Jackson going home

2009-07-01 12:00

Los Angeles - Michael Jackson's body will make a poignant final journey to Neverland Ranch, reports said, amid fresh revelations about the tragic pop icon's agonising dependence on powerful prescription medication.

Citing unidentified sources, the celebrity news website TMZ.com said on Tuesday the drug Propofol was found at Jackson's rented mansion following his death on Thursday of cardiac arrest at the age of 50.

"There is no conceivable way this drug can be properly prescribed for home use," a source told the website, which described as an "extremely dangerous and potent" substance only available to medical personnel.

Earlier, a former nurse who cared for Jackson told CNN on Tuesday the star pleaded with her to provide him with Diprivan - the brand name for Propofol in the last months of his life.

Cherilyn Lee, a health practitioner with more than 20 years experience, said she had refused his request for the drugs.

Medication is not safe

Lee also revealed that a member of Jackson's staff sought the drug four days before the singer's death only to be rebuffed.

"I told him this medication is not safe," Lee said. "He said, 'I just want to get some sleep. You don't understand. I just want to be able to be knocked out and go to sleep.'"

Meanwhile, CNN and TMZ.com said the Jackson family planned a public viewing on Friday - which could draw a crush of fans to the isolated Neverland Ranch north of Los Angeles.

A 30-car motorcade reportedly plans to escort the body on Thursday to the King of Pop's 2 600-acre estate, a monument to Jackson's obsession with childhood that once included a fairground and a private zoo.

A worldwide outpouring of tributes to the music legend continued with crowds gathering at New York's famous Apollo Theatre for a celebration of the star's life.

The public viewing on Friday could be an indication that the Jackson family has permanent plans for Neverland.

Santa Barbara County officials said on Tuesday they had received no formal notification of a memorial, but said departments were "preparing to accommodate a large event" if a request for a Neverland funeral was made.

Some fans say the star should be buried at the ranch and want it to be transformed into a shrine similar to Elvis Presley's Graceland.

Child molestation charges

Neverland was named after the fantasy island of Peter Pan, Jackson's inspiration who refused to grow up.

But the estate fell into disrepair after becoming an alleged crime scene in Jackson's 2005 trial on child molestation charges. Jackson vacated the property following his acquittal and never lived there again.

The estate was reportedly on the verge of foreclosure before Jackson's death as his extravagant lifestyle and mounting personal and legal problems took their toll on his finances.

The long-term fate of Neverland has been one of the myriad legal issues arising from Jackson's sudden death.

A judge on Monday gave Jackson's 79-year-old mother, Katherine, temporary control over his estate including Neverland and the rights to songs of the Beatles. She was also named temporary guardian of his three children.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that Jackson drafted a will in 2002 that divided his estate between his mother, his three children and one or more charities.

Conspicuously absent was his father, Joe Jackson, who groomed his nine children into musical sensations, but had an uneasy relationship with his son Michael.

Lawyers for the Jackson family said they had seen the will, which could be filed in court on Wednesday, according to reports.

Disprove rumours

The Los Angeles Times, meanwhile, reported that police detectives are seeking to identify and interview "multiple doctors" who treated Jackson in the years before his death.

Attention has so far focused on the role of Jackson's doctor, Conrad Murray, who was with the star just before his death.

Lawyers for Murray and law enforcement sources have said he is not suspected of wrongdoing and has co-operated with the investigation.

On Monday, coroner's office investigators removed several plastic bags of medication from Jackson's rented mansion in Holmby Hills, described as "additional medical evidence".

Meanwhile, the organisers of a series of Jackson's planned comeback concerts in London revealed on Tuesday that video footage of his rehearsals existed and could be released to the public.

The president of promoters AEG Live, Randy Phillips, told Sky News television that video of the pop legend's performances would disprove rumours that he was incredibly frail before his death.

"We may at some point release some footage of him in rehearsal that would totally refute that," he said.

- SAPA