Adoring fans and dozens of news crews crowded around Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch yesterday in anticipation of witnessing the finale to the story of the King of Pop, only to learn that no funeral was planned there.
Hotel rooms in the bucolic wine country surrounding Jackson's estate sold out within minutes of the first - and eventually, erroneous - reports Tuesday that the pop icon might be buried there.
And residents of Los Olivos, who were plagued by reporters following Jackson's 2003 arrest on child molestation charges, once more had their lives upended by streams of TV vans and fans eager to mark the passing of the pop culture giant. He died last Thursday at age 50.
By Tuesday night, more than 30 TV news trucks parked outside the gates of Neverland Ranch. Yellow police tape kept gawkers and media off the property of two private schools across the street from the ranch, which is tucked off a winding, two-lane country road in Santa Barbara County, and fans in campers trickled in.
The excitement, however, appeared to be for nothing.
No public memorial
A person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press that no public memorial would be held at Neverland Ranch and that Jackson would likely be buried in Los Angeles. The source, who was not authorised to speak for the family and requested anonymity, told the AP that nothing is planned at least through tomorrow, although the family could have a private memorial at Neverland after Jackson is buried.
Inside the gates of the theme-park-style estate, at least two dozen workers could be seen placing fresh sod along the drive to the main house, mowing the lawn and doing maintenance on an ornate, iron-and-gold gate within the ranch.
The fountains were on and sprinklers had been set out to water the grass. Fresh flowers surrounded its train station.
A receptionist at KW Custom Iron, which had a crew at Neverland, said the company was not authorised to comment on what kind of work they were doing there. She declined to give her name.
Jackson bought the ranch when he was 29 and at the height of his popularity. He named it Neverland after the mythical land of Peter Pan, where boys never grow up. There, he surrounded himself with animals, rides and children.