine if Jackson had any drugs, alcohol or prescription medications in his system.

Detectives from the Los Angeles Police Department's Robbery Homicide division searched Jackson's home in the upscale Holmby Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles at the behest of Chief William Bratton. But they called the investigation an "every day" event.

TAINTED TALENT?

Jackson dominated the charts in the 1980s and is considered one of the most successful entertainers of the past century, with a lifetime sales tally estimated at 750 million records, 13 Grammy Awards and several seminal music videos to his name.

"Michael was and will remain one of the greatest entertainers that ever lived," said Motown Records founder Berry Gordy, Jackson's first label boss.

"He was exceptional, artistic and original. He gave the world his heart and soul through his music."

Main rogol-rogol ganti masak-masak

KUALA LUMPUR: Jika selama ini main ‘masak-masak atau main kahwin-kahwin’ begitu sinonim dengan kanak-kanak, namun pengakuan tiga murid sekolah rendah yang terjebak dalam permainan ‘main rogol-rogol’ sangat menggemparkan.

‘Permainan’ yang bertitik tolak daripada ketagihan menonton VCD lucah itu mendorong kanak-kanak bawah umur terbabit ghairah mencuba melakukan hubungan seks walaupun sesama saudara terdekat.

Lebih memeranjatkan apabila murid sekolah rendah seawal usia 10 tahun itu tergamak menjadikan adik perempuan serta kakak dan adik saudara sebagai bahan eksperimen melakukan perbuatan terlarang terbabit.

Perkara itu didedahkan Timbalan Pengerusi Pertubuhan Sahabat Insan dan Iman Malaysia, Ahmadi Baharudin, yang memberikan kaunseling kepada sekumpulan murid sekolah rendah yang dihantar untuk pemulihan akhlak dan akidah di sebuah pusat dakwah di Banting, Selangor, baru-baru ini.

Dalam temu bual pada sesi kaunseling itu, katanya, tiga murid lelaki, masing-masing berusia 11 tahun dan seorang berumur 10 tahun, membuat pengakuan jujur mengenai keterlanjuran mereka melakukan zina akibat terangsang selepas menonton VCD lucah.


Katanya, seorang daripada murid terbabit yang dikenali sebagai Amir, 11, mendakwa gagal mengawal nafsu sebelum mencabul kehormatan adik kandung sendiri berusia enam tahun.

“Amir yang berasal dari pinggir ibu kota mendakwa kerap menonton VCD lucah yang akhirnya mendorong dia menjadikan adik kandung sendiri sebagai mangsa pemuas nafsu.

“Saya diberitahu ketika kejadian, Amir menonton VCD lucah bersama rakan di rumah ketika ibu dan bapa keluar bekerja,” katanya.

Akibat tidak dapat mengawal gelojak nafsu, Amir menarik adiknya masuk ke bilik sebaik rakan beredar.

“Adiknya yang berusia enam tahun tidak mampu berbuat apa-apa berikutan si abang lebih ‘pandai’ akibat terpengaruh dengan perbuatan dalam VCD lucah. Malah, dia memberitahu, perbuatan terbabit sekadar ‘main rogol-rogol’ saja,” katanya.

Beliau berkata, perbuatan tidak bermoral kanak-kanak terbabit hanya diketahui ibu bapanya selepas adik perempuan mengadu mengenai perlakuan jijik si abang.

“Amir memberitahu dia dipukul teruk dan tidak dibenar keluar rumah serta bergaul dengan rakan hingga dihantar ke pusat itu untuk mendapat bimbingan,” katanya.

Ahmadi berkata, Amir mendakwa mudah mendapatkan VCD lucah daripada rakan selain membelinya di pasar malam berhampiran dengan menggunakan wang saku pemberian ibu bapa.

Seorang murid yang dikenali sebagai Ashraf, 10, pula mengaku melakukan perbuatan ‘main rogol-rogol’ itu bersama kakak saudaranya yang berusia 12 tahun dan puncanya juga sama iaitu pengaruh VCD lucah.

“Ashraf memberitahu, ketika kejadian dia dan kakak saudaranya menonton VCD lucah bersama selama dua jam sebelum kanak-kanak perempuan itu mengajaknya ke bilik,” katanya.

Selepas itu, katanya, mereka melakukan aksi sama seperti dalam VCD berkenaan selama lima minit sebelum dilihat bapa tiri Ashraf yang pulang ke rumah.

Seorang lagi murid berusia 11 tahun dikenali sebagai Kamal terjebak dengan aktiviti ‘main rogol-rogol’ bersama adik saudaranya.

Kanak-kanak berkenaan yang tinggal di ibu negara mendakwa terpengaruh melakukan seks selepas menonton VCD lucah yang dipinjam daripada rakan.

Pengakuan jujur ketiga-tiga murid terbabit yang dirakamkan menggunakan perakam video dianggap gejala sosial memeranjatkan berikutan membabitkan kanak-kanak belum baligh.