Like Father, Like Son? Conrad Murray's Dad Once Cited for Medical Misconduct

July 23, 2009— -- As investigators sifted through the evidence from the raids on the office and storage unit of Michael Jackson's doctor, Dr. Conrad Murray, ABCNews.com learned that Murray's father once ran afoul of the Texas Board of Medical Examiners for over-prescribing pain medications.

Murray's father, Dr. Rawle Andrews, a well-respected Houston physician, now deceased, had his medical license restricted by the board in 1994 for prescribing "controlled substances and substances with addictive potential" to two patients for "extended periods of time without adequate indication," according to documents obtained by ABCNews.com.

In its report, the board singled out four "dangerous" drugs that it would be monitoring for a five-year period: stadol, a painkiller often used during labor; nubain, a painkiller similar to stadol; phenergan, a drug used to treat severe allergic reactions; and talwin, a potent painkiller often used as a supplement to anesthesia.

Click here to read the documents.

Investigators looking into Jackson's death believe that someone was intravenously administering propofol, a powerful sedative, to Jackson at his home.

Medical experts have soundly agreed that a drug like propofol, which is typically used in the hospital to sedate patients for surgery or other medical procedures, should not be used in the home.

Murray's lawyers have maintained for weeks that the doctor was simply a witness in Jackson's death and had nothing to do with it.

Murray's Father Was Widely Respected

His attorney's spokeswoman, Miranda Sevcik, said that any wrongdoing of Murray's father has nothing to do with the son's predicament.

"This is not relevant to Dr. Murray or the investigation into Michael's death," Sevcik said.

She added that Murray, in 20 years of practicing medicine, has never had his license suspended or a malpractice claim filed against him.

"To me, that's much more relevant than what his dead father may have been accused of 25 years ago," Sevcik said.

As part of the five-year restriction of his medical license, Andrews was required to complete two, two-week courses on pain management and the prevention and treatment of drug abuse. He was also required to keep separate records on any controlled substances he prescribed and to make those records available to the board, and to appear before the board once a year.

After he complied with all the provisions, the restrictions on Andrews' license were lifted completely in 1999. He continued his practice, the Andrews Medical Clinic, which he opened in 1964, until two months before his death in 2001.

News of Andrews' misconduct came as a surprise to the Rev. F. N. Williams, one of his long-time patients who also conducted his funeral.

"I think he was picked out by God to be a doctor," Williams said. "He had a concern and a caring heart. He turned nobody away. His office stayed packed. He would go home, get a call and go, just like the old country doctors that would go to the houses. He stayed with my mother 'til she passed."

Williams said Andrews was widely respected in the community.

"Whenever his foot hit the hospital, they started jumping," he said. "They knew if he found anything out of order, he would go to the supervisor of the hospital and say, 'you've got to get this corrected now.'"

Andrews' practice was in the Acres Homes area, an impoverished African-American neighborhood in northwest Houston. There, he helped form the Acres Homes Citizen Council, which gave a voice to the community, and provided scholarships for needy students.

"He was the great leader of the community," Williams said.

Five years after his father's death, Murray, who also attended the same medical school as his father -- Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tenn. -- opened his Houston practice, the Acres Home Heart and Vascular Institute, as something of a tribute to his father.

Murray Saved Pastor's Life

Williams credits Murray for saving his life. While on a trip to Las Vegas, where Murray also lives and practices medicine, Williams experienced chest pain. He said Murray performed surgery, putting several stents in his heart, and saved his life.

Williams is equally surprised to learn that Murray is at the center of an investigation into Jackson's death.

"Hell, he won't give me medicine," he said. "He doesn't believe in giving you a lot of pills. I don't believe he was raised to believe in that."