Jul 1, 2009 8:22 pm US/Pacific
Source: DEA Joins Jackson Investigation
Michael Jackson's Family Says There Will Be No Public Viewing At Neverland Ranch
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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The DEA would play a role in looking at the doctors who may have treated Michael Jackson and whether they were registered with the DEA to prescribe drugs. (File)
Kevin Chang/AFP/Getty Images
The Drug Enforcement Administration is joining the investigation into Michael Jackson's death, a law enforcement official said late Wednesday.
The DEA is stepping in at the request of the Los Angeles Police Department, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the ongoing investigation. The federal agency can provide resources and experience in investigating drug abuse, illicit drug manufacturers known as "pill mills" and substances local police may not be familiar with, the official said.
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.
Following Jackson's death, allegations emerged that the 50-year-old King of Pop had been consuming painkillers, sedatives and antidepressants. But Cherilyn Lee, a registered nurse whose specialty includes nutritional counseling, said she encountered a man tortured by sleep deprivation and one who expressed opposition to recreational drug use.
Lee told the AP Tuesday she repeatedly rejected Jackson's demands for the drug, Diprivan. Several months ago, Jackson had begun badgering Lee about Diprivan, also known as Propofol, Lee said. It is an intravenous anesthetic drug widely used in operating rooms to induce unconsciousness. It is generally given through an IV needle in the hand.
The investigation comes as the Jackson family spokesman works on the details of the pop star's funeral. Wednesday, the family said there would be no public viewing at Neverland Ranch. A private memorial service for family and friends could still take place at Neverland, however, most likely after the funeral.
At once a symbol of Jackson's success and excesses, Neverland — nestled in the hills of Santa Barbara County's wine country — became the site of a makeshift memorial after his death Thursday. Authorities in Santa Barbara County had been preparing for tens of thousands of fans to descend on the 2,500-acre ranch after media reports said a public viewing would take place later this week.
An official with the Los Angeles Coliseum said Wednesday that a Jackson memorial could be held at the Los Angeles Coliseum, where the Los Angeles Lakers held their championship celebration last month. A City Hall official not authorized to speak publicly says representatives for the Jackson family have inquired about using the site.
The person stresses that talks were "completely preliminary" and a date for the event was not discussed. The person adds: "It's nothing set in stone -- nothing even proposed. It was, 'What would it look like is we did this?"
Meanwhile, Michael Jackson's 7-year-old will was filed Wednesday in a Los Angeles court, giving his entire estate to a family trust while making his mother the guardian of his children and cutting out his former wife Debbie Rowe.
Court documents estimated the current value of his estate at more than $500 million.
It names his mother, Katherine Jackson, 79, as a beneficiary of the trust and the guardian of Jackson's children, who are also named as beneficiaries of the trust.
It also names entertainer Diana Ross as a successor guardian for the children and their estates if something happens to Katherine Jackson.
Ross introduced the Jackson 5 on the Ed Sullivan Show in the late 1960s and was instrumental in launching their career. She was a lifelong friend of Michael Jackson.
Jackson's longtime lawyer John Branca and John McClain, a music executive and a family friend, are named in the will as co-executors.
In a statement, Branca and McClain said: "The most important element of Michael's will is his unwavering desire that his mother, Katherine, become the legal guardian for his three children. As we work to carry out Michael's instructions to safeguard both the future of his children as well as the remarkable legacy he left us as an artist we ask that all matters involving his estate be handled with the dignity and the respect that Michael and his family deserve."
The executors moved quickly to take control of all of Michael Jackson's property, going to court Wednesday to challenge a previous ruling by the judge that gave Katherine Jackson control of 2,000 items from Neverland.
Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff said Katherine Jackson will retain authority over the items until another hearing set for Monday.
Beckloff urged attorneys from both sides to try to reach a compromise soon.
"I would like the family to sit down try to make this work that we don't have a difficult time in court," the judge said.
The will, dated July 7, 2002, gives the entire estate to the Michael Jackson Family Trust. Details of the trust will not be made public.
California's attorney general, who oversees charitable donations from estates, is also named as a person who must be notified. It suggests some of the trust's proceeds could go to charity, although which ones might benefit was not clear.
The documents said Jackson's estate consisted almost entirely of "non-cash, non-liquid assets, including primarily an interest in a catalog of music royalty rights which is currently being administered by Sony ATV, and the interests of various entities."
One of Jackson's most lucrative assets is his stake in the massive Sony-ATV Music Publishing Catalog, which includes music by the Beatles, Bob Dylan, Neil Diamond, Lady Gaga and the Jonas Brothers, and is estimated to be worth as much as $2 billion. The five-page will is signed by Jackson, and each paragraph includes Jackson's scrawling initials.
Jackson, who died June 25 at age 50, left behind three children: son Michael Joseph Jr., known as Prince Michael, 12; daughter Paris Michael Katherine, 11; and son Prince Michael II, 7. Rowe was the mother of the two oldest children; the youngest was born to a surrogate mother, who has never been identified.
Katherine Jackson was granted temporary guardianship Monday of Jackson's three children. A judge held off on requests to control the children's estates.
Rowe, who was married to Jackson in 1996 and filed for divorce three years later, surrendered her parental rights. An appeals court later found that was done in error, and Rowe and Jackson entered an out-of-court settlement in 2006.
Neither Rowe nor her attorneys have indicated whether she intends to seek custody of the two oldest children.
Funeral plans have not yet been announced.
Members of Jackson's family met Tuesday with officials from the Los Angeles police and California Highway Patrol about funeral services. But "details are still pending," according to Fran Clader, a spokeswoman for the patrol. The patrol would need to be consulted if the body was moved from Los Angeles to Neverland.
It was unclear whether Jackson could be legally buried at the ranch. The state's health and safety code makes interring any uncremated remains outside of a cemetery a misdemeanor. Cremated remains can be kept in a home or private mausoleum outside a cemetery.
It was not possible to rule out that Jackson's body might return to the ranch, either for the private service or a burial sometime in the future, if the family can get the go-ahead from state and local officials.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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