Inquiry Into County Coroner's Office Concluded

The Los Angeles County sheriff's investigators have finished a nearly two-month inquiry into whether the county coroner's office employees illegally leaked or sold private information regarding Michael Jackson's death investigation.

Steve Whitmore simply stated "We didn't find any criminal wrongdoing."

The results of the inquiry were handed over to county supervisors and the county's chief executive on Thursday, Whitmore said.

Supervisors called for an inquiry on July 25 following a Los Angeles Times report that Michael's death certificate had been viewed more than 300 times, including by a half dozen coroner's employees that were not involved in the investigation. Whitmore said that investigators "did their due diligence" and found no evidence that coroner's employees illegally accessed or sold information from the case, although they may have violated department policies.

Craig Harvey, chief coroner's investigator, had said employees who inappropriately viewed Michael's records were warned--the proper discipline, according to county civil services rules--and that no further investigation would be needed.

Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas called the sheriff's review "very limited" and said that he is awaiting the results of a county audit of the coroner that is currently underway. "That should be the more telling report because it will be more thorough," Ridley-Thomas said, adding that sheriff's investigators would revisit the matter "if something else surfaces."

Source: MJFC / LA Times