Jackson post-mortem may take weeks

The cause of Michael Jackson's death may not be known for weeks, investigators have said. Los Angeles County Coroner Jerry McKibben said an autopsy (post-mortem examination) was being held on Friday but results were not likely to be final until toxicology tests could be completed, which could take several days and maybe weeks.

However, if a cause of death can be determined by the autopsy, the results will be announced, Mr McKibben said. Police said they were investigating the death, standard procedure in high-profile cases. Officers are searching for a doctor who they hope will help in the investigation. A Los Angeles police spokeswoman said they towed from Jackson's house a BMW owned by one of the superstar's doctors. "We have not been able to interview the doctor yet. His car was impounded because it may contain medications or other evidence that may assist the coroner in determining the cause of death," she said. Celebrity gossip web site TMZ.com reported that the doctor lived at the home. The spokeswoman said she could not confirm that and did not know the doctor's identity. She stressed that the doctor was not under criminal investigation but coroner's investigators wanted to contact him. Jackson's brother Jermaine earlier said: "It is believed he suffered cardiac arrest in his home. However, the cause of his death is unknown until results of the autopsy are known." Cardiac arrest is an abnormal heart rhythm that stops the heart from pumping blood to the body. It can occur after a heart attack or be caused by other heart problems.

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