Attorney For Dr. Conrad Murray: Michael Jackson 'Was A Frail Man'

Updated 1:00 AM CST, Tue, Jun 30, 2009

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A lawyer for the Jackson family told the "Today" show on Monday that Michael Jackson's relatives are "deeply troubled with the circumstances surrounding" the pop star's death last week.

Jackson family attorney Londell McMillan voiced the family's concerns over Dr. Conrad Murray, Michael's personal physician, who was in his bedroom when the singer fell into cardiac arrest.

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Murray claims Jackson had a faint pulse, but was not breathing when he discovered him in his bedroom.

"It's been well documented that Michael was receiving medical care on the bed as opposed to on the floor," McMillan said on Monday's "Today."

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But an attorney for Murray – Edward Chernoff – told "Dateline" on Sunday night that Jackson was given gentle chest compressions on his bed due to his frail condition.

Health care experts recommend CPR be given on the floor or another hard surface.

"He was a frail man. He didn't like to drink or eat. He wasn't exactly healthy," Chernoff claimed. "He had one hand behind his back and he was compressing with the other hand… He was compressing hard enough that the doctor knew he was pumping blood throughout the system."

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Dr. Bruce Hensel, a cardiologist and emergency room doctor, told Access Hollywood that if it's true Jackson had a pulse, he could have been saved.

"People who have cardiac arrest, if you get to them soon enough, and their heart rate is such that it will respond to medicines, you can survive," Hensel said.

While it's been repeatedly claimed Jackson abused the narcotic drugs Demerol and Oxycontin, Chernoff maintains they were not prescribed by Murray.

"Dr. Murray certainly wasn't prescribing or administering those drugs to Michael Jackson," Chernoff told "Dateline." "Now, if toxicology comes back and shows those drugs in his system, it will be a surprise to us."

As previously reported on AccessHollywood.com, Murray was questioned by investigators for approximately three hours on Saturday. As of now, he is considered a witness to the tragedy, not a suspect.

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