Don Ray, the man who broke the Michael Jackson story speaks
Don Ray, an independent investigative reporter in Los Angeles, broke the story in l993 that the Los Angeles Police Department was investigating Michael Jackson as a possible child molester. He discloses the story for the first time on his blog and discusses the impact of Jackson's death. View the original here. B3
Thoughts on the death of Michael Jackson
Let there be no doubt about it, I'm saddened to learn that singer Michael Jackson has died.
My sadness isn't, however, because I will miss his music. Truth be told, I don't believe I could name any song he recorded since he sang "Never Can Say Goodbye" or "Ben" -- whichever one came first. I probably heard him sing, however, before most anyone I know. I was stationed outside of Detroit in 1969 and 1970 and I remember watching him and his brothers on local television there.
He was cute and amusing. And it was clear he had a lot of talent.
It was 1993, however, when he sort of stepped into my life and changed things forever. It was when a Los Angeles Police detective blessed me by tipping me to what was, up until today, the biggest single entertainment story in history. I was able to break the story that the police were investigating the famous singer as a possible child molester.
After I was able to confirm the investigation and the allegations, I worked with my best client, KNBC-TV News in Burbank, and we broke the story. Nobody outside my circle of news media friends knew that I was responsible for the scoop of a lifetime. It would be months later that the producers of a PBS FRONTLINE documentary about the news coverage of that story learned that I was the one.
The information had come to me from a longtime contact -- a contact I trusted and still enjoy being his friend today.
I had already learned about pedophiles. In fact, I knew more about the subject than most any journalist.
Was Michael Jackson a child molester? Was he a pedophile? Nobody ever proved it in criminal court and a secret, out-of-court settlement prevented the civil trial from ever happening.
The veteran detective investigating Michael Jackson was convinced that he was a pedophile. If there was ever someone who fit the FBI's profile of pedophiles, it was Michael Jackson.
But that doesn't mean that anything every really happened. And after the media circus that my story triggered, I'm not sure I would believe anything that might have surfaced since then.
But I can say that Michael Jackson's death was a tragedy that followed a life that was, in its own way, tragic.
If he was a pedophile -- if his interest in children was, in reality, unhealthy or criminal, one would only have to look at the world into which he was born to understand why.
The one thing that this parent-driven child celebrity never experienced was a normal childhood. What child could experience normalcy when he was on the road with older brothers who were dealing with groupies in the hotel room every night? I'm convinced he was the victim of child abuse and that these factors took a tragic toll on him.
Imagine being so famous, so gifted, so rich and yet so lonely and lost in the world.
These are the kinds of things that lead people down paths that aren't normal -- that lead people to do things that our society doesn't (and shouldn't) allow.
When the shock of his death wears off and people take a microscope to his tragic life, we're likely to learn more about what really happened.
But whether the allegations were true or false, Michael Jackson is still a tragic figure -- even when he was alive.
By the way, that's not really Michael Jackson trying to strangle me in the photo above. It was a Michael Jackson look-alike who shared a talk-show stage with me in Chicago. Just for the fun of it, someone set up the photo and someone else pretended to be the body guard.
I'm so sorry that Michael Jackson died before he would know what life is really all about. Indeed, he'll join Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe in history and legend.
Maybe he can rest in peace.
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Comments (4)
I say "Good riddance". Jackson was a pedophile. Jackson should have died in prison. Scumbag sicko- lil boys in his bed. In a friggin mansion with how many rooms? Where are the lil girls?
Hey, I like kids so I WORK wih kids. I TEACH them. I do not bring them into a bedroom and I live in a 4 room apt.
Do something constructive but that was NOT what he was after.
Oh god, does he make me want to barf. No one seems concerned that he paid off some family $20 friggin million dollars. A weirdo penis.
Holding his baby over a balcony. That I SAW. They should have got him with child abuse- right there on tape. Showing off for the friggin cameras- an infant.
What a freak!
Poor Elvis had similar problems with fame and was MORE famous and a helluva lot more talented. All he did was drugs. Big deal. Never hurt anyone especially lil kids.
All victims of abuse and neglect do NOT go on to be pedophiles. MOST DON'T. He gets excused because peo liked his over-rated music? He certainly had the resources to seek treatment.
Grrrrrr.
I hope he fries in hell. Then he win't be white or balck but char-broiled.
Posted by C O'Shea | June 26, 2009 05:31 PM
What kind of adult guy gives underage children alcohol? Tells his charges that white wine is Jesus juice and red wine is Jesus blood. Just a why to appeal to the kids' religious convictions to ply the kids with alcohol to make the kids more compliant to his advances. Then shares a bed with the kids and then coaches them to masturbate with him. I wonder if any of the talking heads who are on television defending this over rated drug addict would allow any of their children to share his bed. His fans might let their children share the self proclaimed ,self anointed king of slock, bed but no sane person would. As far as his talent goes, he has the voice of an adolescence girl. During the renaissance boys would be castrated so they could keep their high soprano like voice. It makes one wonder why this guys voice seems to have never changed with adolescence. It may also explain his fascination with childish things.
Posted by edward3608 | June 26, 2009 07:35 PM
He was a pedolphile and as far as I am concerned he--unlike most criminals did not try to hide it that well. He felt entitled to do as he pleased. That's why after he settled two cases for cash he went on tv holding hands with a boy and declared he still slept with children. I am troubled that people do not have more compassion for the children he harmed or their families. MJ was very clever when he chose his victims. He picked people who would not be able to stand up to the criticism of fans and MJ's team. Women without husbands or on welfare who could easily be discredited. I think the trial did proove it. the jury was just stupid
Posted by kl | June 27, 2009 04:43 PM
Please visit our website to learn about the extortion attempts Michael Jackson endured. He was and remains innocent of all charges and allegations.
Michael says it best. It was all for the MONEY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PifK5xx8lu4&feature=related
Posted by MJfan2 | November 5, 2009 10:27 PM