Michael Jackson to be buried without his brain

By Ruth Doherty on Monday 6 July 2009

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Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson is to be buried without his brain, according to reports.

Following an autopsy at the Los Angeles Coroner’s Office, the singer’s brain has been removed for further neurological tests – to decipher, amongst other things, what drugs he had taken.

Michael’s family faced the agonising decision over whether to wait until the tests are finished – which could take up to a month – before burying him, or to carry on with the funeral plans.

Rather than postpone the funeral, they decided to go ahead with burying him – without his brain.

The tests may also reveal important evidence in the criminal investigation into the star’s death.

Six doctors have been questioned by the Drug Enforcement Agency, and the State Attorney General has ordered an investigation into which pills were administered when, and by whom.

A spokesperson for Brown insisted: ‘If there has been abuses, charges will follow.’

Michael’s funeral is set to take place tomorrow.

The ceremony will consist of a closed-casket family service in LA, followed by a grand public send-off, which will feature a performance by Stevie Wonder.

A whopping 11,000 tickets have been allocated to fans wanting to say their goodbyes, with a further 6,500 set to watch it on giant screens in the nearby Nokia Theatre.

Tickets for what is set to be one of the biggest funerals of all time were up for grabs this weekend in an online lottery system.

Demand proved so great that the website crashed when half a million people tried to access it in the first 24 hours.

Meanwhile, the televised concert is likely to attract a global audience of at least three million people.