Michael Jackson's Father Cries 'Murder!'

Michael Jackson's father raised eyebrows Monday night saying his son's death was the work of more than just one man. Appearing on Larry King Live, Joe Jackson said Dr. Conrad Murray was "just a fall guy." That interview came after Murray plead not guilty to involuntary manslaughter—a charge the Jackson Family says should have been murder. During the program, King read a statement released by La Toya Jackson echoing her father's sentiments:

Michael was murdered and although he died at the hands of Dr. Conrad Murray, I believe Dr. Murray was a part of a much larger plan. There are other individuals involved and I will not rest and I will continue to fight until all of the proper individuals are brought forth and justice is served.

On Monday, some of Jackson's most avid fans were rallying outside the courtroom, protesting the manslaughter charges and siding with the pop star's family. But Dr. Murray has little to celebrate, according to Stuart Heritage at Heckler Spray. He says the manslaughter charge is a loss for everyone involved.

The Jackson family's obviously angered because they believe manslaughter is just a "slap on the wrist," writes Heritage. But Murray's also irate, insisting he administered the Propofol anesthetic legally and had been trying to "wean" Jackson off the drug.

The Jackson family, meanwhile, has more than justice in mind, Heritage argues. They are tending to MJ's lucrative brand, which makes Murray's "not guilty" plea even more troublesome:

Following Michael Jackson’s death, [the Jackson family] wanted to haul Dr Conrad Murray across the coals for murder. After all, it was Murray who administered the Propofol that killed Michael Jackson. If he went down for murder, then he’d take all the blame for Jackson’s death and it’d be easier for them to Disneyfy Michael Jackson into a family-friendly brand that could appear on stamps and lunchboxes and money and whatnot...

Worse still, Dr Conrad Murray has pleaded not guilty to the charges. That means that, rather than the open and shut case the Jacksons were expecting, it’s now likely that every harrowing anecdote about Michael Jackson’s drug addiction will be made public. Murray is already planning to use footage of Michael Jackson off his box on drugs as evidence of his innocence, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg