A public memorial service will be held at Neverland Ranch estate in Santa Barbara, California on July 3, while a private funeral will be held on July 5.
- Jul 1, 2009
AceShowbiz - A public memorial service for the late Michael Jackson has been set to be held at his Neverland Ranch estate in Santa Barbara, California this coming Friday, July 3. At that time, fans and friends are allowed to view the King of Pop's body and also pay their final respects to him.
The Santa Barbara Sheriff's Department has confirmed that plans are underway to hold a memorial service at the famous estate. "Our guys are meeting as we speak with the California Highway Patrol to discuss the security issues," says Lt. Butch Arnoldi, a department spokesman. "Our role will primarily be traffic, but also crowd control. We will also be making sure there is no trespassing on neighboring ranches and stuff like that. We would be stationed on the perimeter of the house. The actual roadway will be the responsibility of the CHP."
Due to the planned public viewing, Michael's body reportedly will be transported from Los Angeles to Neverland via a 30-car motorcade. The motorcade is set to leave Los Angeles at 10 A.M. Thursday, July 2.
In the meantime, a private memorial service for Michael has also been planned for Sunday, July 5, reports CNN. However, there is still no word on where Michael's body will be buried as his family is still awaiting the results of an independent autopsy which was conducted on Monday, June 29.
In related news, it is reported that on Tuesday, June 30, thousands of Michael Jackson's fans gathered for a public tribute at Apollo Theater in Harlem, where the singer performed when he was still a child. The Jacksons' longtime friend and advisor, Rev. Al Sharpton, kicked off the public memorial with an eulogy. A moment of silence then took place at 5:26 P.M. ET, the time when Michael was pronounced dead on June 25 after suffering cardiac arrest.
