Michael Jackson buried, 2.5 months later to be on A&E????

After 2.5 months since his death, Michael Jackson is finally buried.

Guests kept waiting as family arrives late for private ceremony

Sep 04, 2009 04:30 AM

GLENDALE, Calif.–Michael Jackson was entombed last night with the likes of Clark Gable, Jean Harlow and W.C. Fields, in a grand marble mausoleum that will be all but off-limits to adoring fans who might otherwise turn the pop star's grave into a shrine.

The funeral began about an hour and a half late because of the tardy arrival of his parents, Joe and Katherine, and other family members. They included the singer's three children, Prince Michael, 12, Paris Michael, 10, and Prince Michael II, 7, known as Blanket.

Police had escorted the family's motorcade of 31 cars, including Rolls-Royces and Cadillacs, from Encino to Forest Lawn Glendale cemetery, with the hearse bearing Jackson's body at the end.The service was held one month after a lavish public memorial that displayed the King of Pop's gleaming golden casket to millions on TV.

Among those in attendance were Jackson's close friend actress Elizabeth Taylor, controversial former baseball star Barry Bonds and Macaulay Culkin. The 77-year-old Taylor and about 200 other mourners were left waiting in the late summer heat, with the temperature stuck at 32 Celsius just before sunset.

Lisa Burk, who blogs about celebrity graves at www.gravehunting.com, said the Jackson family chose well for his final resting place if it was privacy they were after.

"It's impossible to get in there," Burk said. "It was before, and it will be worse now."

In court on Wednesday, it was disclosed that 12 burial spaces were being purchased by Jackson's estate at Forest Lawn Glendale, north of downtown Los Angeles, but no details were offered on how they would be used.

The King of Pop died a drug-induced death June 25 at age 50. The coroner's office has labelled the death a homicide.

Dr. Conrad Murray, Jackson's personal physician, told detectives he gave the singer a series of sedatives and the powerful anesthetic propofol to help him sleep.

But prosecutors are still investigating, and no charges have been filed.

Associated Press

 

Michael Jackson's death ruled as a homicide

This is no revelation, I posted my prediction days after his death.

Aug 24, 2009 05:34 PM

Thomas Watkins

ASSOCIATED PRESS

LOS ANGELES–The Los Angeles County coroner has ruled Michael Jackson's death a homicide, a law enforcement official said today.

The finding makes it more likely criminal charges will be filed against the doctor who was with the pop star when he died.

The coroner determined a fatal combination of drugs was given to Jackson hours before he died June 25 in his rented Los Angeles mansion, according to the official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the findings have not been publicly released.

Forensic tests found the powerful anesthetic propofol acted together with at least two sedatives to cause Jackson's death, the official said.

Dr. Conrad Murray, a Las Vegas cardiologist who became Jackson's personal physician weeks before his death, is the target of a manslaughter investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department.

According to a search warrant affidavit unsealed Monday in Houston, Murray told investigators he administered a 25 milligram dose of propofol around 10:40 a.m., after spending the night injecting Jackson with two sedatives in an unsuccessful attempt to get him to sleep.

The warrant, dated July 23, states that lethal levels of propofol were found in Jackson's system. Besides the propofol and two sedatives, the coroner's toxicology report found other substances in Jackson's system but they were not believed to have been a factor in the singer's death, the official said.

Murray has spoken to police and last week released a video saying he "told the truth and I have faith the truth will prevail."

His attorney, Edward Chernoff, had no immediate comment but has previously said Murray never administered anything that "should have" killed Jackson.

A call to the coroner's office was not returned Monday. Murray did not say anything about the drugs he gave to Jackson.

Michael Jackson Tribute to be televised globally

VIENNA – Next month's tribute to Michael Jackson on the grounds of a 17th century palace in Vienna will feature a three-hour, star-studded show to be televised live to a global audience of 1 billion people, the event promoter said Tuesday.

Georg Kindel of World Awards Media GmbH said negotiations are ongoing with networks over rights to broadcast what's being billed as Jackson's main global tribute, and the pop legend's brother Jermaine is assembling the lineup of about 10 "of the biggest artists of our time."

"Jermaine thinks maybe 1 billion people will watch the television show," Kindel said in an interview with The Associated Press. "It will be a very special evening for the millions of fans around the globe."

Austrian media reported that Madonna, U2, Lionel Richie and Whitney Houston might be among the artists performing 15-20 Jackson hits on a crown-shaped outdoor stage in front of Schoenbrunn Palace. But Kindel said the lineup is still in the works.

"I don't even know myself" who will take the stage, he said.

The event will be held in the second half of September, he said. Organizers have pledged to announce the date and lineup soon. Tickets go on sale Aug. 20.

Kindel said the show — conceived amid a flurry of events honoring Jackson since his death June 25 in Los Angeles — also will feature family members and unidentified Hollywood stars reminiscing as images and video clips of Jackson are screened.

"It will be about Michael Jackson the man and the humanitarian," he said, adding that a "significant portion" of the proceeds will benefit several charities, including the Larry King Cardiac Foundation, which helps patients who can't afford heart surgery.

Kindel said the tribute originally was planned for London's Wembley Stadium on Aug. 29, which would have been Jackson's 51st birthday, but that Jermaine Jackson decided instead on Vienna. The singer had been rehearsing for a series of London concerts at the time of his death.

Kindel said the switch took him by surprise: "Everyone was expecting it would be staged maybe in London or New York or Los Angeles," he said.

Explaining Vienna as a venue, Jermaine Jackson told "Larry King Live" on Friday that his brother loved the city and "loved castles."

After Kindel organized a Jackson remembrance held last month outside a mothballed nuclear power plant west of Vienna, Jermaine Jackson spent a few hours touring Schoenbrunn, which his brother also had visited.

"He was really fascinated and said, 'This is a really royal and ideal place for such a tribute to Michael,'" Kindel told the AP.

The majestic yellow palace and its sprawling, sculpted gardens are nothing like Los Angeles' Staples Center, where a big Jackson memorial was held last month, Kindel said.

"You can't compare it with a real historic palace which was built hundreds of years ago," he said in his downtown Vienna office.

"This is not Disneyland," Kindel said. But he added: "There's a zoo, there are parks ... I think (Michael Jackson) would like the site. It's a little bit like Neverland, but much bigger."

Jackson's death will be investigated for homicide

I can't believe it has took them this long to figure it out. D'oh, didn't I say from the beginning this was a criminal case. There was a no reason Michael Jackson had to be on all those medications, the doctor/drug dealer was getting paid $150,000 a month (a drug dealers dream) by Jackson's employer AEG. So the doctor did what Michael asked and that mistake killed him. This doctor needs to go down. It only takes one person to figure all this out, and it's me. IT WAS A CRIME SCENE! PROSECUTE THE DOCTOR FOR MURDER!!

There is no difference between a doctor who gives meds in exchange for money and a drug dealer.

There is no difference between a patient who abuses prescription drugs and a drug addict.

Folks, this was a drug dealer and a drug addict situation. It was crime, plain and simple.

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- The Jackson family knows that the probe into singer Michael Jackson's death could turn into a criminal case, a source close to the family told CNN Thursday.

"The family is aware of a potential criminal prosecution," the source, who did not want to be identified, said.

The comments came on the same day that Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton said detectives were awaiting the coroner's report to decide whether to proceed with the investigation as a homicide or an accidental overdose.

Bratton said detectives have spoken to a number of doctors who have treated Jackson over the years and are looking into the singer's prescription drug history.

"We are still awaiting corroboration from the coroner's office as to cause of death. That is going to be very dependent on the toxicology reports that are due to come back," Bratton told CNN. "And based on those, we will have an idea of what it is we are dealing [with]: are we dealing with a homicide or are we dealing with accidental overdose?"

Doctors who did not cooperate with investigators were issued subpoenas, another source told CNN Thursday. If needed, authorities will issue more, the source said.

Bratton also said investigators are being assisted by agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration and the state attorney general's office on a case that he called "a comprehensive set of inquiries."

"At the time of the death with search warrants, we were able to seize a number of items from the residence where the death occurred and those will assist in the investigation," he said.

Bratton did not elaborate on what police found.

A source involved with the investigation told CNN earlier investigators found numerous bottles of prescription drugs in the singer's $100,000-a-month rented mansion in Holmby Hills. The Associated Press and The Los Angeles Times, citing unnamed sources, said police also found the powerful sedative Diprivan.

"We've got very good investigators. They will be prepared to deal with whatever the coroner's findings may be," Bratton said.

"He has his role and responsibility; we have our role and responsibility. The next move, really, is his."

Police find 20 types of drugs in Jackson's home

With more information coming out about the death of Jackson, perhaps it was time for Michael Jackson to go, perhaps it was meant to be?

Sunday, a judge signed search warrants connected to the investigation of Jackson's death, Los Angeles County Superior Court spokesperson Allan Parachini said.

Police 'find methadone' in Jackson's home

Police reportedly found 20 types of drugs in Michael Jackson's Los Angeles mansion, including the heroin substitute methadone.

(BANG) -

Methadone was reportedly found in Michael Jackson's home.

The heroin substitute and 19 other types of drugs, including potentially lethal painkillers and anesthetics, were recovered from the pop legend's Los Angeles mansion by police investigating his death last Thursday (25.06.09).

A source said: "The Jackson mansion was more like a drug store than someone's home."

Other drugs found included Fentanyl, a powerful painkiller given to terminal cancer patients and Oxycontin, another painkiller dubbed 'Hillbilly Heroin'.

Some of the medications had Michael's name on the label but many were labeled with other names, while some didn't have any labels.

It is thought Michael used different aliases to obtain his prescriptions including the names of his bodyguards and a doctor's manager.

The 50-year-old star died after a suspected cardiac arrest, amid claims it was caused by an accidental drug overdose.

Police are now said to be searching for those who helped supply Michael with the deadly cocktail of drugs and are considering manslaughter charges as the prescription medicines who reportedly obtained without regard for his safety.

The source added to Britain's The Sun newspaper: "Powerful narcotic painkillers of all kinds were found. There was no reasonable excuse for them all being there. Using more than one of this type of drug can be potentially fatal. But there were 10 in house - it's unbelievable.

"Police want to know whether other people named on the medicine labels really needed the drugs prescribed to them and will be speaking to all doctors involved. The drugs found remain at the very heart of the investigation into the death of Michael Jackson."

At least four doctors, including Michael's personal physician Dr. Conrad Murray, are also at the centre of the investigation.

However, according to Murray's legal team he is not considered a suspect and is co-operating with the investigation.

He has denied injecting Michael with the painkiller Demerol before he died or prescribing the father-of-three with either Demerol or OxyContin.

(C) BANG Media International

Jackson public viewing

thestar.com staff and wire services

Despite a variety of denials this week, Michael Jackson's body will indeed be heading to his beloved Neverland Ranch, both CNN and TMZ.com are reporting.

Law-enforcement sources have told TMZ that "upwards of a 30-car motorcade – including Jackson's body – will be travelling from Los Angeles to Neverland at 10 a.m. on Thursday."

A public viewing will take place Friday, followed by a private memorial service on Sunday, CNN reports.

A spokesman for the Santa Barbara County fire department confirmed that fire officials, California Highway Patrol and county sheriffs officials were meeting Tuesday to discuss the contingencies of a public viewing.

"The Santa Barbara County Fire Department is willing to accommodate the Jackson family with whatever request they have regarding a funeral procession should they have one," spokesman David Sadecki said.

Neverland is located in the rolling hills of central California's wine country, about 240 kilometres northwest of Los Angeles.

Jackson's final resting place is another matter. The mayor of Gary, Ind., Rudy Clay, is urging the family to allow Jackson's body to "lie in state" for a memorial service in the late singer's hometown July 10 at U.S. Steel Works ballpark.

As for a burial site, CNN quotes the mayor's spokeswoman, Lalosa Burns, saying the mayor is hoping it would be near a proposed Jackson museum and arts centre in the city.

"The mayor had spoken with a contact of the Jackson family and expressed our interest in having that to be a part of the history of this great family," Burns said. "We have not received confirmation on that."

Meanwhile, the details of what is believed to be Michael Jackson's last will – one that apparently leaves nothing to the late singer's father – could be revealed as early as Thursday.

The will in question was drafted in 2002 and splits Jackson's estate among his mother, children, and one or more charities, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Jackson's parents, Joseph and Katherine, said in a court filing this week that they don't believe their son had a valid will when he died.

"No will has been presented to family or us," wrote the parents' lawyer, L. Londell McMillan, who also once represented Michael Jackson. "We will review any will when we see it."

In 2007, Jackson claimed to have a net worth of $236 million (U.S.) as of March 31, 2007, according to financial documents prepared by Washington-based accounting firm Thompson, Cobb, Bazilio & Associates.

The documents offer an account of the state of Jackson's financial empire, which is expected to become the focus of a legal battle between the singer's family and creditors.

Jackson had $567.6 million in assets, including his Neverland Ranch, his share of the Sony/ATV Music Publishing catalogue that includes the rights to songs by the Beatles, and an assortment of cars, antiques and collectibles, according to a statement of financial condition.

The five-page report says Jackson had debts of $331 million, leaving him with a net worth of $236.6 million. Highlighting his shaky financial health, the singer known for his lavish shopping sprees had just $668,215 in cash, according to the report, which is dated June 12, 2007.

The report says the accounting of Jackson's finances is "based on information produced by his advisers." It paints a pictures of Jackson's tangled finances and the mountain of debt he left behind.

The report values Jackson's 50 per cent stake in the Sony/ATV Music Publishing catalogue – his most prized assets – at $390.6 million.

Another of Jackson's prized possessions, his Neverland Ranch, is valued at $33 million, according to the report. It says Jackson took out a $23 million loan against the 2,500-acre property in the rolling hills of Santa Barbara County.