The official said that three weeks into the case, investigators from the Los Angeles Police Department, the county coroner's office, the district attorney's office and the Drug Enforcement Administration remain "so far away" from concluding their investigation.Widespread reports about the imminent arrest of one or more of Jackson's physicians are wrongheaded, he said."They are not suspects," he said of several doctors who were ordered to turn over Jackson's medical files to authorities.

"They are repositories of medical history.There's been a high level of cooperation."He also discounted reports that the singer's death might have been a suicide attempt, saying there was no evidence to suggest that.The DEA would likely play a role in looking at Jackson's doctors, the drugs they prescribed and whether the doctors were registered with the DEA to prescribe those substances as federal law requires. Also, investigators are expected to look at the sources of the drugs provided to Jackson or his associates to determine if there was a pattern of trafficking.

Multiple law enforcement sources confirmed that the Jackson investigation is unfolding more slowly than the sometimes-breathless coverage has suggested. At one point, there were widespread reports that the coroner's office would release results of Jackson's toxicology report as early as Monday. Officials now say that will likely take longer.If the toxicology report indicates that Jackson's death was caused by propofol, the powerful anesthetic found in his home, prosecutors could bring charges against doctors or others involved in giving him the drug. Prosecutors have discussed a range of possible charges in that scenario "all the way up to involuntary manslaughter," the senior law enforcement official said.

But the sources agreed that the probe may end without criminal charges directly related to the death. Even if the coroner declares the case a homicide, authorities may not pursue charges, said one source familiar with the investigation.