A lawyer for the family of late pop star Michael Jackson says a will
from 2002 has been discovered, a day after his family said he was
believed to have died without one.
The lawyer, Londell McMillan, said a search is on for other documents that could affect the singer's estate.
Meanwhile,
the fate of Jackson's body and plans for a public funeral remain
unclear. Some reports say the family is planning a public viewing of
the body Friday at Jackson's Neverland Ranch in California
Monday,
Jackson's mother was granted limited control over some of the singer's
property, as well as temporary guardianship of his three children, who
range in age from 7 to 12.
Sorting out the estate likely will be
a major ordeal, because the singer left behind about $500 million in
debt. However, his assets are believed to be worth much more than that.
In
addition to his own valuable recording catalogue, Jackson owned rights
to music by other artists, including the Beatles, from a joint music
publishing venture with Sony Corporation.
Funeral arrangement
have not yet been made for Jackson, who died suddenly last Thursday at
the age of 50. His family is awaiting autopsy results that could help
determine the cause of his death.
The coroner's office in Los
Angeles said there were no indications of external trauma or foul
play. But the office said it will take weeks for test results to come
back. Jackson's family ordered a private, second autopsy.
On Monday, officials from the coroner's office visited the pop icon's mansion and removed two large bags of medical evidence.
There
is speculation that painkillers may have killed the singer, but
toxicology tests are not expected to be completed for several weeks. A
lawyer for Jackson's personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, denies
media reports that he prescribed painkillers to the singer.
Jackson
died as he was preparing to launch a series of 50 sold-out comeback
concerts next month. Concert promoter AEG Live has promised to refund
ticket-holders.
In New York, the Apollo Theater held a public
memorial for Jackson on Tuesday. The singer won the theater's amateur
contest in 1967, performing with his brothers as The Jackson 5.
News
