The sad and strange saga of Michael Jackson’s death keeps rolling on, but we’re just not paying as much attention. The poor guy is dead, he had kids who loved him, and he was tragically addicted to some of the most dangerous drugs available, drugs most hardcore addicts wouldn’t even consider taking at home. That’s because anesthesia drugs are hard to come by and carry a very high risk of death, something that Jackson thought he had under control by having a doctor with him at all times. He didn’t have a heart monitor/EKG though, and that may have cost him his life. TMZ reports that Jackson’s doctor, Dr. Conrad Murray, is thought to have fallen asleep when Jackson passed. It’s thought that he was dead for a while before paramedics were called.

Yesterday the Feds and the LAPD conducted a joint raid on the Las Vegas home and offices of Jackson’s doctor, and it looks like a big effort with multiple cars and masked officials. Dr. Murray’s lawyer confirmed that the raid took place and said that a hard drive, cell phones and other items were seized:

“We can verify that at approximately 8am, Officers from DEA, LAPD and various local agencies began executing a search warrant at Dr. Conrad Murray’s Las Vegas home and office. The search warrant authorized investigators to look for medical records relating to Michael Jackson and all of his reported aliases. Dr Murray was present during the search of his home and assisted the officers. Investigators left Dr. Murray’s home around 12 noon, seizing cell phones and a computer hard drive. As of 2pm, the search at Dr. Murray’s office continues.”

[From TMZ]

The Associated Press reported over the weekend that a law enforcement source confirmed that it was Dr. Murray who gave Jackson the Propofol that most likely killed him, and other reports have Murray admitting as much to police.

There’s also a report from TMZ that cops are looking into other doctors who prescribed medication to Jackson using multiple aliases for the star. Just as in life, Michael is going out with a huge amount of fanfare and controversy. You wonder if this much effort needs to be involved, but it’s a high profile case and this doctor does need to be prosecuted for giving Jackson anesthesia drugs at home. Anyone else who enabled his addictions should face the consequences as well, and maybe this will be a lesson to doctors that money and celebrity are not an excuse for forgoing medical ethics. There will always be doctors willing to take cash in exchange for compromising people’s health, though.

Here are some photos from the raid. It all looks so cloak and dagger with the guy in the mask, but then you see the two guys putting stuff in their trunk. Photo credits can be viewed by mousing-over the pictures and there are more accessible through the thumbnails on top.