Michael Jackson's father said today it was too soon to set a funeral date for the pop star, saying the family was waiting to hear details of a second, private autopsy on the self-styled King of Pop.
Mr Jackson previously said he suspects “foul play somewhere” over his son’s death, as the Los Angeles coroner's office on dismissed as inaccurate a newspaper report that said the singer was emaciated and almost bald when he died suddenly last week.
"We're not ready for that yet," Joe Jackson told reporters at a news conference outside the family's Los Angeles home when asked about funeral arrangements. "We don't have the time frame yet because I want to see how this autopsy is coming out."
Standing beside Joe Jackson outside the house - the site of a makeshift memorial of flowers and balloons - civil rights leader Al Sharpton said the family did not want to "rush into" plans to commemorate Jackson's life and musical legacy.
Mr Sharpton said the family was being "careful and deliberate on how they plan the celebration of his life."
Two inconclusive autopsies have been carried out on Jackson - one by the Los Angeles County Coroner's office and one by a private pathologist. Toxicology tests are expected to take several weeks.
Assistant chief coroner Ed Winter said today details reported in the British
Suntabloid about Jackson's condition did not come from either the private or the county autopsy.
"I don't know where that information came from, or who that information came from. It is not accurate. Some of it is totally false," Mr Winter told reporters.
Claiming it had seen a leaked autopsy report,
The Sunsaid Jackson was wearing a wig when he died to cover his "peach fuzz" hair, weighed only about 112 pounds (51 kg), that his hips, thighs and shoulders were riddled with needle wounds, and that his stomach was empty apart from partially dissolved pills.
Mr Jackson said he had a “lot of concerns” over events leading up to the death.
Speaking on the Black Entertainment Television Awards (BET) red carpet, he said he could not go into details about what his concerns were.
But Mr Jackson told ABC7: “Michael was dead before he left the house. I’m suspecting foul play somewhere.
“He was waving to everybody and telling them he loves them and all the fans at the gate. A few minutes after Michael was out there, he was dead.”
Los Angeles County Coroner’s officials said their post-mortem found no indication of trauma or foul play. But, because of additional tests, an official cause of death could take weeks to determine.
The Jackson family’s lawyer said more would be said after the results of a second post-mortem examination.
Mr Jackson said the singer’s children were the family’s “first priority” and that he and Michael’s mother, Katherine, have “authority for our son and his children”.
A Los Angeles Superior Court judge on Monday approved the appointment of Michael Jackson's parents as temporary guardians of Prince Michael (12) Paris Katherine (11) and Prince Michael II (7) pending a hearing next week.
The first two are Jackson's children from his ex-wife Debbie Rowe and the third from an unidentified surrogate mother. In court papers, Joe and Katherine Jackson said the children had "no relationship with their biological mother".
It is unclear whether Rowe may also seek custody.
A hearing has been set for August 3rd.
The lawyer representing the singer’s doctor, Conrad Murray, said he did not administer the drugs which may have contributed to his death. Edward Chernoff said: “Dr Murray has never prescribed nor administered Demerol to Michael Jackson. Not ever. Not that day. Not OxyContin (either) for that matter.”
It follows reports that the singer received a shot of Demerol — a powerful painkiller — shortly before his death. Mr Chernoff also discussed how his client found the dying singer. “He just happened to find him in his bed and he wasn’t breathing. Mr Jackson was still warm and had a pulse.”
Meanwhile, family friend and civil rights activist the Rev Al Sharpton said Jackson’s family wanted to hold memorials in key cities around the globe. They were also hoping to hold a memorial service tomorrow at the Apollo Theatre in New York.
Agencies