Michael Jackson Manslaughter Trial Begins With Death Photo, Drugged-Out Audio Recording, Defense Drawing at Straws

The trial of Michael Jackson's doctor began this morning in Los Angeles in spectacular fashion. Dr Conrad Murray, 58, is charged with involuntary manslaughter after injecting Michael with propofol and leaving his bedside on the morning of June 25, 2009. The legendary pop singer, according to the autopsy report and death certificate, died that morning from “acute propofol intoxication” and “intravenous injection by another." During the prosecutor's hour-long opening statement, he showed a photo of a deceased Michael on a gurney (below), and played an eerie recording of the heavily drugged and rambling pop star from about six weeks before his death (below). Dr Murray -- who was paid $150,000 a month as Michael's doctor -- recorded the audio on his iPhone on May 10, 2009. Then it was the defense attorney's turn. Attorney Ed Chernoff contends that his client gave Michael the drug -- which the singer referred to as "milk" -- over a two-month period to help him sleep. He said Dr Murray was trying to wean the singer from the drug at the time of his death -- even though the evidence will show the doctor continued to order excessive amounts of the drug (155,000mg to be exact) to administer to Michael and Dr Murray is a cardiologist, NOT an addiction specialist. Then they claimed Michael killed himself. The lawyer told jurors scientific evidence would show Michael swallowed eight tablets of lorazepam –- "enough to put six of you to sleep" –- and then self-administered propofol. "He died rapidly, so instantly, he didn't even have time to close his eyes," attorney Chernoff said. Experts have shot down the defense theory, calling it implausible. We'll see what the jury thinks. If convicted, Dr Murray faces up to four years in prison and a wrongful death lawsuit from papa Joe Jackson.

Here's the audio recording and transcript of a drugged-out Michael:

"We have to be phenomenal. When people leave this show, when people leave my show, I want them to say, 'I've never seen nothing like this in my life. Go . Go. I've never seen nothing this. Go. It's amazing. He's the greatest entertainer in the world.' I''m making that money, a million children, children's hospital, the biggest in the world, Michael Jackson's Children's Hospital..."

Sidebar: It's been widely reported that Michael voice's was low (as in this audio) and he only spoke in a high-pitch voice (like we're accustomed to hear him) when he was in public or in front of a microphone.

These were slides from the prosecutor's opening statement: