Back in June, just after his death Lat Toya Michael Jackson’s sister claimed that he had been murdered. It wuld seem that she was right.

The death certificate was amended on August 31st by the medical examiner, Christopher Rogers, the cause of death now reads ‘homicide’. It talks of “acute Propofol intoxication” and “intravenous injection by another”. There was no evidence of illegal drugs in Michael’s body at the time of death and he was in relatively good heath for a man of his age.

This is, potentially, very bad news for his doctor Conrad Murray. It is thought that he is to be indicted on a charge of ‘involuntary manslaughter’. The police are talking about a charge involving gross negligence saying that the care given to Michael was way below the standard of care normally given by physicians.

The coroner found that propofol was given to Michael without any medical need or the recommended resuscitation equipment being in place. Propofol depresses the breathing, heart rate and lowers blood pressure.

Murray was in Michael’s rented LA mansion when he died and tried to try to revive him when he was found unconcious. Through his spokemen Murray has issued a cautious ‘no comment’ to the speculation that he about to be charged. The spokesmen went on to repeat that Murray neither prescribed or administered anything that should have caused Michael’s death.

For a successfull prosecution the prosecuter woiuld have to prove that there was a reckless action that created a risk of injury or death. Where the accused is a doctor there are also other issues such as was the patient made fully aware of the risks and did he accept them?

When (if) Murray is charged depends on a few things such as how soon can a grand jury be convened and how long will the DA’s review of the evidence presented by the police take. The police investigation was largely completed in December and it included interviews with medical proffessionals much attention being given to expected standards of care.

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Obviously, Michael did not realise that he had been murdered because he did not mention it during his seance with Derek Acorah. Can’t say that I am surprised…….

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So the seance with Derek Acorah and the Tweance with Jayne Wallace have come and gone. What did he have to say, what was his message to the world?

He told Jayne Wallace that he was singing ‘Heal the World’ when he was contacted and was sorry that he could not fulfill the gigs arranged for the O2 Arena in London.

Derek Acorah managed to get some more information from him. This seance had 4 ’super fans’ with Acorah. This would attract Michael more than just Acorah by himself, apparently. At least that makes sense. I would be more likely to go to meet 4 people that liked me rather than go anywhere to meet Acorah by himself……

Michael told the fans of his love for them, and some of them wept. (It seems that no ‘realty’ TV programme is complete without someone crying, be it a game show, house makeover, fashion makeover, facial makeover).

Acorah said the singer wished he had been laid to rest by his icon Marilyn Monroe. It is of course no secret that Michael had a statue of Marilyn in the gardens of Neverland and was a huge fan of the tragic actress. Acorah then said that Michael said ‘I wished to lie alongside her. I suppose it’s of no consequence.’

Michael also said through Acorah that he wanted to receive the fans’ love, that it was paramount that he did so. He also said that he was slowly adjusting to his new spiritual life and spending time with his grandparents. he would take time to look after his 4 new friends who were with Acorah at the seance.

All 4 of the super fans were affected by the seance. One said that when she looked into Acorah’s eyes she could see Michael. There were tears and emotion, as you would expect as they were desperately wanting to contact Michael. My beef is not with those fans who all miss their idol, it is with those seeking to make money out of this bogus show. The show was a ratings hit for Sky with some 607,000 viewers.

As an aside, a few days ago I wrote about Derren Brown criticising Acorah and this seance. What he actually said was He wrote: “Can you honestly imagine anything – anything – more anus-invertingly unpalatable than this? I hate myself for drawing attention to it.” Well, the medium has hit back saying; “He’s looking for publicity! He always does it. Every time. I don’t know why he wants to do it that way. We are worlds apart – Derren Brown is a magician and an illusionist. He can’t do what I do and I certainly don’t claim to do what he does. He’s riding the publicity off my back.”

It’s all handbags at 100 yards. I suppose that Derren Brown did benefit from the publicity but then so did Acorah. And it is true that Acorah could not do what Brown does but it is untrue that brown could not do what Acorah does.

What would it take?

The identity of the 4 super fans were known. It is easy enough to google and research the impersonator’s performances and chose one to comment about, especially if MJ had been there, there would be a record. Talking with the super fans during the days before the broadcast would reveal bits and pieces that could be used, interpreted and researched. Some generalities about loving the fans, a comment about being buried next to Monroe, impossible to prove, or disprove but likely to be believed by the fan base. Add to that the lighting, the super fans’ expectations and desires who could fail to pull this off?

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Finally, it seems like it has been a long time coming, Derek Acorah will attempt to reach Michael Jackson this Friday tonight at 10.00pm on Sky 1 (UK time).

The Live Seance will be presented by Acorah and June Sarpong. As far as I can tell Sarpong is a pretty TV presenter good at her job but with no knowledge or expertise in contacting the dead. (Mind you as I do not think that you can talk to the dead how could she have experience?)

The Seance will be the culmination of a night long series of programmes that will rehash the Jackson phenomena. Cynics (of which I am one) say that it is all a way of cramming the schedule with cheap TV about an enormously popular artist. Nothing wrong with that.

Let me quote Sky’s publicity for the programme;

“Preceding the main event, Michael Jackson: The Search For His Spirit will take fans on a biographical journey of the music legend delving deeper into both his psyche and his inspirations, and previewing some of the tactics and triggers that will feature in the séance. Sarpong, will be joined by Bobby Marchesso, one of America’s leading psychics, and close friends of Jackson including Thriller video co-star Ola Ray, Ian Halperin, author of controversial Michael Jackson Biography Unmasked: The Final Years of Michael Jackson, and his spiritual healer Reverend June Gatlin, with more contributors to be confirmed in due course.”

” Close friends including Ola Ray” Isn’t that the Ola Ray that sued Michael jackson on 5 may 2009 for royalties owed to her from the “Thriller” video that was released in 1983?

Halperin was quoted as saying that Michael would be dead within 6 months because of on going health issues in December 2008. Claims roundly attacked and denied bythe Jackson entourage at the time. He also arranged for the biography, not uncritical of Michael, to be released in July 2009 saying “I timed it because I knew around this time he was a candidate to die. I’m being totally up-front about that.” Upfront but a “close friend” I think not.

Gatlin says that she spoke to Michael every couple of months and last saw him in April 2009. She also says that he was in the process of changing his will.

Marchesso started life as a presenter of an early morning ‘news’ show that was light hearted and an easy. He decided that his talents would be better used as a Psychic and life coach (Q: Who actually needs a life coach? A: People with too much money, too much time on their hands, and no purpose….) At some point he was also a cop, apparently. He worked with Julie MacDonald to try to ‘talk to serial killers’ such as Ted Bundy. (Look, if Houdini could not come back to talk to his adored mother after promising to do just that. If Conan Doyle could not find one, just one, genuine medium although he was a believer trying to find one……….It’s all BS)

As Sky says of the night of programmes;

“These programmes provide a unique opportunity to celebrate Michael Jackson’s life, learn more about the music legend and possibly find out his final message to the world.”

As I say;

“Tell it to the marines.”

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Derek Acorah filming a seance and trying to contact Michael Jackson is not the first time programmes for TV have been made in which mediums have tried to reach the departed famous. (my original post here)

In 2006 a pay to view TV seance programme was made in which the object was to contact John Lennon. The show – which cost $9.95 (£5.60) to watch – was made without the consent of Lennon’s estate or his widow Yoko Ono. The result? John came through and had a message for us all. It was, “peace… the message is peace”

No surprise there then. Look, all of us could have predicted the result, does that make us all mediums, or psychics, or whatever?

I note with interest that the makers of the Lennon seance programme made one with Lady Dianna as the objective in 2003. The result of that on? She was having fun, again no surprise there either.

I am somewhat surprised to find that the subscription for Dianna’s seance was more than for Lennon’s. Actually, perhaps I am not. There does seem to be a constituency for stories about Dianna (who died in 1997) The Daily Mail (a national ‘newspaper’ in the UK) had yet another front page lead about here just last week…….

If you can not wait until December for the seance with Michael then there is some hope for you. It seems that there will be a seance on Twitter on 30th October. Called a “Tweance” it will be available on Twitter from 10 a.m (GMT). I am not sure of the format, if you can ask questions or whatever, so if you are interested give it a go just search for @tweance on Twitter.

The Psychic is Jane Wallce part of the ‘Psychic Sisters’ who provide consultations in Selfridges (London) and have appeared in the world renowned Psychic TV cannel….

If you have been trying to tweet Michael Jackson over the last few weeks without even a squeak of success, might I sing you a song of hope? A remarkably forward-thinking psychic has decided to hold a seance on Twitter. A “Tweance,” if you will. According tothe Sun newspaper , Jayne Wallace, who claims to have been a psychic since she was (at least) 7 years old, will be available to every member of the world’s tweeting population on October 30, between 10 a.m. and noon British Miserable Autumn Time (that’s 3 a.m.

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I honestly do not know what to say about this story.

Derek Acorah, a TV medium (he says that he contacts the spirits of the the departed) is to hold a seance and contact Michael Jackson’s spirit.

My position on spiritualism is quite simple. I believe that when you are gone you are gone. No heaven, no hell, reincarnation would be nice but I do not buy that either. So in the spirit (sorry about the pun) of objectivity I watched one of Ocarah’s programmes last night, well, part of one to be exact.

This is what happened. There was a small audience of people who had suffered losses. They had all brought objects connected to their departed and Acorah picked them up in turn to tune into the vibes from the dead. One woman had brought a set of darts. This is what Acorah deduced.

1. The departed was a man (few women play darts).
2. The departed liked to win (how many dart players play to lose)
3. The departed’s first name began with a ‘S’. (to be fair, it was the surname that began with an S. Unless I miss my guess ‘S’ is one of the most common letters with which names begin in the UK – Smith, Singh, Steven etc.)

The woman was interviewed later and was very impressed with Acorah. She wanted to hear from her son. She believes that her son could be contacted. She was obviously desperate for comfort.

So, was I convinced by this performance? Of course not.

Now, what is it with this seance? Is it an honest attempt to contact MJ? Well, it might be but bearing in mind that Acorah was attacked in the national press in 2005 over the editing and some would say dishonesty of his programme ‘Britain’s Most haunted’ I doubt it. Surely, it is only just about the money, just like the new record, the release of a film of his rehearsals, etc.

Derren Brown who is a mentalist that performs on UK TV said in his blog. “Can you honestly imagine anything – anything – more anus-invertingly unpalatable than this?” Derren wrote. “I hate myself for drawing attention to it.”

To say that TV in the UK has plumbed new depths would be wrong, there have been many, many depths. But this is up there (or down there) with the best (or worse) of them.

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