Michael Jackson fans celebrate singer four years after death
Hundreds of fans gathered Tuesday in front of Michael Jackson’s final resting place — the Great Mausoleum at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale — to recall the late pop idol four years after his death.
Fans from all walks of life and from around the globe lingered in front of the famed mausoleum, chanting “Michael” and leaving behind thousands of red roses.
“He was a very giving and a special person to me,” said Reeta Pursiainen, who flew in from Finland for the anniversary. “Everyone is here for one reason and one reason only.”
Four years after Jackson died from an overdose of the powerful anesthetic propofol, his death continues to grab headlines.
A lawsuit filed by his family accuses concert promoter AEG Live and two of its executives of negligently hiring and supervising Dr. Conrad Murray, who was convicted of administering the deadly dose of propofol.
Murray is currently serving time in jail after being convicted of involuntary manslaughter.
Jackson’s mother and three children filed the lawsuit against AEG, which was producing a series of concerts that the singer was to headline before his untimely death. The entertainment giant contends Murray worked for Jackson and that any money it was supposed to pay the doctor was an advance to the singer.
In related news Tuesday, a Los Angeles judge said he will make no changes to the guardianship of Jackson’s three children after receiving an investigator’s report on their well-being and meeting with attorneys for their caretakers.
Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff ordered the inquiry after 15-year-old Paris Jackson was hospitalized June 5. Authorities reported she took Motrin pills and cut her arm with a kitchen knife.
The judge ordered an investigator to interview Jackson’s children and report back to him.
Beckloff also met with attorneys for the children’s guardians, grandmother Katherine Jackson and their adult cousin, TJ Jackson.
“I’m taking no further action,” Beckloff told attorneys for Jackson’s estate.
The ongoing court proceedings have prevented any sense of closure for fans like 20-year-old Irvine resident Christie Marchi.
Standing in front of the mausoleum with two friends, Marchi said the trial has opened the door to “irreverent things” about Jackson’s life, including child molestation claims, but they haven’t diminished his standing.
“I have always been a fan,” she said.
Every year since Jackson’s death, throngs of fans have arrived at the picturesque Great Mausoleum with flowers, posters and other mementos to commemorate him.
This year, admirers from the fan group One Rose 4 Michael J. Jackson placed thousands of roses outside the mausoleum that had been collected from fans all over the world, according to member Melanie Freeman, who lives in Arizona.
“Many of these fans can’t be here today,” she said. “This is personal for them. They know that part of their heart and Michael, as [part of] their family, is here. It means a lot to them.”
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