LOS ANGELES [Peter Paul Media] — Michael Jackson will be laid to rest Thursday surrounded by his family and close friends in a private ceremony, his brother Marlon announced.
Following a sunset funeral with a graveside performance by Aretha Franklin, Jackson will be encased in deep concrete to deter grave robbers, Marlon Jackson told The Mirror.
Prince Michael, 12, Paris, 11 and Blanket, 7, will place hand-written notes saying “Daddy we love you, we miss you,” in the casket prior to burial. The late King of Pop will be buried at the Holly Terrace Grand Mausoleum at Glendale Forest Lawn Memorial Park, according to a briefing obtained by Peter Paul Media on Wednesday.
Jackson will wear his trademark white glove and has had hair and makeup artists prepare his body for the funeral, the family said. The 45-minute service, expected to start at about 7 p.m. local time, will be closed to the public and media.
Jackson’s family said his estate will cover the costs of the funeral service. Glendale city officials said that any public costs, such as traffic control and security, would be paid for by the Jackson family.
Jackson’s death was ruled a homicide by Los Angeles Coroner officials on Friday. “The drugs Propofol and Lorazepam were found to be the primary drugs responsible for Mr. Jackson’s death,” a Los Angeles County Coroner Department news release said Friday.
Authorities are now focusing their investigation on Dr. Conrad Murray, the last person to see the pop-star alive. Dr. Murray injected Jackson with Propofol minutes before his death, legal documents showed. Jackson died on June 25 after suffering cardiac arrest at his rented home in Los Angeles at the age of 50.
Peter Paul Media 