The fingerprints of Michael Jackson’s bodyguard, Alberto Alvarez, are not on a saline bag that he testified to removing from an IV stand at Dr. Conrad Murray’s request, ABC News has learned.

ABC News

The news could be trouble for prosecutors in Murray’s manslaughter trial. Prosecutors say that Murray was reckless in his care of Jackson and when it became clear that Jackson was in cardiac arrest, Murray took steps to cover up his alleged wrongdoing. 

Alvarez told jurors last week that Murray asked him to remove vials of propofol and a saline bag hanging on an IV stand during the time that they were waiting for first responders to arrive to Jackson’s rented mansion.

“I thought we were packing, getting ready to go to the hospital,” Alvarez testified on Sept. 29.  “I recall that while I was detaching it [the saline bag] from the IV stand, the bag was at my eye level.  I was able to notice that there was a bottle inside this bag.”

Alvarez’s fingerprints were not on any vials either, sources told ABC News. 

Alvarez said the bottle appeared to have a milky, white substance in it. Propofol, a powerful anesthetic, is sometimes referred to as “milk” by addicts.  Jackson, 50, died of a drug overdose of propofol on June 25, 2009 after a night of rehearsing for a grueling 50-night comeback tour dubbed “This Is It.”

During cross-examination last week, defense attorneys tried to chip away at Alvarez’s claims that he had moved vials and a saline bag for Murray. Defense attorneys repeatedly questioned the bodyguard about why he never mentioned packing the vials and IV bag to police on the day Jackson died, but instead waited nearly two months to tell law enforcement.

 Alvarez testified that news reports about the milky propofol sparked his memory and made him tell law enforcement.

In addition to the lack of Alvarez’s fingerprints on the saline bag and vials, ABC News has also learned from sources close to the investigation that Michael Jackson’s fingerprints were not on any of the vials of propofol found on Murray or in Jackson’s bedroom.  The defense has claimed that Jackson himself took a lethal dose of propofol and another sedative without Murray’s knowledge on the day he died.