Michael Jackson "Leaked" Autopsy Not Accurate -- or is It?

Are the Michael Jackson autopsy results supposedly "leaked" to the British paper The Sun authentic? Just when one was beginning to believe that Los Angeles County couldn't keep anything secret from the media comes an update on the breaking story out of Britain that the paper had received a "leaked" version of the Los Angeles Coroner's Office report on the autopsy results of Michael Jackson, who died suddenly Thursday when his heart went into cardiac arrest and subsequent efforts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful. The Sun revealed in graphic detail the condition of the body of the 50-year-old pop star. But, according to TMZ and the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office themselves, the "leaked" autopsy results are not those of Michael Jackson.

In fact, according to the Coroner's Office, which released a short statement about the preliminary findings of their autopsy Friday, there has been no leak at all. TMZ posted the statement made by said Coroner's Office: "The report that is being published did not come from this office. I don't know where the information came from, or who that information came from. It is not accurate. Some of it is totally false."

The Sun ran with the story Monday that they had knowledge of Michael Jackson's autopsy results, results that had been "leaked" to them from some anonymous source. Given the kind of money media outlets are shelling out for exclusives these days (millions for pictures of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's children, for example), it is not difficult to believe that The Sun could have procured a copy of Michael Jackson's autopsy report or that someone working within the Coroner's Office (or even peripherally) could have "leaked" some of the autopsy information. Nor is it outside the realm of possibility that there was a leak in the Los Angeles County system. Just a few months ago, a sealed photo of a much battered "leaked" evidence photo of Rihanna made it to the TMZ website.

The Sun reported that Michael Jackson's body weighed less than 115 pounds, was covered with needle punctures from taking painkiller injections for years, had four puncture wounds around the pop star's heart, and had arrived with a wig covering his "peach fuzz"-covered scalp. Michael Jackson's stomach contained nothing but partially dissolved pills. The Sun also claimed the autopsy results showed several broken ribs, possibly from the various attempts to resuscitate Jackson's unresponsive heart.

Apparently, some of the details are accurate. The Coroner's Office's statement did end with the words "some of it is totally false," which could only mean that some of The Sun's details, suppositions, speculations, and extrapolations are true. But which details, which guesses and extrapolations?

Of course, it would not be the first time a tabloid or newspaper completely falsified information or invented a "source" simply to produce headlines and a gripping story. But the Sun may not have made it up. The Los Angeles County Coroner's Office may not be telling the truth in the matter, attempting to circumvent risk of professional embarrassment and public ridicule.

So who to believe? The Coroner's Office, who say that the autopsy results were not "leaked" and that "some" details are "totally false," details that the Coroner's office would not elaborate upon? Or The Sun, known for their sensationalism, who say they have information about Michael Jackson's autopsy that was "leaked" by an anonymous source?

There's one outlet that seems to be keeping up with both sides of the story. Maybe they can find the answers and let the public know the truth behind these "leaked" allegations and denials. Perhaps the public might find out by watching TMZ later this evening.

Or simply accessing their website...

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TheSun.co.uk
TMZ.com