Michael Jackson's body to be exhumed?

Michael Jackson's body may have to be exhumed as part of Conrad Murray's involuntary manslaughter trial next year, it has been claimed.

According to the News of the World, lawyers for the doctor want to challenge allegations that he killed the late popstar with an overdose of Propofol. They reportedly want to contest the original autopsy and prove that Jackson could have died from other forms of drug misuse.

A family friend said: "This is a horrifying situation the family have been dreading. They laid Michael to rest and for him to return is just sick."

Attorney Ed Chernoff has allegedly already been granted permission to retest frozen samples taken from Jackson's body after his death.

The source added: "If the tests don't concur with the coroner's findings, they have the start of a strong defence. The logical next step would be to exhume the body to make new tests."