Coroner: Jackson healthy before death

He was eccentric, emotionally-fragile, and had his scalp tattooed in a bizarre effort cover up a bald patch. But the most surprising thing that coroners discovered when they examined Michael Jackson's dead body is that he was also fairly healthy.

A leaked copy of the late singer's autopsy report revealed yesterday that he weighed 136 pounds, an acceptable weight for a 5ft 9in, 50-year-old man. His heart, kidneys, and almost all major organs appeared to be in perfect condition.

The only health problems Jackson appeared to be suffering from was arthritis in his lower spine, plaque build up in his leg arteries, and a minor lung inflammation that might have made him temporarily short of breath.

None of those contributed to his death in June, the report said. The autopsy could be crucial in determining the fate of Conrad Murray, the doctor being investigated for homicide in relation to his treatment of the singer.

The information means that Dr Murray – who administered a cocktail of prescription drugs to Jackson before his death – will find it tricky to defend himself by claiming the star's fatal collapse was triggered by a pre-existing condition.

It also rubbishes claims in some news reports that Jackson was sickly and emaciated at the time of his death.

At worst, Jackson appears to have suffered from hopeless vanity: he'd tattooed his eyebrows, lips, and head, and his body bore scars from at least nine plastic surgery operations.