Kai Chase's Hearing Testimony--01/05/2011

January 5th, 2011

Kai Chase

DIRECT EXAMINATION: MS. BRAZIL

Kai Chase is a chef. She is still a chef (as of January 2011 and is still presumably a chef). She was employed as Michael's chef. She began working for Michael toward the end of March 2009. She confirms she was employed as a chef for Michael and his children as well. She states her responsibilities were to provide breakfast, lunch and dinner for Michael and his children. She states she would prepare meals for others on occasion, such as guests, friends and employees.

Brazil: WHAT WOULD YOUR TYPICAL ROUTINE BE ON A DAILY BASIS WHILE WORKING FOR MR. JACKSON?

Chase: THE TYPICAL ROUTINE I HAD WAS COMING IN THE MORNING AT EIGHT O'CLOCK, PREPARING BREAKFAST FOR THE CHILDREN, GETTING THEM READY FOR THEIR BREAKFAST, FOR SCHOOL, THEN GOING INTO THE LUNCH, PREPARING LUNCH AND THEN DINNER FOR THE FAMILY.

Chase confirms she reported for duty at 100 North Carolwood Drive in Los Angeles.

Chase confirms she prepared meals for Conrad Murray. She also identifies him for the record.

Chase confirms she prepared breakfast for Michael in addition to preparing breakfast for the children. Chase states that Michael's breakfasts at times consisted of "granola, organic fresh juice, and things of that nature".

Brazil: ON A TYPICAL DAY, WOULD MR. JACKSON HIMSELF COME AND EAT HIS BREAKFAST, OR WOULD SOMEONE TAKE HIS BREAKFAST TO HIM?

Chase: ON OCCASION, HE WOULD SIT WITH HIS CHILDREN FOR BREAKFAST. AND TYPICALLY, DR. MURRAY WOULD COME DOWN AND BRING JUICES FOR HIM AND TAKE THEM TO HIM.

Chase confirms Murray picked up Michael's breakfast more often than he came downstairs for it himself.

Chase confirms she was working for Michael on June 24th, 2008. She states she arrived that morning between 8:00 a.m. and 8:30 a.m.

Chase states she herself and the children were at the residence when she arrived. She assumes Michael was at the residence. She states she saw Michael that afternoon. She saw Murray that morning (June 24th).

Chase states that on the morning of June 24th, Murray came downstairs to retrieve juices for Michael. Chase confirms again Murray would come to the kitchen.

Brazil: DR. MURRAY WOULD COME DOWN TO THE KITCHEN; IS THAT CORRECT?

Chase states "yes".

Brazil: HE WOULD TAKE IT BACK UPSTAIRS TO THE BEDROOM AREA WHERE MR. JACKSON WOULD BE LOCATED?

Chase: IF THAT IS WHERE HE WAS. HE WOULD TAKE IT UPSTAIRS, YES.

Chase agrees Murray typically came down for juice for Michael before noon.

Chase confirms she prepared lunch for Michael and his children. She prepared ahi tuna salad for them. Chase states they ate their lunch at the dining room table. Chase states she spoke to Michael on June 24th just prior to him eating lunch. She states he came into the kitchen and told her "good afternoon". She replied to him he looked "good today". He asked her if lunch was ready and she responded it was. He told her they would be seated at the dining room table.

Chase is asked if she saw Murray at lunchtime on June 24th. She replies she did not. Chase states she did see him leave the residence between 10:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.

Brazil: LATER IN THE DAY, IN THE AFTERNOON, DID YOU PREPARE ANY TYPE OF MEAL OR SNACKS FOR ANY OTHER INDIVIDUALS?

Chase: I PREPARED MR. JACKSON A SNACK FOR HIS REHEARSALS LATER ON THAT LATE AFTERNOON.

Brazil: WERE THOSE REHEARSALS HELD AT THE RESIDENCE ON CAROLWOOD DRIVE?

Chase: THAT DAY, YES. (Rehearsals were held at the Staples Center.)

Chase states she prepared Michael dinner later that night (June 24th). Chase states Michael requested the same tuna salad he had had for lunch to take with him to rehearsals. She states she did not prepare him anything else.

Brazil: WHEN YOU PREPARED DINNERS WHILE AT THE JACKSON RESIDENCE, WOULD IT BE YOUR CUSTOM TO PREPARE DINNER AND TO PUT IN THE REFRIGERATOR FOR MR. JACKSON OR ANYONE ELSE TO EAT AFTER REHEARSAL OR LATER IN THE EVENING AFTER YOU HAD LEFT?

Chase: WELL, IT WAS A REQUEST TO HAVE MR. JACKSON'S MEALS PREPARED FOR HIM WHEN HE RETURNED HOME FROM REHEARSAL AND POSSIBLY DR. MURRAY AS WELL.

Chase states she prepared a Tuscan white bean soup for Michael and/or Murray to eat after rehearsals. She states she left the soup in the refrigerator. Kai states she left the residence on the 24th at approximately 10:00 p.m.

Chase agrees she is familiar with what kind of car Murray drove when he arrived at Carolwood.

Chase: I BELIEVE IT WAS A CHARCOAL GRAY BMW 650 CONVERTIBLE.

Chase states she did not see Murray's car parked at the residence when she left.

Chase states she arrived at the residence between 8:00 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. on June 25th, 2009. Chase states she entered the residence through the service entrance on the side of the house, which was typical of her routine as the entrance is near the kitchen. She states upon her arrival she began preparing breakfast for the children which included granola and almond milk and setting place mats for them to begin their breakfast. She then began preparing juices for Michael and his breakfast as well. Chase states that the soup/items prepared the night before were still in the refrigerator, "untouched".

Chase states that after preparing breakfast she began preparing lunch.

Brazil: DID YOU REMAIN AT THE RESIDENCE OR GO TO THE MARKET?

Chase: I WENT TO THE MARKET WHICH WAS DOWN THE STREET, SO IT TOOK ME ABOUT 30 MINUTES TO COME BACK. THEN I STARTED PREPARING THE LUNCH.

Chase states she went to the market between 9:00 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. She states she returned at approximately 9:45 a.m. She states upon her arrival back to the residence she began preparing lunch. She states nothing unusual was going on at the residence when she returned.

Chase confirms the normal time for lunch for Michael and his children was 12:30 p.m. She states this time was pretty consistent.
Chase states contrary to normal custom, Murray did not pick up the juice she had prepared on the morning of the 25th. Chase states the first time she saw Murray on the 25th was between 12:05 p.m. and 12:10 p.m. Chase states she is certain of the time based on her being a chef, given a part of her job is to prepare meals for a certain time period. She states she checked her cell phone to make sure she was on-time. She states she was making sure she was on track to meet the 12:30 p.m. timeframe.

Brazil: DESCRIBE THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT YOU SAW DR. MURRAY SHORTLY AFTER 12:00 NOON ON JUNE 25, 2009?

Chase: DR. MURRAY CAME DOWN THE STAIRWELL THAT LED INTO THE KITCHEN PARTIALLY, IN A PANIC AND SCREAMED TO GET HELP, TO GET PRINCE, AND TO CALL FOR SECURITY.

Chase states she immediately dropped what she was doing and ran into the den where the children were playing to retrieve Prince.

Brazil: WHAT DID YOU SAY TO PRINCE?

Murray: I SAID TO PRINCE, "HURRY. DR. MURRAY IS ASKING FOR YOU. I THINK THERE MAY BE SOMETHING WRONG WITH YOUR DAD."

Brazil: WHAT DID YOU SEE PRINCE DO?

Chase: PRINCE AND I THEN CAME TOGETHER BACK INTO THE KITCHEN, RUNNING INTO THE KITCHEN. PRINCE WENT TO GO TO DR. MURRAY, AND I WENT BACK TO WORK.

Chase states at this time Murray was at the top of the stairwell. Chase states when Prince went upstairs, she remained in the kitchen.

Chase states she began to hear the housekeepers cry. The housekeepers were in an open area between the kitchen and a hallway.

Brazil: WAS THE NEXT THING THAT YOU SAW OR HEARD?

Chase: I APPROACHED THE HOUSEKEEPERS, ASKED WHAT THE CAUSE WAS OF THE TEARS, AND THEY HAD MENTIONED THERE MAY BE SOMETHING WRONG WITH MR. JACKSON.

Chase confirms one of the housekeepers told her the statement above.

Chase states shortly after seeing the crying housekeepers she saw Prince. She states she saw Prince with his siblings in the foyer on the first floor near the kitchen.

Chase states at this point she, all three children, the housekeepers, and a nanny were present in the area between the kitchen and the den. Chase states they began consoling each other, praying and holding hands.

Brazil: WHAT WAS THE NEXT THING THAT HAPPENED?

Chase: PARAMEDICS HAD ARRIVED. I HAD SEEN PARAMEDICS RUNNING UP THE STAIRS AND SECURITY RUNNING UP THE STAIRS.

Chase says she was in the foyer when paramedics arrived. Chase states she never went up the stairs when paramedics arrived. Chase states she remained at the residence up until 1:00 p.m. It was at that time she was asked to leave by security. Chase says she did not see the paramedics leave before her departure.

Brazil begins to show Chase some photographs.

The first photograph is of the kitchen area of the Carolwood residence. Via a pointer, Chase indicates where she was in the kitchen when she saw Murray.

Chase indicates she was at the corner of a island in the kitchen when she was instructed by Murray to summons Prince and call security.

Chase states there is a stairway that leads to the kitchen. She assumes they lead to the upstairs but never went up the stairs herself. She states she does not know what is on the second floor.

Chase indicates via a pointer that Murray was between the third and fourth banister posts on the staircase when he descended them for Prince and security. Chase states Murray was leaning over the banister area of the stairs when he called out to her.

Brazil: WHEN DR. MURRAY CALLED OUT TO YOU AND INSTRUCTED YOU TO GET PRINCE AND GET SECURITY, DID HE EVER ASK YOU OR INSTRUCT YOU TO CALL 911?

Chase: NO.

Chase states she did not see and does not know what Murray did after he called for her to get Prince and get security.

Chase is asked to look at another photograph and state for the record where Murray was located on the stairs when asking for Prince and security.

Chase confirms as soon as Murray came down and instructed her to get Prince and security, she went into the den area with the children. Chase states how she got to the den via the kitchen. There is some discussion about directions and the railing on the stairs.

Brazil: MS. CHASE, WHEN DR. MURRAY CAME DOWNSTAIRS AT APPROXIMATELY 12:00 OR 12:05 ON JUNE 25, 2009 AND INSTRUCTED YOU TO GET PRINCE AND GET SECURITY, DID YOU HAVE ANY DIFFICULTY UNDERSTANDING ANYTHING THAT HE SAID TO YOU?

Chase: INITIALLY. THERE WAS MUSIC PLAYING IN THE HOME, AND IT WAS A LITTLE DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND HIS ACCENT, BUT HE HAD SHOUTED SEVERAL TIMES.

Brazil: WHEN HE SHOUTED TO YOU, DID HE EVER SHOUT, "CALL 911"?

Chase: NO, HE DID NOT.

Chase confirms she is certain he did not ask for her to call 911. She states he remained at the top portion of the stairs.

Chase states Murray "seemed in a panic" when he asked for Prince and security. She is then asked if she ever saw Murray again after June 25th, 2009. She states she did not.

Chase confirms that another staircase in one of the photographs shown leads up to the upstairs but is a different staircase than the one in the kitchen. Brazil ends her direct examination of Chase.

CROSS-EXAMINATION: MR. LOW

Low introduces himself to Chase as they had not met previously. He then begins his questioning.

Chase states she worked for Michael in March. She was "let go" in May but brought back in June.

Chase confirms her duties as a chef as previously mentioned which included preparing means for others other than the Jackson family, including Murray.

Chase agrees that Michael was "proud" of her cooking.

Low: NOW, IS IT TRUE THAT MR. JACKSON KIND OF HAD A PARTICULAR DIET, IN THAT HE LIKED VERY HEALTHY FOOD?

Chase: NO, MR. JACKSON REQUIRED HEALTHY FOOD. I WAS HIRED TO COOK HEALTHY ORGANIC MEALS FOR MR. JACKSON AND HIS CHILDREN.

Chase confirms she was told "we need you to cook healthy food for Michael Jackson".

Low: IN FACT, DR. MURRAY HAD SOME COMMENTS OR CONTRIBUTION. IN FACT, YOU HAVE SPOKEN TO HIM A NUMBER OF TIMES ABOUT WHAT THAT DIET MIGHT CONSIST OF?

Chase states he did "briefly".

Chase states Michael was required to eat well because of the tour.

Low attempts to ask Chase why it was "required" that the food be healthy.

Chase: BECAUSE HE WANTED TO BE HEALTHY, WANTED HIS CHILDREN TO EAT HEALTHY AND ORGANIC.

Low asks who required the meals prepared be healthy but Chase misunderstand the question and states "the children" were the ones who required such. Low attempts to re-ask the question of who required the meals to be healthy and if anyone other than Michael required her to prepare the food healthy. She states "no".

Chase confirms she had not been to the second floor because there was no reason for her to be up there given she is a chef and her role places her in the kitchen. She states that working for high-powered clients, she uses her professional judgment and understands the need for privacy.

Chase confirms she did not go into a bedroom in the Carolwood residence.

Chase states people did have access to the second floor. Those people included the children but no one else.

Low: SO IS IT FAIR TO SAY YOU HAVE NEVER SEEN SOMEONE, SAY, LIKE DR. CONRAD MURRAY ASCEND THE STAIRS AND GO UP TO THE SECOND LEVEL?

Chase: THE AREA WHERE I WORKED WAS THE KITCHEN AREA. SO IF THERE WAS ANYONE OTHER THAN HIS CHILDREN, THEY WOULD COME DOWN INTO THE KITCHEN. THAT IS WHAT I WOULD SEE, COMING DOWN INTO THE KITCHEN.

Low: NOW, HAD YOU EVER SEEN DR. CONRAD MURRAY COME DOWN THOSE SAME SET OF STAIRS PRIOR TO JUNE 25, 2009?

Chase concurs.

Low: ABOUT HOW MANY TIMES DO YOU THINK DURING THE COURSE OF YOUR EMPLOYMENT THERE?

Chase: WELL, EVERY DAY, EVERY OTHER DAY, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

Low asks Chase if Murray ever came down the stairs with anything else. She states he did--he would come down with oxygen tanks.

Low: WHEN YOU SAY OXYGEN TANKS, CAN YOU DESCRIBE WHAT YOU SAW OR WHAT THAT LOOKED LIKE?

Chase: THEY WERE METAL TANKS. BLACK, GREEN.

Chase confirms they had a valve on top and maybe hoses. She confirms they were similar to the oxygen tanks sometimes seen used by the elderly, which are at times portable and on wheels.

Chase states she believes Michael was 49 at the time of his death (he was 50). She states she was unaware of any health issues that required him to have "a regular dose of oxygen".

Chase confirms again she used the side service entrance to enter the residence when she arrived at work. She states the door would be locked. She states she unlocked the door by "security and I would knock, and the children would answer the door". She clarifies the children or whomever was in the home would open the door for her, not security themselves. Chase confirms every time she came to work, someone had to let her into the house. She did not have a key to the door and does not know if anyone had a key to the door.

Low shifts focus onto June 25th. Chase confirms that Murray coming down the stairs was her first indication as to something being wrong with Michael.

Chase states Murray looked as if he was in a panic, as if time was of the essence. She felt what he had to say was important and agreed it was important, the situation and his requests were important.

Low: AND ONE OF THE THINGS HE SAID WAS THAT HE WANTED TO FIND THE KIDS; IS THAT TRUE?

Chase: HE ASKED ME TO GET SECURITY AND TO GET PRINCE.

Low: SO WE HAVE TWO THINGS HE WANTS RIGHT NOW. SECURITY IS NUMBER ONE; IS THIS CORRECT?

Chase concurs, and concurs that Prince was second. She states Murray did not say why he required security and Prince and she did not ask him, either. She states after that point he did not ask anything else of her. She states Murray did not ask her to "call security on the phone".

(Side note--why would Murray, the personal physician, be asking Chase, the chef, to get security when he had not one but two cell phones with him that morning and should have been able to call them and 911 as well? It was minutes later Murray called Michael's personal assistant who was not at the residence. He never called 911 himself.)

Chase states Murray did not ask anything else of her and it took about 2 seconds to retrieve Prince after dropping everything she was doing.

Low: THEN WHAT DID YOU DO, MA'AM?

Chase: PRINCE AND I RAN BACK INTO THE KITCHEN, AND I PROCEEDED TO GO BACK TO MY WORK.

Chase is asked why she decided not to call security. She states it was because "Prince was in her eyesight". Low repeats the question.

Low: I UNDERSTAND THAT. WHAT ABOUT THE PART ABOUT CALLING SECURITY. WHY DID YOU DECIDE NOT TO DO THAT?

Chase: WELL, DR. MURRAY WAS IN A PANIC. PRINCE WAS IN MY EYESIGHT. I FIGURED THAT WOULD BE THE BEST THING TO DO INSTEAD OF GOING OUTSIDE TO GO GET SECURITY. I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS TAKING PLACE. I JUST KNEW SOMETHING WAS VERY URGENT.

Low against asks why Chase did not call security. She states again it was because Prince was in her line of vision and states if she were to go outside of the house and locate security it could have taken longer. She states she felt the best choice was to get Prince and take him to Murray. She states she brought Prince into the area and then went back to work. Chase states she believes Prince and Murray were together when she began working again.

Low asks for a moment to confer with his counsel.


Low asks Chase about Sister Rose or Rosalind. Chase confirms seeing her the morning of the 25th with the children in the den. Chase confirms she saw Faheem Muhammad on the morning of the 25th outside in the courtyard but nowhere else. She states she also saw Alberto Alvarez outside in the courtyard. She states she did not see them leave the home. Chase confirms that being in the kitchen she has limited view of the rest of the house outside of the kitchen.

Chase is asked if she knows Michael Amir (Williams). She states she does. She states she does not recall seeing him on the 25th.

Low asks Chase about her cell phone. She confirms she keeps it in her right pocket of her bistro apron. She states her cell phone has the time listed digitally. Low attempts to ask her if she is estimating the time to have been between 12:05 p.m. and 12:10 p.m. She states she was not looking at her phone when Murray was at the stairs.

Chase: AFTER I LOOKED AT MY PHONE, IT WAS NO MORE THAN A FEW MINUTES UNTIL I SAW DR. MURRAY, YES. IT WAS AROUND THAT TIME FRAME.

Chase is asked to estimate the time that went by until paramedics arrived. She states that being in the kitchen she is unsure of when the paramedics arrived given her limited view of the house.

Low: CAN YOU GIVE US AN IDEA THEN FROM THE TIME YOU SAW DR. MURRAY TO THE TIME YOU WERE ABLE TO LOCATE PRINCE, COMMUNICATE WITH PRINCE, AND BRING PRINCE BACK INTO YOUR WORK STATION, WHICH IS THE KITCHEN, CAN YOU GIVE US A BALLPARK ON TIME FOR THAT?

Chase: TWO MINUTES.

Chase states she is unsure who let the paramedics into the house. He concludes his cross-examination.

REDIRECT EXAMINATION: MS. BRAZIL

Chase state she would typically begin preparing juices for Michael around 8:30 a.m. each morning. She again states Murray would typically come down around 10:00 a.m. for the juices.

Chase again confirms looking at her phone at approximately 12:05 p.m. and then seeing Murray at the stairs minutes later. Chase agrees she believes it was less than 5 minutes later.

Brazil: WHEN YOU RAN TO THE STAIR AREA NEAR THE KITCHEN, WERE YOU ABLE TO SEE DR. MURRAY? WAS HE STILL IN YOUR EYESIGHT?

Chase: HE WAS STILL A LITTLE IN MY EYESIGHT, YES.

Chase state she was told to "Get Prince, get security" and thus chose to get Prince because he was in the other room. Chase states Murray did not say to get Prince "or" security, nor did he say get Prince "and" get security. The answer is then stricken because of an objection for leading the witness. Chase again confirms she chose to get Prince over security because Prince was within her eyesight and security was located outside. Brazil finishes her re-direct examination.

RECROSS-EXAMINATION: MR. LOW

Chase confirms Murray's sense of urgency transferred upon her as well confirms the chain of events that followed were due to that sense of urgency.

Low: BECAUSE YOU COULD TELL FROM DR. MURRAY'S DEMEANOR THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG THERE?

Chase: THAT IS NOT WHEN WE STARTED CRYING, NO.

Chase confirms it was later on that they began crying. She agrees she had not been upstairs to see what was wrong, though.

Low asks if she had never been to the foyer to see the paramedics arrive. She states that is false. She states she saw an empty gurney. She states the housekeepers first began to cry. She states there was an energy in the house that something was wrong.

Chase: WELL, IT WAS A FEELING OF -- IT WAS JUST YOU WERE UNCERTAIN OF WHAT WAS GOING ON, BUT YOU KNEW SOMETHING DIDN'T FEEL RIGHT. THE HOME WAS A HAPPY HOME. THERE WAS MUSIC ALWAYS PLAYING, AND THERE WAS A GREAT SENSE OF GOOD FEELING. KIDS WERE PLAYING, AND DOGS AND CATS AND ANIMALS AND EVERYTHING. IT KIND OF JUST SAT STILL AT THAT POINT.

Chase confirms that the happy environment was a reason she liked working there.

Chase again states she does not know what Murray was doing after he called for Prince.

Low finishes his re-cross examination and the witness is excused.