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Nancy Grace
Court Gives Named Executors Temporary Control Over Jackson Estate
Aired July 06, 2009 - 20:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
NANCY GRACE, HOST: Breaking news tonight. The mystery surrounding the sudden death of music icon Michael Jackson intensifies, Jackson collapsing in front of his own young son in their $100,000-a-month rental, Bel-Air, Jackson pronounced dead. Reports emerge Jackson not the biological father of any of his three children, and he never formally or legally adopted them! Investigators converging with multiple search warrants, leaving the home with bags full of evidence, reportedly drugs. Jackson`s will revealing a fortune of a half a billion dollars -- repeat, half a billion dollars -- everything going to his 79-year-old mother, his three children, and charity.
Then the stunning document goes on the offense, completely cutting out -- not leaving out, cutting out -- former wife Debbie Rowe, the mom of two Jackson children. Grandmother Katherine named legal guardian. Back up, not sisters Janet, La Toya, Rebbie, not brothers Jermaine, Tito, Jackie, Marlon, Randy. Jackson named former Supreme Diana Ross guardian of the three children.
Bombshell tonight. It`s war! A courtroom standoff just hours ago as executors take on grandmother Katherine Jackson, going toe to toe over controlling Jackson`s half a billion-dollar empire, and Katherine Jackson telling the court the executors will run Jackson`s estate into the ground!
As we go to air, bio mom Debbie Rowe announces she will not attend Jackson`s memorial. Why? Rowe then attacks a cameraman outside a Chinese restaurant, cursing, threatening! Not a good look, Mommy. Rowe reportedly now throwing her hat in the ring, even claiming DNA will prove she`s the bio mom and thus entitled to yet another payday!
Tonight, a second will surfaces, as police continue investigating Jackson`s home and the people surrounding him at the time of death, AP reporting the surgical anesthetic Diprivan found in Jackson`s home, numerous vials of the powerful sedative, Jackson reportedly traveling with a mini-clinic on wheels -- that`s right, a mini-clinic, like a van, complete with an IV, an IV pole, and an anesthesiologist to medicate Jackson on tour anytime, 24/7, like a convenience store!
Secret video of Jackson just hours before his death in full dress rehearsal released, Jackson seemingly performing from beyond the grave. Now the vultures circling his dead body as we learn T-shirts to be sold at his memorial. As the legal battle brews, the world gears up for an A-list public memorial for Jackson, Staples Center, L.A.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And now the ugly custody battle over his children. There are reports that his ex-wife, Debbie Rowe, is going to fight tooth and nail for these children!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you ready to fight for your children?
DEBBIE ROWE, MICHAEL JACKSON`S EX-WIFE: Are you ready to get your butt kicked? Don`t (DELETED) touch me!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The death investigation continues. Three search warrants were signed by a judge as part of that investigation. Clearly, that continues as they look at the doctors and the people around Michael Jackson in the days, months, weeks before his death.
DOUGLAS B. JONES, MICHAEL JACKSON`S FORMER CHEF: Dr. Murray was on the property five nights -- at least five nights a week. My understanding was he was there all night to monitor Mr. Jackson.
There was a couple occasions during my time of employment that I noticed Dr. Murray exiting the kitchen area through the side door to the driveway area, carrying a couple of oxygen tanks.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dr. Conrad Murray`s attorney insists his client is not a suspect in any crime.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Today in court, a judge has granted, at least temporarily, the control of the Jackson estate to the lawyer and long-time friend that were mentioned in that 2002 will. That`s against the Jackson family wishes. They wanted Katherine Jackson, Michael Jackson`s mother, to control the estate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: Good evening. I`m Nancy Grace. I want to thank you for being with us. The mystery surrounding the sudden death of music icon Michael Jackson intensifies.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There`s a fierce custody battle over his kids. Debbie Rowe is Jackson`s ex-wife, the biological mother of 12-year-old Prince and 11-year-old Paris. her former attorney tells "People" magazine she is ready to fight for them, even willing to take his third child to keep them together.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Debbie, are you ready to fight for your kids, Debbie? Are you ready to fight for your children? Are you ready to fight for your children?
ROWE: Do not touch me!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nobody touched you here.
ROWE: You just did! Don`t!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The co-executors of Jackson`s will now have temporary control of the singer`s estate. John Branca, Jackson`s long-time personal attorney, and John McClain, a music industry executive and long- time friend, were given immediate control of the entertainer`s assets.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The investigation into Michael Jackson`s death has taken a dramatic turn. There are reports that police found Diprivan, a powerful anesthetic, in Michael Jackson`s house.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Were you shocked by Michael Jackson`s death?
JONES: Was I shocked? No, because even beforehand, during my time of employment, I had mentioned to close members of my family, like my mother and my sister -- I expressed to them, I said, I don`t think he`s going to survive this concert tour, and I said, Because, you know, that`s -- that`s too much stress and pressure on somebody like that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Debbie, are you ready to fight for your kids, Debbie? Are you ready to fight for your children? Are you ready to fight for your children?
ROWE: Do not touch me!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nobody touched you here.
ROWE: You just did! Don`t!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you ready to fight for your children?
ROWE: Are you ready to get your butt kicked? Don`t (DELETED) touch me!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Debbie, are you willing to take a cash settlement for the kids?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How important are the kids to you, Debbie.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: Not a good look, Mommy. That`s the bio mom, the alleged bio mom, Debbie Rowe, who is apparently set to throw her hat into the ring, claiming she should get guardianship of all three of Jackson`s children. There she is, apparently outside a Chinese restaurant, cursing and threatening a cameraman. Legal guardian? Maybe. But would that entitle her to yet another huge payday, her last one estimated between $500,000 and $1 million from Jackson, to just go away. Will this family be willing to pay the same?
Straight out to Mary Margaret, senior news editor, Radaronline.com. What about it, Mary Margaret? What happened? What was that?
MARY MARGARET, RADARONLINE.COM: I think what we`re seeing is Debbie Rowe reacting to the obvious negative backlash that she`s getting. As you said before, rightly so, Nancy, if you`re a mom and somebody wants your kids, you`ll do anything in your power to get it. But even after Michael Jackson died, she was quoted -- her lawyer was quoted as backtracking, saying, Actually, we`re not sure if she`s going to go and try to legally get custody over the kids. So the question is, what exactly does she want?
GRACE: Straight out to Paul Vercammen, CNN producer standing by at L.A. at the Staples Center. Paul, thank you for being with us. Paul, what`s the latest? And could you tell me, are they selling T-shirts at the memorial?
PAUL VERCAMMEN, CNN PRODUCER: Well, first off, I don`t know who "they" is because you got to pin that down, Nancy. As you probably know, there`s been all sorts of people profiting. You know, street vendors hit the pavement here in Los Angeles with T-shirts probably not, oh, I`d say, three hours after Michael Jackson was dead. So we can`t confirm if AEG of someone involved with the event is selling T-shirts. I would imagine there might be some sort of commemorative T-shirts.
In the meantime, behind me, you might see that there`s fans are signing a wall. I understand people have been in line for as long as an hour-and-a-half to sign this sort of makeshift memorial to Michael Jackson. And they have come from all over the world -- Peru, Paris, Mexico, Japan just some of the countries` names on that wall.
Ironically, the people behind me aren`t necessarily going to the service tomorrow. Most of them will be kicked out as downtown L.A. becomes a walled-off medieval city, in a way. If you look at it, it`s as if they`re going to put a moat around this place because for a half square mile, no one will is going to be allowed in. The police in Los Angeles are going to seal all of this off with barricades and officers. We understand some detectives and others who have not been off their desks for years will be in uniform tomorrow, ready to protect the city from the onslaught of Michael Jackson fans, Nancy.
GRACE: Out to our chief editorial producer, Ellie Jostad. Ellie, is it true that there were 1.6 million -- repeat 1.6 million -- registrants to go to the memorial?
ELLIE JOSTAD, NANCY GRACE PRODUCER: Yes. That`s right, Nancy. And there was just an 18-hour window that people could go on line, register for tickets. Then on Sunday, all of those people that were lucky enough to get a pair of tickets got an e-mail with a special code on it, telling them where they could pick up their tickets and the other details.
GRACE: This as reports surface that multiple vials of the powerful sedative Diprivan have been found at the home of Michael Jackson. Now the robbery-homicide unit there in L.A. is investigating.
And joining me right now is a very special guest in a primetime exclusive, Cherilyn Lee. This is Michael Jackson`s former nurse, who apparently believes he pleaded for a dangerous drug. Ms. Lee, thank you for being with us.
CHERILYN LEE, REGISTERED NURSE: Thank you very much for having me on.
GRACE: Ms. Lee, explain to me what Michael Jackson said to you. What did he want?
LEE: Well, what he was looking for was sleep, and he asked for a medication that he had had previously to help him to sleep. And he wanted to have a good eight hours` sleep.
GRACE: What did he say exactly, Ms. Lee?
LEE: He said that, I want an IV. And he was telling me the name of the medication, which it sounds so much like other medications. And I said, Repeat it again. So he said, It`s Diprivan. And I said, You know, I really don`t know what this is, Michael. Let me check that out.
And after checking it out and everything, and I went back to Michael and I said, This is a medication that is not used in the home, especially for an IV for sleep. You don`t want to do this, Michael, against all my advice. I said, Don`t do this, because I felt that it was just a medication that needs to be controlled by a physician.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The co-executors of Jackson`s will now have temporary control of the singer`s estate.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In the will, and this is key, Jackson leaves his entire estate to the Michael Jackson family trust.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If it`s possible to have a dramatic will, Michael Jackson has a dramatic will.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He knew exactly what he was doing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If it all goes through and he does this, who gets the money?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: John Branca, Jackson`s long-time personal attorney, and John McLain, a music industry executive and longtime friend, were given immediate control of the entertainer`s assets until another hearing August 3rd.
GRACE: You want to see a dog fight? Well, you are about to.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Associated Press is reporting the family wanted that hearing postponed, and it cites an unnamed source as saying the Jacksons wanted to look deeper into the singer`s affairs.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: As of 2002, the lawyers who drafted this will, you know, said they didn`t even know how much Michael Jackson was worth. They estimated it as in excess of $500 million, but they don`t really know. That`s the $500 million question, that we don`t know exactly who gets what.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Debbie, are you ready to fight for your kids, Debbie? Are you ready to fight for your children?
ROWE: Do not touch me!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nobody touched you here.
ROWE: You just did! Don`t!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you ready to fight for your children?
ROWE: Are you ready to get your butt kicked? Don`t (DELETED) touch me!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Debbie, are you willing to take a cash settlement for the kids?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How important are the kids to you, Debbie?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: That is video taken just before Michael Jackson collapses dead in front of his own son. This is full dress rehearsal, more video than we had for you last week we just obtained. A little bit more has been leaked out. There you can see Jackson practicing, seemingly performing from beyond the grave.
And now we learn the bio mom of two Jackson children announcing she`s ready to throw her hat back into the ring for guardianship. This after basically shunning the children, having nothing to do with them, even telling the court she had no desire to even send them a greeting card. Is she looking for another payday? You just saw that video of her outside a Chinese restaurant, attacking a cameraman.
Out to Ellie Jostad. Ellie, she says she`s the bio mom of two of the children. There`s a third one, Prince Michael II, AKA Blanket. So where is this video coming from? We see her being, you know, approached outside a restaurant, and that`s her response. Do she think a judge is going to be impressed by this?
JOSTAD: Yes, well, I don`t know about that, Nancy. But this is in Lancaster, California, yesterday. Debbie Rowe was leaving this Chinese restaurant called Great Wall. She`s approached -- you know, she hasn`t spoken publicly, only through her lawyer. And obviously, they were trying to get...
GRACE: Well, wait. Did she give a 90-minute interview to, like, a radio station or something?
JOSTAD: Yes. She did. It was to KNBC there in L.A. She said that she would fight for her children, she`d take a DNA test, she`d get a psyche eval, whatever they needed to help her get custody.
GRACE: OK, let`s unleash the lawyers. We`re taking your calls live. To Eleanor Dixon, felony prosecutor, Atlanta, who specializes in crimes on women and children, Lenard Leeds, estate attorney for Anna Nicole Smith -- he certainly knows a thing or two -- defense attorney Peter Odom out of Atlanta, and defense attorney Midwin Charles out of New York.
Yes, she`s back, Eleanor. This as we learn Michael Jackson traveled with a mobile IV unit, like a van, complete with a pole with an IV, with an anesthesiologist on call 24/7. It`s like a 7-Eleven. It`s like a mini- mart. He could get juiced up whenever he wanted to.
But now, knowing Michael Jackson was under this influence, she never wanted to get the children until now, Eleanor?
ELEANOR DIXON, PROSECUTOR: Well, that`s what`s suspicious, Nancy. And it seems to happen often when there are big estates and wills that could be questionable. But what a judge will always look to is what is the best interests of the children. And this is probably not the best interests of the children. Debbie Rowe probably can`t prove that.
GRACE: To Natisha Lance. In court today, there was a legal battle, Katherine Jackson`s, age 79 years old, lawyers going toe to toe with the executors named in the will. Why is a 79-year-old granny fighting the executors that Michael Jackson himself named?
NATISHA LANCE, NANCY GRACE PRODUCER: Well, what her attorneys are saying, Nancy, is that there may be some conflicts of interest with the attorney, John Branca who was one of the executors. What they were saying about him is that he was taken off, removed from key positions by Michael Jackson after this 20002 will was signed. Now, on June 17, just eight days before Michael Jackson passed away, he had a -- he had documentation showing that he was brought back into Michael Jackson`s life as his attorney.
GRACE: OK, so he`s back in the life of Michael Jackson, acting as lawyer just before his death. So it seems to me Katherine Jackson doesn`t have a leg to stand on. To you, Lenard Leeds. You`re an estate attorney. Why is she so dead set on getting control of this estate? And why did the executors have to put up a million-dollar bond out of their own pockets?
LENARD LEEDS, ESTATE ATTORNEY: Well, first of all, remember, she`s married to Joseph. Joseph thinks he controls the estate. He wants the money. He was out there right after the death of Michael. And with respect to the million dollars, I don`t think it was enough. Basically, what they`re saying is if the executors are in full control, what if they commit some kind of a breach of fiduciary duty? How is the estate going to be protected? The court today said Well, $1 million should be enough. I don`t think it`s enough. This estate is probably worth billions of dollars.
GRACE: I want to quickly go to Mary Margaret, senior news editor, Radaronline. I want to ask you about the chef. What do we know about this chef? What did the chef, the personal chef to Michael Jackson, see or hear?
MARGARET: The chef was with Michael Jackson about a month in May. And what was interesting is he got an inside look at the oxygen tanks being wheeled in and out of Michael Jackson`s home, as well as the physician who had to be there five nights a week to monitor him.
GRACE: And isn`t it true, Dr. Michael Bell, to use the Diprivan, which is used in surgery, the anesthetic, wouldn`t you have to have oxygen administered, too?
DR. MICHAEL BELL, PALM BEACH CO. MEDICAL EXAMINER: Well, I would certainly have it on hand just in case your oxygen level goes low.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Debbie, are you ready to fight for your kids, Debbie? Are you ready to fight for your children? Are you ready to fight for your children?
ROWE: Do not touch me!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nobody touched you here.
ROWE: You just did! Don`t!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you ready to fight for your children?
ROWE: Are you ready to get your butt kicked? Don`t (DELETED) touch me!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Debbie, are you willing to take a cash settlement for the kids?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How important are the kids to you, Debbie?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: With me right now, Mary Margaret, senior news editor, Radaronline. She`s advising us about Jackson`s personal chef -- his name, Douglas Jones -- who apparently witnesses oxygen tanks coming in and out of the home. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JONES: (INAUDIBLE) person was he looked -- he was very dressed up. He looked like the Michael Jackson that, you know, everyone sees on TV when he`s in public. Yes, he did look thin or slim. He was talking very slowly and he was moving very slowly. The first couple of days, he was at a distance. You know, the -- he had the surgical mask on. He had, like, this shower cap or surgical cap, you know, a bluish color.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: That`s Jackson`s former chef. Radaronline.com discovered it. Back to Mary Margaret -- as we find the sound regarding oxygen tanks. Oxygen tanks for what, Mary Margaret?
MARGARET: Well, like that doctor said, and what`s widely known, is that when administering Diprivan, it`s highly suggested that you have oxygen on hand, as well.
GRACE: You are seeing a video of Michael Jackson`s former chef from Radaronline.com. I want to go quickly to Dr. Michael Bell. Diprivan -- wouldn`t it have to be used with oxygen?
BELL: It`s typically given intravenously. But again, like I said before, if your oxygen saturation goes low, then, yes, you`re going to have to use oxygen to supplement.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There`s a lot of speculation mounting about Michael Jackson`s death and whether it`s related to prescription drugs.
CHERILYN LEE, MICHAEL JACKSON`S ALLEGED FMR. NURSE, SAYS HE PLEADED FOR DANGEROUS DRUG: The reason I decided to step out because there was so many indications showing that he was on drugs.
URI GELLER, FMR. FRIEND OF MICHAEL JACKSON, SAYS HE TRIED TO STOP JACKSON FROM TALKING PRESC. DRUGS: I screamed at him. And I used the words, "Michael, if you continue this, you will die!"
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Police are trying to piece together what prescriptions Michael Jackson had and which doctors gave them to him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: New reports about the powerful sedative Diprivan now found in Michael Jackson`s home.
LEE: And I told Michael, because I was at his house, I said, look, this is a very serious drug. And he said, yes, I know exactly what it is. I`ve had it before.
GELLER: Michael, if you don`t stop, this will kill you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sources tell the "L.A. Times" at least three search warrants have been executed to try to figure out if the medications were involved in his death.
LEE: He was basically concerned again with the insomnia. He said I remember being in the hospital and while hospitalized, they gave me this med and I was able to sleep really good and I had the best sleep that I ever had.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you ready to fight for your kids, Debbie? Well, are you ready to fight for your children? Are you ready to fight for your children?
DEBBIE ROWE, MICHAEL JACKSON`S EX-WIFE: Do not touch me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nobody touched you here.
ROWE: You just did, don`t.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you ready to fight for your children?
ROWE: Are you ready to get your butt kicked. Don`t (EXPLETIVE DELETED) touch me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Debbie, are you willing to take a cash settlement for the kids?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How important are the kids to you, Debbie?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: Welcome back. Straight back out to a special guest joining us tonight. Cherilyn Lee, Michael Jackson`s former nurse who said he pleaded with her to obtain a very dangerous drug. Miss Lee speaking out in a primetime exclusive since the dangerous drug Diprivan allegedly found, multiple vials of it, there in Michael Jackson`s home.
Miss Lee, did you obtain the Diprivan for him?
LEE: No, I did not.
GRACE: Very, very wise of you. Why not?
LEE: My -- what I do as a practitioner, I work with prevention, early detection, and help people to get to their optimum level of feeling great. That`s not even part of what I do at all.
And I knew after reading this myself and the PDR, this was a drug used in the hospital. And not for home use and it wasn`t for sleep and it`s just -- it wasn`t something he should have had. And.
GRACE: You know, explain it to me, Cherilyn Lee, Nurse Lee, it`s my understanding that Diprivan is an intravenous drug that you used in an IV drip that is used, for instance, in an operating or emergency room to put the person out to perform surgery.
And then when they wake up, they don`t feel groggy, they feel almost refreshed. They have no recollection. They`ve been out cold the whole time. That`s what I understand Diprivan to be.
LEE: Right. That was my understanding, too. At the time I had no knowledge of it because I would not -- I`ve never really worked in ICU or anything of that nature. But -- so it was something that I would not have really come in contact with or maybe even heard of. But my focus is really optimum health and well being.
GRACE: And nutrition. You work in nutrition, that`s your specialty.
LEE: And nutrition. Yes. Yes. And nutrition.
GRACE: Well, Miss Lee, when you told him no, how did he respond?
LEE: He responded that -- he was so concerned about getting to sleep, and he said I will be fine. Just as long as a physician will monitor me. He said, I`ll be fine. I`ve been fine before. I will be fine. I will not have any problem.
I see your concern, but he didn`t know my concern when I kept going over and over, I said, don`t do this, please don`t do this. He said but when they monitor me, I`m fine. As long as a doctor is here, I`m OK.
GRACE: And it can cause periods of not breathing, Nurse Cherilyn Lee. Hence the oxygen tank necessary if you use Diprivan, you`ve got to have oxygen tanks, as Dr. Michael Bell is telling us, on standby to help the person in case they stop breathing.
LEE: Well, this is my understanding as I`m listening to your show right now because I had no knowledge of it because of the fact I don`t -- you know, I don`t come in contact or work.
GRACE: It`s not your thing.
LEE: Not at all. And it really saddens me even now because I`m just now hearing that this took place in May and I just spoke to him in April. And it really saddens me because I told him, I said anyone that will provide this service for you will -- do not have your -- your best interests at heart.
And I said I see you as a wonderful person, almost like family, you know, because I`ve known you and grew up with you all my life even though I`m slightly older. But I said, you don`t want to do this. I`m really concerned about your well being and a person don`t have your best interests at heart.
He said, I don`t care, I know that I`ll be safe. You have to realize, I will be safe because I will be monitored. And those were his words. And he was -- he just assumed that whoever is going to do this is going to watch him, wake him up -- I won`t say wake him up, but he will wake up the next morning and be refreshed from having eight hours of sleep. And he only wanted sleep. His whole.
GRACE: Right.
LEE: My relationship with him was just basically nutrition, he wanted to feel good, and he worked -- you know, to do his performance and feel well, not to be sedated and walk around feeling high. He wasn`t looking for any of that. He was a great example to his children. He wasn`t looking for that. He just wanted sleep. He had insomnia.
GRACE: It`s my understanding he had no interest in recreational drugs like cocaine, methamphetamine, pot, heroin, nothing like that.
LEE: No, never.
GRACE: And what is you -- what was your reaction when you learned that multiple vials of Diprivan and another name for it is Propofol used in surgery have been found at his home and these search warrants -- they were obtained by the L.A. homicide unit.
Now when you learned all of that and it happened just weeks after you tell him no, what was your reaction?
LEE: My reaction -- I`m still in shock over it. My reaction is that he really trusted whoever was going to help him and it just saddens me that someone would do this. It really -- I can`t begin to tell you. I really can`t. I just feel very.
GRACE: You know, Cherilyn Lee, from what I`m hearing, you are one of the very few people that ever said no, this is wrong. No. And you stuck to your guns.
With me tonight, Cherilyn Lee, Michael Jackson`s former nurse. Knew him for many, many years and turned him down when he asked her to obtain Diprivan. As you can see, Miss Lee now on the verge of tears.
Miss Lee, how long have you known him?
LEE: I met Mr. Jackson in January, the latter part of January of 2009. And, you know, not only did he want me, he said, please find me a physician -- find me an anesthesiologist to help put me to sleep. He knew.
GRACE: Got it.
LEE: And I didn`t know -- you know?
GRACE: And now we learn -- out to the lawyers, Eleanor Dixon, Lenard Leeds, Peter Odon, Midwin Charles.
Peter Odom, the warrants are obviously criminal warrants. You don`t get a warrant for a probate matter.
PETER ODOM, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Right. They`re looking to homicide.
GRACE: We know that robbery/homicide is the one involved. What do you make of it?
ODOM: Absolutely. Well, they`re looking at figuring out whether somebody administered a drug to him that killed him. That could be felony murder, Nancy, a death occurring during the commission of a dangerous felony. It could be illegal distribution of drugs. Interesting, though, this is not a controlled substance, Diprivan, under California law.
GRACE: You`re right. You`re right about that. But it is a substance that is used -- it`s not prescribed, it`s used in the operating room.
Now Mary Margaret, senior editor of RadarOnline, was telling us about a personal chef who actually witnessed tanks of oxygen coming in and out of Michael Jackson`s home to be used with Diprivan, one would surmise.
Take a listen to the chef, Douglas Jones.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DOUGLAS B. JONES, MICHAEL JACKSON`S FORMER CHEF: Dr. Murray was on the property five nights -- at least five nights a week. And in my understanding was he was -- he was there all night to monitor Mr. Jackson.
There was a couple of occasions during my time of employment that I noticed Dr. Murray exiting the kitchen area through the side door to the driveway area carrying a couple of oxygen tanks.
There was (sic) occasions where I noticed during my time of employment that in the security mobile unit that was located in the driveway in the back of the house area, that there was a few oxygen tanks there as well.
The oxygen tanks were waist-high from my height. The upper top portion of the tanks were green, the latter part of the tanks were silver. Heavy-duty tanks.
You know, I had a cautious feeling inside, but, you know, by a doctor being there, you know, that kind of, you know, passed by me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: You are seeing video obtained RadarOnline.com. This chef basically corroborating reports that Jackson traveled with a mobile IV unit, complete with an IV pole, the hookup, the works. And an anesthesiologist.
A quick break, everybody. But according to the FBI, a home is robbed every 15 seconds in the U.S. Tonight, here are tips to stop it from happening to you.
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ANNOUNCER: "Nancy Safety Tips" brought to you by.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Meet Bubbles. Other than Tarzan`s Cheetah, he may be the most famous chimpanzee in the world. 25 years ago, he was Michael Jackson`s pet. Since Jackson`s death, there have been so many stories of what happened to Bubbles, most flat-out wrong.
For the last four year, Bubbles have lived here at a nonprofit sanctuary with 41 other chimpanzees and orangutans. Nearly all were circus performers, pets, or in the movies.
Bubbles was born in Texas in 1983. It`s not clear where. At eight months old, animal trainer Bob Dunn purchased Bubbles for Jackson. The two became inseparable. They posed for pictures with fans.
Here, Bubbles posed with a picture of Michael. They ate together and went on tour together. Jackson never came to visit Bubbles. But if he had.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Most of our chimps recognize their former owners and they get very excited to see them.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They might even have moon-walked together for old time sakes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Debbie, are you ready to fight for your kids, Debbie? Well, are you ready to fight for your children? Are you ready to fight for your children?
ROWE: Do not touch me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nobody touched you here.
ROWE: You just did. Don`t.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you ready to fight for your children?
ROWE: Are you ready to get your butt kicked? Don`t (EXPLETIVE DELETED) touch me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Debbie, are you willing to take a cash settlement for the kids? How important are the kids to you, Debbie?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: Repeat, not a good look, Mommy. Debbie Rowe apparently throwing her hat in the ring to get not only guardianship of Michael Jackson`s three children, she claims to be the biomom of two of them, but also control over his half a billion dollar estate.
We showed you the video about the chimp, Bubbles, because we have been inundated with concern over the chimp.
Dr. Leslie Austin, psychotherapist, nobody is asking what`s going to become of the children. They`re worried about this chimp. He`s on a preserve. Explain?
DR. LESLIE AUSTIN, PSYCHOTHERAPIST: I think our culture has gone completely nuts, Nancy. We have to pay attention to what`s the best interest of these kids. Biology should have nothing to do with it. Age should have nothing to do with it.
Who`s going to be the best parent to give them a stable home? They`ve had a crazy upbringing and they need stability and calm now. And that`s what we should all be looking at.
GRACE: I want to go back out to Natisha Lance out in court today.
Natisha, I understand 79-year-old Katherine Jackson, the mother/grandmother, attorneys going toe-to-toe with the executors. She claims they`re going to run the estate in to the ground and spend all the money.
What did the court finally do at the end of the day when the dust settled?
NATISHA LANCE, NANCY GRACE PRODUCER, IN COURT TODAY, FROM STAPLES CENTER: The court did decide to give control to the executors temporarily until this next hearing on August 3rd when they will find a permanent -- a permanent person to be in control of the estate.
GRACE: Well, what I don`t understand, out to you, Midwin Charles, is if Michael Jackson, whether we like his choice or not, chose these two executors. Who -- what was the court to jump up and say, no, I`m going to supplant who I want?
MIDWIN CHARLES, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, the court, in essence, has not yet done that. What they`ve done is granted temporary control to these two until the other side can come in and say, well, look, if you have evidence to show that perhaps these two have biased motives or what have you, bring that to me and we will see.
GRACE: To Brad Lamm, board certified interventionist at www.bradlamm.com, you heard what the nurse said. You heard what the private chef Douglas Jones said about the oxygen tanks. You know about the mobile unit. To travel with him so he could have anesthesiologists shoot him up, allegedly, to an IV. Lying there, hook in to an IV 24/7.
BRAD LAMM, BOARD REGISTERED INTERVENTIONIST, BRADLAMM.COM: Well, it`s.
Help me, Brad, help me. All of the family, all of the friends, all of the lawyers.
LAMM: Truth is stranger than fiction.
GRACE: Now circling his dead body like vultures. Where were they when he was alive?
LAMM: Well, I think that`s the point. This can serve as a wakeup call to everybody out there that if you`re a celebrity or your mom or your brother is struggling with drugs and alcohol or spiraling out of control, there are things you can do. There are strength in numbers to get together as a group. Step in, don`t take no for an answer and give them the help they need.
GRACE: To Jessica in Kentucky, hi, Jessica.
JESSICA, CALLER FROM KENTUCKY: Hi, Nancy. My question is, if Katherine dies, then maybe Diana Ross want the kids or she dies, God forbid, then where do the children go?
GRACE: Good question. Lenard Leeds, what happens then?
LENARD LEEDS, ESTATE ATTORNEY, FORMER ESTATE ATTY. FOR ANNA NICOLE SMITH: You know, first, it`s going to be decided who has custody, assuming that someone steps forward and gets custody, they`re going to be the one in control. Ultimately, if that person is no longer there, it always comes down to the best interest of the children. And the court is always going to have to look at that.
GRACE: OK.
LEEDS: There`ll be psychiatric, psychological. That`s the other issue for the court.
GRACE: So in other words, in other words, like a bunch of wet cats in a barrel, everybody is going to be fighting for the custody of the three children because with them comes the money.
To Carol in California, hi, Carol.
CAROL, CALLER FROM CALIFORNIA: Hi, Nancy. First of all, my condolences to the Jackson family over this terrible and what I believe to be a needless tragedy regarding Michael. And I believe that Michael`s heart was equally as big as his talent.
What I was wondering, Nancy, is if any of the people in Michael`s closest circle who may have been aware of his alleged drug abuse could be charged with some sort of negligence that may have caused Michael his life?
GRACE: Good question. Peter, what about it?
ODOM: No, Nancy, generally people aren`t required to affirmatively act.
GRACE: OK.
ODOM: . to prevent this kind of thing.
GRACE: Yes.
ODOM: Sad thing as it is, there`s a moral responsibility there, but not a legal one.
GRACE: To John Lucich, former criminal investigator, president of High Tech Crime Network.
John, homicide has sent out search warrants. They`re looking at somebody. They`re looking for somebody.
JOHN LUCICH, FMR. CRIMINAL INVESTIGATOR, PRESIDENT OF THE HIGH TECH CRIME NETWORK: No. Absolutely. You`ve got LAPD homicide, you`ve got the general attorney`s office, you`ve got the DEA. This criminal investigation has already started.
And I disagree with the attorney because I tell you this, if any of those friends or family aided him in getting illegal drugs, they are part of that crime.
GRACE: Look, somebody had to help him. Michael Jackson just didn`t run down to Eckerd`s and get some Diprivan, OK? Somebody was helping him.
Hi, everyone, quick break. Our thoughts and prayers to the family of New Jersey, friends of the show and child rights advocate, Libby Friedman Songs (ph). She ran the family grocery for years. A mystery fan, loved creating new recipes, loved garage sales and collected egg cups. Most importantly, she was the core of her family leaving behind a beloved sister, two children, four grandchildren, four great grandchildren.
Libby Friedman Songs, good night, friend.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Debbie, are you ready to fight for your kids, Debbie? Well, are you ready to fight for your children? Are you ready to fight for your children?
ROWE: Do not touch me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nobody touched you here.
ROWE: You just did. Don`t.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you ready to fight for your children?
ROWE: Are you ready to get your butt kicked? Don`t (EXPLETIVE DELETED) touch me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Debbie, are you willing to take a cash settlement for the kids?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How important are the kids do you, Debbie?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: The mystery surrounding the death of music icon Michael Jackson only intensifying. This is 1.6 million registrants trying to get in to Jackson`s A-list memorial set for tomorrow at Staples Center, L.A. But what are we hearing, Ellie Jostad, about Forest Lawn Cemetery?
ELLIE JOSTAD, NANCY GRACE PRODUCER, COVERING STORY: Right, well, Forest Lawn Cemetery, very famous cemetery in the L.A. area. We`re hearing that at 8:00 a.m. before the public memorial, the Jackson family is going to have some sort of private service there at Forest Lawn.
GRACE: And now that that`s out there, are they expecting that to be mobbed at 8:00 a.m. tomorrow morning?
JOSTAD: Oh, that`s a good question. Well, there`s five different -- at least five Forest Lawn locations in L.A. and we`re not sure which will be used.
GRACE: To Paul Vercammen, standing by there at the Staples Center.
Paul, how long have these people been camped out to get into the memorial?
PAUL VERCAMMEN, CNN PRODUCER, ON LOCATION FROM STAPLES CENTER: Well, they`ve been camped out for a while. And as I told you before, Nancy, it`s somewhat deceptive because the people behind me over my right shoulder are actually just signing sort of a mural to Michael Jackson.
And those people aren`t necessarily going to be the same people who come to the memorial tomorrow. The people who come to the memorial will be going behind me in the Staples Center and across the street into Nokia Theater, some 17,500 of them, and they will, I guess, start lining up very early in the morning, although that line hasn`t started yet, Nancy.
GRACE: Joining me, Paul Vercammen, CNN producer, standing by at the Staples Center, L.A. as the criminal and legal investigations continue to swirl surrounding Michael Jackson`s death.
Let`s stop and remember Army Private First Class Branden Cummings, 20, Titusville, Florida, killed Iraq. Lost his life weeks before his wedding. Loved fast cars, video games, Atlanta Braves and star gazing from the hood of his car.
Nicknamed "the jokester" by family and friends. He made people laugh but give you the shirt off his back. Dreamed of starting a family and a dream home in Texas. Leaves behind dad, Charles, fiancee, Danielle.
Branden Cummings, American hero.
Thanks to our guests, but especially to you for being with us. I`ll see you tomorrow night, 8:00 sharp Eastern. And until then, good night, friend.
END
