Jermaine Jackson Bidding to Have Michael Buried At Neverland

4 months ago 03rd Jul 03:35

Jermaine Jackson wants his brother Michael Jackson to be laid to rest in the grounds of his Neverland Ranch - because his "presence" can still be felt at the California home.

The pop superstar, who passed away last week (25Jun09), deserted the property after investigators raided it looking for evidence to use against the singer in his 2005 child molestation trial.

Reports surfaced earlier this week (begs29Jun09) suggesting Jackson would be buried at Neverland, sending fans flocking to the Santa Barbara estate.

Burials on private property are forbidden by law, and according to People.com, the family was unable to secure an exemption.

A spokesperson for Colony Capital, the investment firm that bought out the property in 2008, says, "They couldn't get it in time".

Plans for Jackson's memorial remain in limbo, although Jackson's relatives insist they are working on giving the Thriller hitmaker a suitable send off.

presence can still be felt at the California home

But Jermaine is still pushing to have the singer laid to rest at Neverland because it's so "peaceful" - and he's working on winning over the rest of his family with the idea.

He says, "This place, Neverland, I love it here, because I feel him here... This is his home, this is his creation. Why wouldn't he be here? I feel his presence. It's like he's on tour somewhere, or just out somewhere, and it will always be like that.

"I want my mother to come back here and feel what I feel, my brothers, my sisters... because it is so important. I mean, he built this place with love, you can feel it, you can see it.

It's quiet, it's peaceful". And Jermaine admits part of the reason behind his Neverland bid is to change the public perception of the place that became the main focus of Jackson's child abuse investigation. Jermaine adds, "He was hurt, he was torn apart, and to be treated like you're not from here, to be made a mockery for the world to see, he felt that they sort of invaded his privacy.