There have been all kinds of rumors about Michael Jackson’s failing health and the cause of his death — everything from skin cancer and emphysema to chronic gastrointestinal bleeding — but his family is sure that today’s autopsy will reveal that he was killed by a large dosage of the painkiller Demerol. Michael had been taking all kinds of painkillers in preparation for next month’s O2 Arena tour, and the injection coupled with the additional pills ultimately resulted in cardiac arrest. The Daily Mail says

There is growing speculation today that the catastrophic cardiac arrest was triggered by an injection of the painkiller Demerol. Those close to the star believe it is an addiction to prescription drugs as he prepared for the gigs in London that killed him.

‘Michael had broken a vertebrae performing and he had broken his leg in a fall from the stage. I don’t know the extent of the medications he was using but the reports that we have been receiving in the family were that it was extensive,’ said a source.

One Jackson family source said he was ‘just not able to pick himself up out of the painkiller stupor’ that he was in. He had been ‘doped up to his eyes’ for several weeks with anti-pain prescriptions… and [painkillers] had taken over his life.

One side effect of their abuse is a heart attack.

It might have seemed like it was a long time coming, but I’m sure it was hard for his family to even recognize his signs of drug abuse. For Chrissakes, “Normal Michael” slept with a chimpanzee and lived on an amusement park and carved up his nose like a Christmas ham every four to six weeks. I doubt “strange behavior” and “excessive paranoia” put up any red flags.