When I Was Young

Posted: 29 June 2009 1713 hrs

Fans of Michael Jackson leave notes and candles outside the Jackson family's home.

LOS ANGELES: The family of Michael Jackson went on the offensive, vowing to fight for control of the superstar's children and estate, and once again voicing concerns over the circumstances of his death.

After days of uncoordinated statements to media by family advisors and lawyers, the Jacksons announced they had appointed attorney Londell McMillan to be the sole individual authorised to speak on their behalf.

McMillan swiftly told CNN the Jacksons are seeking to secure custody of the late King of Pop's three children and revealed that the family had not yet been granted access to the pop icon's will.

McMillan also said the family was "closely watching" the progress of the official investigation into Jackson's death. The family has already hired a private pathologist to carry out a second autopsy.

Asked about the fate of Jackson's three children – born to two different mothers – McMillan said their grandmother Katherine would seek custody, raising the possibility of a bitter legal battle.

"She will seek custody of the children. She loves them dearly," McMillan told CNN. Katherine Jackson has been looking after the children since the sudden death of their superstar father on Thursday at the age of 50.

"They're in a loving environment. She's a great grandma. I couldn't think of anyone better for these children than a grandma like Miss Katherine Jackson and the loving support of family of the Jacksons."

McMillan also revealed the family had not yet seen Jackson's will, and was uncertain if one existed. If Jackson had not left a will, his assets would go to his next of kin under California law, McMillan said.

"If there's no will then under the state of California it goes to the next of kin, that's an adult administering and overseeing for the best interests of the children ...," McMillan said.

The family patriarch Joe Jackson, meanwhile, said he remained concerned about details of his son's death, as the doctor believed to be the last person to see him alive protested his innocence.

The family has spoken of the "unanswered questions" concerning the role of doctor Conrad Murray in the final hours of Michael Jackson's life. Lawyers for Murray insist he has been cleared of wrongdoing.

"I have a lot of concerns. I can't get into that, but I don't like what happened," Jackson, 79, said on the sidelines of the Black Entertainment Television (BET) Awards in Los Angeles.

Police conducted a second interview with Murray on Saturday, but cleared him of any criminal wrongdoing, the physician's lawyers said.

The 51-year-old has faced intense speculation amid reports he injected Jackson with the potent prescription painkiller Demerol just before he died.

However, a lawyer for Murray said Sunday that reports of an injection were "absolutely false", the first time the allegation has been denied.

"There was no Demerol. No OxyContin," Edward Chernoff, an attorney for Murray was quoted as saying by the Los Angeles Times, adding that Murray had discovered Jackson unconscious in the bedroom of his home.

"(Murray) was the one who suggested the autopsy to the family while they were still in the hospital. He didn't understand why Michael Jackson had died," Chernoff was quoted as saying.

Meanwhile, Jackson's family have yet to finalise funeral plans and were due to meet activist Reverend Al Sharpton on Monday to discuss plans for a tribute.

Sharpton was cited in reports as saying Jackson's family was considering a series of simultaneous memorials around the world to reflect the huge appeal of the star who sold more than 750 million albums during a four-decade career.

"Reverend Sharpton will discuss with the family ideas that people from around the world have sent him about how they would like to memorialise Michael Jackson," a spokeswoman for Sharpton said.

However, an unofficial memorial took place at Los Angeles's famous Shrine Auditorium, where the cream of the African-American music, acting and sporting worlds gathered for the BET Awards.

A galaxy of stars paid fulsome tribute to Jackson as they walked the red carpet, hailing his role as a star who had helped break racial barriers.

"You know, my man is the greatest," hip-hop mogul Sean "Diddy Combs" told CNN. "He's one of the reasons why Barack Obama's president... He started the change in the world about how African-Americans are perceived."

"We miss him and we love him and we just feel devastated," said soul singer Alicia Keys, urging people to remember Jackson in a "respectful, positive way".

Thousands of Jackson devotees continued to gather outside the singer's star on the walk of fame as well as the Jackson family's home in Encino, where makeshift shrines of flowers and cards have grown rapidly since Thursday.

Jackson's death has sent fans scrambling to stock up on his music across the world. In Britain, a compilation album of the star's greatest hits rocketed to the top of the charts on Sunday.

- AFP/so

From ChannelNewsAsia.com; see the source article here.