In his first national interview since being paroled, Dr. Jack Kevorkian defended Dr. Conrad Murray, who has been targeted in the manslaughter investigation into Michael Jackson's death.
Even though Jackson's death has been ruled a homicide, Kevorkian, 81, told Fox News' Neil Cavuto Wednesday that Murray did not commit murder by providing Jackson with lethal amounts of the anesthetic propofol. (Murray, who maintains his innocence, says on the morning of Jackson's June 25 death, he gave Jackson 25 milligrams of propofol diluted with lidocaine to keep him sedated — after repeated demands from the singer.)
"I don't think he was malicious," Kevorkian said. "Murder is defined by forethought …Did the doctor have forethought? I doubt it."
He added, "The patient got what he wanted. He is the one who said yes or no to take a drug."
That's the same mindset Kevorkian said he had when helping terminally ill patients die, which led to an eight-year prison sentence on second-degree murder charges.
"I have no regrets," said Kevorkian, who is now the subject of an upcoming HBO biopic, starring Al Pacino. "Everyone I helped welcomed death. I do what a physician should do — what is best for the patient, period. If I did it with malice or forethought and without permission than I would be a murderer. But, they forgot the definition of murder when they criticized me; because it’s so negative, they win by fear."
But he said he won't go back to "helping" people die now.
"Why should I go to prison again?" he told Cavuto. "I lost 1/10th of my life already in prison; I’m not going to lose the rest at this age."
