14 DAY TRIAL // Fans, family members and friends are preparing to bid farewell to Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, this Tuesday. As they’re doing so, the Jackson clan had to take a very difficult decision, that of choosing between burying his body without his brain and waiting for three more weeks before laying him to rest. Ultimately, they chose the former, a spokesperson for the LA Coroner Office confirms for The Mirror.
According to the British publication, the brain was removed and sent for neuropathology tests to determine the exact cause of death, as well as to establish whether there was any past history of drug abuse or overdose. Because tests will continue for at least a couple of more weeks, the family had to choose between burying the singer now or waiting until the brain was returned – they chose to do it now, says the publication based on the spokesperson’s statement.
“Michael Jackson will be buried this week – without his brain. As his family tries to finalize details for the King of Pop’s funeral on Tuesday they have been told it will be held back for tests. They faced the grim choice of waiting up to three weeks for Jackson’s brain to be returned to them or go ahead and bury him without it – which they have decided to do. Los Angeles Coroner’s spokesman Craig Harvey confirmed that neuropathology tests will be carried out to see if it holds any clues to the exact cause of his death. But the examination cannot begin until at least two weeks after the death when the brain has hardened sufficiently to slice it open.” The Mirror says.
Harvey says that, as of now, he is in no position to offer more details on this, but specialists are telling the British tab that analyzing the brain can take anywhere up to 17-18 days and that’s after the two-week interval mentioned above. The same specialists also explain how the Jackson family probably chose the option of going ahead with the funeral on Tuesday because they can bury the brain in the same grave at a later date, once all tests are concluded.
In the meanwhile, LAPD is urging fans who have not been drawn for a ticket at the memorial event to be held at Los Angeles’ Staples Center on Tuesday to stay at home to watch the ceremony. With all this, a crowd of 70,000+ is expected to gather in the area despite the official plea, as we were telling you earlier today.