Ramonans React to Conrad Murray Verdict; Doctor Convicted in Michael Jackson's Death

Patch went to two Ramona coffee houses on Monday to get the public's responses to . Murray was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in Jackson's death in 2009, which was ruled homicide by a Los Angeles medical examiner. The cause was determined to be the surgical anesthetic Propofol combined with two sedatives.

The verdict means that Murray was found to have caused Jackson's death but without malice or premeditation. He was remanded into custody in Los Angeles County Jail without bail. Sentencing will be Nov. 29.

A crowd outside Los Angeles Superior Court screamed and shouted the word "Guilty" as people heard the verdict. One person let out a high-pitched gasp in the courtroom.

Reactions in Ramona ranged from not caring to sadness to criticism of Murray. One response was from a medical person, speaking just for himself.

"It was very stupid," said Eung Kim, a San Diego anesthesiologist who was passing through Ramona with a friend. Kim was getting coffee at on Main Street.

"It goes beyond common sense," he said of Murray's involvement. "I would never do such a thing. People stop breathing on Propofol all the time. It's something that doctors anticipate. It could have been prevented."

Kim said there are several ways a patient can be helped to breathe again, such as a device called the Ambu Bag.

"It's a mask that you place on a patient's face," Kim said. "It's self-inflating so you don't have to inflate it.

"Murray could have used some safeguards but it doesn't seem like he had any with him. His plan B was calling 9-11."

Ramona resident Randy Thommarson concurred, as he ate dinner at

"He was definitely at fault. Doctors have backup plans for that sort of thing. He didn't have a backup," Thommarson said.

Michael Burg of Ramona commented that the verdict was no surprise because Murray seemed negligent in his opinion.

"I didn't follow it much but that's what all the reports seemed to show," he said.

Ramona Cafe waitress Jessica Martinez said she didn't care at first, but then realized the impact of the ruling.

"At first, I was like, 'Whatever," but then I was like, 'Wow.'"

Eung Kim's friend Jane Miller of San Diego told Patch at Packards Coffeeshop, "It's tragic for everyone. It feels as if the doctor got caught in a situation where he got manipulated by his client's power. Michael Jackson, wielding a lot of power, was able to call the shots."

Samantha Seidl, age 20, offered an opinion as she worked behind the counter at Packards Coffeeshop. "Everyone my age just doesn’t want to hear about it anymore. We just want to let the family go. But knowing Michael Jackson’s family, there’ll always be something. My friend says there’ll probably be a movie made out of it."

"They had to blame someone," Jerry Pendzick of San Diego said. He and his wife were traveling through Ramona on their way home from Phoenix. As they ate at Ramona Cafe, Pendzick told Patch, "I don't believe the doctor is the issue. He was just a member of the entourage. They had to blame someone. Jackson wasn't of a stable mental background. He was in the habit of doing stuff to himself."

Pendzick's wife, Val, told Patch, "I'm sorry that they had to find someone to blame. He's gone and we can't bring him back. It's quite a loss. It's sad that the doctor has to be punished for it. "

The Pendzicks said they have listened to Jackson's music over the years.

""Thriller was amazing," Jerry Pendzick said. "When I traveled overseas, he was gigantic. Much more so than here in the U.S. They love him in Asia."