Michael Jackson's doctor bought powerful anesthetic a month before singer's death, court records say

Michael Jackson’s personal physician purchased five bottles of the powerful anesthetic that killed the singer from a Las Vegas pharmacy the month before his death, according to court documents unsealed today.

Dr. Conrad Murray acknowledged giving Jackson the drug propofol in a police interview two days after Jackson’s June 25 death, and according to a police affidavit made public by a Las Vegas judge, Los Angeles police and federal drug agents subsequently worked to connect the doctor to drug bottles found in the pop icon’s rented Holmby Hills mansion.

During a July raid on the cardiologist’s Las Vegas medical office, investigators found a receipt showing that a local pharmacy, Applied Pharmacy Services, had shipped quantities of the drug to Murray in May, when he was living in Los Angeles and working full-time for Jackson, according to the affidavit.

Michael Jackson was 'probably' in denial about drug abuse, Janet Jackson says

Michael Jackson, who died of an overdose of a powerful sedative,  was "probably" in denial about his drug abuse, his sister Janet Jackson said in an interview.

In an interview with ABC News, Jackson said the family was aware of the pop star's drug problems and in the past had organized interventions for him.

"You can't make them drink the water," Janet Jackson said. "I'm a true believer in prayer, a big believer in prayer -- but it's, it's something that you can't do for them. Something they have to do for themselves."

Asked about whether Michael Jackson believed he had drug problems, his sister added:  "I felt that he was in denial."

Jackson died of "lethal levels" of the powerful anesthetic propofol, according to a search warrant affidavit unsealed in Houston.

Janet Jackson: Doctor is 'responsible' for Michael Jackson's death

Janet Jackson has broken her silence on the death of Michael Jackson, saying that the pop star's doctor is "responsible" for her brother's death.

Dr. Conrad Murray is at the center of what has been a five-month-long criminal investigation into the circumstances surrounding Jackson's death.

Law enforcement sources have told The Times that on the morning the pop singer died, Murray left the performer alone and under the influence of a powerful anesthetic. By the time the doctor returned from to making telephone calls, Jackson had stopped breathing, the sources said. Murray has been identified in court records as a suspect in a police manslaughter investigation.

In an interview with ABC News, Janet Jackson said Murray is "responsible" for her brother's death. He was the one that was administering," she said. "I think he is responsible."

Michael Jackson memorial brought in $4 million to L.A., audit says

A new City of Los Angeles report found that the controversial public memorial for Michael Jackson at Staples Center actually brought in more money to area businesses than officials paid out in police and other public services costs.

The chief legislative analyst concluded that the event cost the city $3.2 million, including $1.2 million for straight salary, overtime and other expenses. Most of that money covered costs incurred by the Los Angeles Police Department, which was out in force over concerns about huge crowds converging in downtown L.A. for the pop star's funeral.

But the report said that the funeral stimulated the local economy to the tune of an estimated $4 million. The report did not break down the estimate. But it cited a study by LA Inc. showing an increase of $1.2 million in hotel revenues.

Michael Jackson's burial cost $1 million, including $35,000 for burial outfit, $16,000 for flowers

Michael Jackson’s funeral at Forest Lawn cemetery in Glendale cost more than $1 million, including $35,000 for the pop star’s burial garments, according to court documents unsealed today.

Jackson was interred amid much media hype at the cemetery's Great Mausoleum in September. The pop singer's remains were placed in a crypt in the Holly Terrace section of the mausoleum, a massive building that is the final resting place for stars from film's golden age, including Jean Harlow, Carole Lombard and Clark Gable.

According to court documents reviewed by The Times, the funeral cost $1.09 million. Most of that money went to Forest Lawn for various costs. Besides the cost of Jackson’s garments, the court documents said flowers for the burial cost $16,000.

A judge approved the cost of the burial in September, but the records were not unsealed until today. 

Michael Jackson's mother no longer objects to estate executors

An attorney for Katherine Jackson this morning told a judge that the singer’s mother no longer objects to the special administrators of her son’s estate.

The attorney, Adam Streisand, said his client feels it’s “high time” that they move past the conflict and begin to “work together.”

Attorneys for Katherine Jackson had previously indicated she may legally challenge the executors named in the will to manage the estate.

Lawyers have said the singer’s trust includes a provision that cuts out of the will any beneficiary who challenges its validity. Streisand also objected to Joe Jackson stepping into the fray, arguing that the singer’s father had no standing because he was not named as an heir.

Judge Mitchell Beckloff will hear arguments this afternoon over father Joe Jackson’s involvement.

Joe Jackson's attorneys want the estate to help cover living expenses that exceed $20,000 a month.

Joe Jackson on Monday also filed new court papers claiming that his son believed the executors of his will were defrauding him.

Joe Jackson had a rocky relationship with his son and was not mentioned in the pop star's will.

The estate is already paying Jackson's mother a monthly allowance of $26,000 and an attorney for Joe Jackson, 81, wrote in the Los Angeles County Superior Court filing that the family patriarch was entitled to the "same manner" of support.

--Victoria Kim

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Southern California police look for possible links to Cleveland serial-killer suspect

Santa Monica Pier to be anointed as Route 66 terminus

Dog rescued, another badly injured in Long Beach blaze

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Judge considers allowance for Joe Jackson; new Michael Jackson estate allegations

Joe Jackson's attorneys will ask a Los Angeles judge this morning to have Michael Jackson's estate to help cover living expenses that exceed $20,000 a month.

Joe Jackson on Monday also filed new court papers claiming that his son believed the executors of his will were defrauding him.

Joe Jackson had a rocky relationship with his son and was not mentioned in the pop star's will.

The estate is already paying Jackson's mother a monthly allowance of $26,000 and an attorney for Joe Jackson, 81, wrote in the Los Angeles County Superior Court filing that the family patriarch was entitled to the "same manner" of support.

In the papers, his lawyer wrote that Michael Jackson had footed his father's bills for decades.

"He does not have a regular or steady source of income, and he was dependent upon the money provided by his son, Michael Jackson, through his wife, Katherine Jackson, for his support," attorney Brian Oxman wrote in court papers.

--Shelby Grad

More breaking news in L.A. Now:

Judge delays legal squabble between L.A. city attorney and controller

Judge considers allowance for Joe Jackson; new Michael Jackson estate allegations

MTA report calls for light rail, not rapid bus line, on Crenshaw corridor

L.A. school leaders, community groups to debunk inflammatory flier aimed at undocumented parents

Southern California police look for possible links to Cleveland serial-killer suspect

Santa Monica Pier to be anointed as Route 66 terminus

Dog rescued, another badly injured in Long Beach blaze

LAPD Chief-Designate Beck to appear at Mar Vista town hall

Michael Jackson's father seeks an allowance from late singer's estate

Michael Jackson’s father wants the late singer’s estate to help him cover living expenses that exceed $20,000 a month, according to court papers filed Friday.

The estate is already paying Jackson’s mother a monthly allowance of $26,000, and an attorney for Joe Jackson wrote in the Superior Court filing that the family patriarch was entitled to the “same manner” of support. In the papers, the 81-year-old’s lawyer wrote that Michael Jackson had footed his father’s bills for decades.

“He does not have a regular or steady source of income, and he was dependent upon the money provided by his son, Michael Jackson, through his wife, Katherine Jackson, for his support,” attorney Brian Oxman wrote. He said in an interview that the amount the singer paid to his parents when he was alive far exceeded what Katherine Jackson is currently getting.

“She’s receiving sufficiently less....When Michael passed away, the money stopped,” he said.
 

Big crowds expected at Staples Center and L.A. Live tonight

More than 25,000 people are expected to descend on a two-block area of downtown tonight for both the Lakers-Clippers basketball game and the premiere of the Michael Jackson movie “This is It,” prompting officials to warn fans of heavy traffic and urging them to come early.

The red carpet arrivals at L.A. Live's Nokia Theatre will begin at 4 p.m., followed by the screening at 6. The basketball game begins next door at Staples Center at 7:30.

That will be followed by the grand opening of the Regal Cinemas at L.A. Live, which will begin showing “This is It” at 9.

“We’re trying to educate people to leave plenty of time to get here early,” said Cara Vanderhook, a Staples spokeswoman.

L.A. Council ignores Trutanich warning, backs signs for theater at L.A. Live

The Los Angeles City Council today unanimously backed city building officials’ authority to issue six controversial sign permits at the L.A. Live entertainment district downtown, a direct challenge to City Atty. Carmen Trutanich’s warning that officials could be prosecuted if they allow the signs to go up.

With today’s backing from the council, Building and Safety general manager Raymond Chan said he plans to issue the permits despite Trutanich’s warning. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa also supports issuing the permits, said Jeff Carr, the mayor’s chief of staff.

The action comes just days after the owner of the downtown entertainment complex, Anschutz Entertainment Group, accused Trutanich of trying to “bully’’ the company by blocking signs for its new Regal Cinemas before the movie theater’s grand opening on Tuesday.

William W. Carter, the chief deputy city attorney, warned the council before its vote that granting the permits to AEG could “unravel” a new sign ban approved by the council in August that prohibits all digital signs, supergraphics and freeway facing billboards. Outdoor advertising companies had successfully challenged the city’s past sign restrictions because the council had granted similar exemptions, he said.

City attorney says L.A. 'wasted a lot of dough' on Michael Jackson memorial, defends quest for payment

City Atty. Carmen Trutanich defended his efforts to recoup city dollars spent on the Michael Jackson memorial from the owner of Staples Center, but denied today that he asked AEG President and CEO Tim Leiweke for $6 million during a meeting in July.
 
A day after Leiweke told The Times editorial board that Trutanich tried to “bully” the company into paying the city the money to cover various city services provided during the Jackson memorial, Trutanich justified his actions in a speech to members of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce at City Hall.
 

“If going after your money is being a bully, then I’m a bully; I have no problem doing that,” Trutanich said. “We wasted a lot of dough on the Michael Jackson memorial. We wasted a lot of money. Now if any of you think that we didn’t, I’ll take your donation after my speech.”

Michael Jackson's children 'doing wonderfully,' judge says

How are Michael Jackson's children doing since the pop star's death this summer? The judge overseeing Jackson's estate said they are doing well.

"It looks like the children are really doing wonderfully with their grandmother guardian." said Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff.

AP: Michael Jackson's arms covered with punctures, autopsy shows

A Los Angeles County coroner's report shows Michael Jackson was fairly healthy before he died of an overdose, although his arms were covered with punctures and his face and neck were scarred, the Associated Press reported today.

He weighed 136 pounds at the time of his death, considered an acceptable range for a 5-foot-9 man. The AP obtained his autopsy report, which has not been released publicly, and has more:

Michael Jackson's arms were covered with punctures, his face and neck were scarred and he had tattooed eyebrows and lips, but he wasn't the sickly skeleton of a man portrayed by tabloids, according to his autopsy report obtained by the Associated Press.

In fact, the Los Angeles County coroner's report shows Jackson was a fairly healthy 50-year-old before he died of an overdose. His 136 pounds were in the acceptable range for a 5-foot-9 man. His heart was strong with no sign of plaque buildup. And his kidneys and most other major organs were normal.

Still, Jackson had health issues: arthritis in the lower spine and some fingers, and mild plaque buildup in his leg arteries. Most serious was his lungs, which the autopsy report said were chronically inflamed and had reduced capacity that might have left him short of breath.

Jackson died at his rented mansion June 25 after he was administered the anesthetic propofol and two other sedatives to get the chronic insomniac to sleep, court documents state. Propofol, normally a surgical anesthetic used in operating rooms, acts as a respiratory depressant and requires constant monitoring.

A physician who was present at the mansion, cardiologist Dr. Conrad Murray, told police he left the room to use the bathroom and phone records show he also made calls for 47 minutes around the time Jackson encountered problems. When Murray realized Jackson was unresponsive, he began frantic efforts to revive him, but Jackson never regained consciousness. He was declared dead at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.

Full coverage: Michael Jackson's Life and Death

Interactive timeline: Michael Jackson | 1958-2009

Video Q&A: Times reporters on Michael Jackson's death

Doctor's girlfriend completes grand jury testimony

The girlfriend of Michael Jackson’s personal physician today completed her testimony before a Los Angeles County grand jury, her attorney said.

Nicole Alvarez, the mother of Dr. Conrad Murray’s infant son, appeared before the panel briefly Wednesday and returned this morning, said her lawyer, Joseph Low IV of Long Beach.

“She’s done,” Low said. “She participated fully.”

He said court rules guarding the secrecy of grand juries prohibit him from saying anything about the substance of her testimony. Another source familiar with the proceedings confirmed that Alvarez was present at the grand jury both days.

Authorities have identified Murray, 51, in court papers as the target of a manslaughter investigation in connection with Jackson's death June 25.

Sources with knowledge of the matter have said Alvarez, a 27-year-old actress who lives in Santa Monica, was summoned before the panel to answer questions because she was uncooperative with Los Angeles Police Department detectives seeking to interview her.

Alvarez's lawyer maintains that investigators tried to question her without a lawyer or advance notice.

Prosecutors can use the grand jury's subpoena power to compel statements from witnesses who are not forthcoming.

Murray has acknowledged giving Jackson sedatives and the anesthetic propofol in the hours leading up to his death.

County coroner’s officials said “acute propofol intoxication” combined with the use of sedatives caused the singer's death.

—Harriet Ryan and Richard Winton

Girlfriend of Michael Jackson's doctor to testify before grand jury, sources say [Updated]

Prosecutors investigating Michael Jackson’s death have called the girlfriend of the singer’s personal doctor to testify before a grand jury this week, according to sources familiar with the matter.

The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office is asking a grand jury only to take testimony from Nicole Alvarez, 27, and is not being asked "at this time" to determine whether Dr. Conrad Murray should be charged with a crime, the sources said. Murray is the target of a manslaughter probe related to Jackson's death, and the sources told The Times the girlfriend has not been cooperating with detectives.

Instead, prosecutors are using the panel’s subpoena power to question Alvarez, according to the sources, who spoke on the condition that they not be named because the investigation is ongoing.

This summer, police searched the apartment where Alvarez lives with the couple’s infant son, but she was not forthcoming with detectives, the sources said.

Jackson estate pays singer's mother $86,000 a month for expenses

Michael Jackson’s estate is paying his mother more than $86,000 a month to cover her living expenses and those of the pop icon’s three children, according to papers filed today in probate court.

The singer supported his mother, Katherine, 79, during his life and left her and his children the majority of his vast music empire in a 2002 will.

Since it could take years to settle Jackson’s affairs and fund the family trust that will support her and the children, estate administrators received court approval to pay Katherine Jackson a personal allowance and an extra amount for the support of the children. Jackson’s estate is estimated to be worth more than $500 million, according to court papers. 

She will receive $26,804 a month and control an additional $60,000 for food, clothing, education and entertainment for his children, according to the Superior Court documents and attorneys’ comments in recent court hearings.

Michael Jackson's dermatologist sues another celebrity doctor for alleged slander

Given all the sensational allegations and conspiracy theories advanced over the last few months about Michael Jackson and the circumstances of his death, perhaps the only thing surprising about the slander suit that landed in Superior Court this week was that it took so long.

In court papers filed Monday, Jackson’s longtime dermatologist and friend, Dr. Arnold Klein, accused a cosmetic surgeon who boasts his own decades-long relationship with the singer of making false statements to a British tabloid about Klein in an attempt to wreck his reputation and celebrity-studded Beverly Hills practice.

Dr. Steven Hoefflin, a Santa Monica doctor known for treating the rich and famous, and Klein are “competitors in a highly specialized and elite field which caters to a very exclusive clientele,” Klein’s attorneys claimed in the suit. They wrote that Hoefflin’s comments in an Aug. 26 article in the London paper The Sun have caused “extensive damage” to a reputation Klein has taken decades to build and that includes media-bestowed titles such as “dermatologist to the stars” and “king of collagen.”

Coroner's office cleared in criminal inquiry into Michael Jackson leaks [Updated]

Los Angeles County sheriff’s investigators have concluded a nearly two-month inquiry into whether county coroner’s employees illegally leaked or sold private information from Michael Jackson’s death investigation, a sheriff’s spokesman announced today.

After interviewing coroner’s staff and consulting with the district attorney’s office, investigators from the sheriff’s internal criminal investigations bureau determined that no criminal violations occurred, according to sheriff’s spokesman Steve Whitmore.

“We didn’t find any criminal wrongdoing,” Whitmore said.

Results of the inquiry were presented to county supervisors and the county’s chief executive Thursday, Whitmore said.

Supervisors called for the inquiry July 25, after The Times reported that the pop star’s death certificate had been viewed more than 300 times, including by half a dozen coroner’s employees not involved in the investigation.

Whitmore said investigators “did their due diligence” and found no evidence that coroner’s employees illegally accessed or sold information from the Jackson case, although they may have violated department policies.

Craig Harvey, the chief coroner’s investigator, had said employees who inappropriately viewed Jackson’s records were warned -- the proper discipline, according to county civil services rules --
and that no further investigation was needed.

[Updated at 4:50 p.m.: Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas today called the sheriff’s review “very limited” and said that he is awaiting results of a county audit of the coroner that is underway.

“That should be the more telling report because it will be more thorough,” Ridley-Thomas said, adding that sheriff’s investigators could revisit the matter "if something else surfaces.”]

-- Molly Hennessy-Fiske

Full coverage: Michael Jackson's Life and Death

Interactive timeline: Michael Jackson | 1958-2009

Video Q&A: Times reporters on Michael Jackson's death

Michael Jackson's brother says media choppers disrupted burial service

One of Michael Jackson's brothers complained that media helicopters disrupted the pop star's burial service at Forest Lawn cemetery in Glendale on Thursday.

"I was dismayed last night and again today at the coverage I saw on television of our ceremony for Michael," Randy Jackson said in a statement. "We had asked the media to respect the privacy and the sanctity of this event; to give us one moment of privacy to mourn as a family out of the public spotlight. Unfortunately, despite a no-fly zone around Forest Lawn, many media organizations decided to ignore our wishes. They employed helicopters that not only surreptitiously recorded our private family ceremony, but also severely disrupted it".

About 200 of Michael Jackson's relatives and friends attended the burial.

Michael Jackson is finally interred

Michael Jackson was finally interred in a crypt in Forest Lawn Memorial-Park in Glendale shortly before 10 tonight -- exactly 10 weeks after he was found dead. The outdoor service, which was scheduled for sunset but crept into the night, was attended by about 200 family members and close friends. 

Jackson’s five brothers, who served as pallbearers, filed past a portrait of a smiling Michael as they arrived at the service. A bespectacled Paris, the singer's young daughter, wearing a dark dress and her long hair pulled back in a ponytail, watched soberly. 

Jackson’s three children placed a crown on their father’s coffin, a nod to the King of Pop, as the service began. Gladys Knight sang the gospel hymn “His Eye is on the Sparrow,” and songwriter Clifton Davis crooned a song that he wrote for the Jackson 5 that became one of their signature tunes -- “Never Can Say Goodbye.”

The guests gathered in a tree-lined clearing near the Great Mausoleum where Jackson was interred. A stage was adorned with white lilies, white roses and green topiaries.

Among the mourners were many of the touchstones of his life: music producer Quincy Jones, Motown Records founder Berry Gordy and music executive Suzanne de Passe.

Also attending were Elizabeth Taylor; former child star Macaulay Culkin; lawyer Thomas A. Mesereau Jr., who successfully defended Jackson from child molestation charges; and choreographer-director Kenny Ortega, who was working on Jackson’s planned London shows. The Rev. Jesse Jackson, the Rev. Al Sharpton, former child actor Corey Feldman, Lisa Marie Presley -- Jackson’s former wife -- Marlon Brando’s son Miko and comic Chris Tucker were among the guests.

-- Chris Lee and Carla Hall

Jackson burial service begins as night falls

What had been scheduled to be a sunset service for Michael Jackson at Forest Lawn Memorial-Park in Glendale became a nighttime gathering when Jackson's family got off to a late start leaving their Encino compound this evening.

As about 200 friends waited, the Jackson family, ferried into the park in a fleet of 26 vehicles, took their places in the front rows of white folding chairs set up outside in the tree-dappled, verdant cemetery park.

The Jackson brothers in black suits and red ties filed past a portrait of Michael, a confident smile on his face. His children took their places as well.  A bespectacled Paris Jackson, his young daughter, in a dark dress, her long hair pulled back in a pony tail, watched as other family members took their seats.

Under a tight cordon of security, they had all gathered for the final leg of the pop singer's odyssey from death to interment on a hot night exactly 10 weeks after he was found dead.

Among the mourners were many of the touchstones of his life: Elizabeth Taylor — who arrived in a Maybach; former child star actor Macaulay Culkin; lawyer Thomas A. Mesereau, who successfully defended Jackson from sexual abuse charges; and choreographer Kenny Ortega, who was working on Jackson’s final tour show. The Rev. Jesse Jackson, the Rev. Al Sharpton, former child actor Corey Haim, baseball player Barry Bonds, Marlon Brando’s son Miko and comic Chris Tucker also were there.

As dusk turned to night, a Halloween-orange moon hung in the sky, appropriate for the pop singer whose spooky “Thriller” song and video is legendary in the annals of pop music.

Glendale police blocked off streets around the 300-acre cemetery, and the sprinkling of fans who showed up were relegated to standing behind barricades blocks away. A dozen fans held up a banner reading “King of Pop Michael Jackson Gone Too Soon.”

Jackson is to be interred in a crypt in Holly Terrace, one of 11 halls in the Great Mausoleum, Forest Lawn’s vast granite-and-marble-filled palazzo that serves as the star-studded resting place of Clark Gable, Jean Harlow and other screen legends.

The outdoor service will move into Holly Terrace for a cryptside finale.

The Jackson estate is footing the bill for the service, which has been called by a lawyer for the estate “extraordinary” but worth paying. At least $125,000 will go to cover the Glendale Police Department’s and  Glendale city’s expenses — and that’s just a fraction of the costs associated with the service. The bulk of the expenses will go to Forest Lawn.

—Chris Lee and Carla Hall

Photo: Michael Jackson's brothers wore sunglasses and matching red ties to the pop singer's burial service at Forest Lawn Memorial-Park in Glendale.

Credit: Pool photo

Full coverage: Michael Jackson's Life and Death

Interactive timeline: Michael Jackson | 1958-2009

Video Q&A: Times reporters on Michael Jackson's death

Mourners begin arriving for Jackson burial service

Under a tight cordon of security, a steady stream of luxury cars ferried guests to Forest Lawn Memorial-Park in Glendale this evening for the final leg of pop singer Michael Jackson’s odyssey from death to burial.

Longtime Jackson friend Elizabeth Taylor, who was whisked through the 25-foot-high cemetery gates in a Maybach, was among an expected 200 guests at Jackson’s sunset burial service on a hot night exactly 10 weeks after he was found dead.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson, the Rev. Al Sharpton, actor Macaulay Culkin, baseball player Barry Bonds, comic Chris Tucker and lawyer Thomas A. Mesereau, who successfully defended Jackson on charges of sexual molestation four years ago, arrived to take their places on white chairs lined up for the outdoor service in the tree-dappled, verdant park.

Glendale police blocked off streets around the 300-acre cemetery, and the sprinkling of fans who showed up were relegated to standing behind barricades blocks away.  A dozen fans held up a banner reading “King of Pop Michael Jackson Gone Too Soon.”

Jackson is to be interred in a crypt in Holly Terrace, one of 11 halls in the Great Mausoleum, Forest Lawn’s vast granite-and-marble-filled palazzo that serves as the star-studded resting place of Clark Gable, Jean Harlow and other screen legends.

The outdoor service will move into Holly Terrace for a cryptside finale. 

The Jackson estate is footing the bill for the service, which has been called by a lawyer for the estate “extraordinary” but worth paying.  At least $120,000 will go to cover the Glendale Police Department’s expenses — and that’s just a fraction of the costs.  The bulk of the expenses will go to Forest Lawn.

—Chris Lee and Carla Hall

Global media gathering at Forest Lawn; police warn public against crashing Jackson's burial service

Media from around the world are gathering at the gates at Forest Lawn Memorial-Park in Glendale awaiting the beginning of Michael Jackson's burial service.

The Glendale Police Department also is out in force, blocking off streets and discouraging spectators from trying to get into the private service at 7 tonight.

Jackson will be interred in the expansive cemetery's Great Mausoleum. The pop singer's remains will be placed in a crypt in the Holly Terrace section of the mausoleum, a massive building that is the final resting place for stars from film's golden age, such as Clark Gable, Jean Harlow and Carole Lombard.

Family and friends gather tonight for Michael Jackson burial in Glendale

Friends and family will converge on Forest Lawn Memorial-Park in Glendale this evening for the burial of Michael Jackson.

Authorities will be out in force for the funeral, though they don't expect huge crowds of spectators. The funeral begins at 7 p.m.

Jackson will be interred in the expansive cemetery's Great Mausoleum. The pop singer's remains will be placed in a crypt in the Holly Terrace section of the mausoleum, a massive building that is the final resting place for stars from film's golden age, such as Jean Harlow, Carole Lombard and Clark Gable.

The burial caps months of rumors about where he would be laid to rest. One report had his body stored in a crypt owned by Motown founder Berry Gordy Jr., and there was widespread speculation that an elaborate grave -- and ultimately, a Graceland-style museum -- would be constructed at the entertainer's Neverland Ranch in Santa Barbara County.

Michael Jackson's estate to pay funeral costs [Updated]

Michael Jackson's estate will be paying the undisclosed expenses for the singer's funeral Thursday -- a sum one attorney called "extraordinary."

Probate Judge Mitchell Beckloff approved the payment at a hearing this morning in downtown Los Angeles after an attorney for the estate's administrators, John Branca and John McClain, assured him that the estate has enough cash to cover the expenses and that paying for the funeral will not affect its solvency.

"The expenses are extraordinary; however, Michael Jackson is extraordinary," said attorney Jeryll S. Cohen, who told the judge the administrators did not object to the expenses. "They may not be appropriate for an ordinary person, but Michael Jackson was not ordinary."

Attorneys for the singer's mother filed papers under seal late Tuesday asking that the estate foot the bill for the funeral she has planned. Burt Levitch, Katherine Jackson's attorney, said outside court that he did not find the expenses extraordinary.