Michael Jackson Trial: Opening Statements Read, Shocking Photos And Video Revealed

The trial against Dr. Conrad Murray for the death of Michael Jackson has begun, and it even has its own Ustream so you can catch all the morbid details in real time. And if the results of Day One are any indication, there’s bound to be a lot of uncomfortable, depressing and all-around alarming revelations to be discovered over the expected five weeks of the trial. Jump below for highlights from both sides’ opening statements, as well as some highly disturbing evidence that many fans of the King Of Pop may not have the heart to watch.

In their opening statements, Dr. Conrad Murray’s defense team claimed that Jackson caused his own death by taking a lethal dose of drugs behind Murray’s back. Defense attorney Ed Chernoff stated that “Michael Jackson swallowed 8 milligrams of Lorazepam” and that he “self-administered a dose of propofol” when Murray was out of the room. This combination created a “perfect storm, killing him instantly… There was no doctor, no paramedic, no machine that was going to revive Michael Jackson. He died so rapidly, so instantly, he didn’t even have time to close his eyes.”

During the prosecution’s opening statements, Deputy District Attorney David Walgren presented a photo of Michael, dead, laying on a gurney. It was the first photo ever revealed of Jackson after his death. (E! Online has the photo, which is more heartbreaking than disturbing.)

What may be the most distressing part of the trial was when Walgren played a recording of Jackson speaking in a slurred voice, showing the effects that propofol had on the pop star. According to the time stamp — May 10, 2009 —this was recorded six weeks before his June 25 death.

Many of Jackson’s family members, including parents Joe and Katherine, as well as siblings Janet, LaToya, Randy and Jermaine, were in the court room, and wept openly throughout the trial. It’s going to be a long five weeks.