Since his official death being announced last Thursday, the world has been filled with a whirlwind of emotion, speculation and anticipation.
In the latest string of news, the will that was once believed to be non-existent from the pop icon has surfaced. A will from Michael Jackson that was written in 2002 has been located, but there is a possibility that this is only one of several, according to the Jackson family lawyer, Londell McMilian.
The document appeared Monday after Katherine Jackson, Michael’s mother, was given temporary control of her son’s personal property by a Los Angeles judge. It is expected to be submitted to the Los Angeles Superior Court today.
Prior to this, the Jackson family stated that a will had never been seen from the artist and without a will all decisions would have to be decided within the court room as it pertained to how his estate would be divided.
As of now, McMillan has stated that the document must go through a process known as “probating the will” which will serve as a means in validating any particular will to prove its authenticity when it involves passing on property from the deceased to the beneficiaries.
The will in process, is believed to leave his estate to his mother and his three children and have a portion of it going towards charity. Joe Jackson, the singer’s father, is absent from the will and believed to be excluded from Michael’s belongings.
In an update to funeral arrangement for the late singer, members of the Jackson family used Monday to make further plans. Sources have indicated that a private service for close friends and immediate family is priority for the family.
CNN has reported that the private service for the family will take place on Sunday.
Before the family lays their son and brother to rest, there will be a public viewing of Jackson on Friday or Saturday which could draw fans from all across the world to Los Angeles.
In terms of Jackson’s final resting place, it is rumored that the family has considered burying the singer at his Peter Pan retreat, Neverland Ranch. This could indicate that further plans may be in store for the ranch and some fans have suggested that it be transformed into a memorial as was done to Elvis Presley’s Graceland.
As for Jackson’s hometown of Gary, Indiana, a memorial service will take place on July 10.
There are certain factors, however, that can end up postponing the burial of Jackson. First, it has been predicted that as many as 200,000 people will be in attendance for the funeral and Los Angeles police would need a few days to prepare for crowd control.
It is predicted that the funeral could be historical as tens of thousands, or even millions, of mourners could be flooding the streets to provide their final salute to Jackson.
The other factor is Jackson’s father who has insisted that his son will not be buried until he views the results of the second autopsy. He has stated that he is suspicious of the way his son died and wants to ensure that he is satisfied with the results and further tests don’t need to be done.
As the days continue to close in fast, it can only be speculated what type of impact the funeral will have. Until then, people can only wait until the weekend.
