Despite rumors that Michael Jackson had quietly been laid to rest in an unmarked grave at Forest Lawn cemetery, the late King of Pop has not been buried yet. Michael’s creepy dad Joe spoke to E! News about the state of his son’s casket, which has yet to find a permanent home. It took over two months for James Brown to be buried due to the legal issues between his estate executors and family, and we’re looking at a similar time frame for Jackson, who passed almost seven weeks ago. (As I looked up that detail, I found this photo of Michael Jackson paying his respects to Brown when he was laid in state at the Apollo theater. The photo is disturbing, as Brown is in an open casket and Jackson is pale as a ghost as usual. It makes me uncomfortable to look at it.)

Joe, never one to miss an opportunity to meddle and cash in where possible, said he supports moving Jackson’s abandoned estate, Neverland, to Las Vegas. At first I thought this article was claiming Joe wanted Michael to be buried in Vegas, but it sounds like he doesn’t have control of that and is just suggesting that a Neverland-type venue be built there. Joe lives in Vegas and would probably hang around whatever shrine is built to Michael trying to promote his projects and pick up women with his crypt-keeper charm.

Just in case you weren’t certain, Michael Jackson is “not buried yet.”

Shooting down published reports (and backing up what we reported yesterday), father Joe Jackson tells E! News exclusively that his son has not already been laid to rest at Forest Lawn Memorial Park.

Joe declined to specify any burial plans or confirm whether his son’s body has been placed in Motown maven Berry Gordy’s crypt as some outlets have speculated.

The Jackson patriarch, who resides primarily in Las Vegas, also tells E! News he supports a proposal to move Neverland to Vegas.

“I think Vegas would be great,” says Joe. And while he doesn’t think the family would visit such a shrine to his son, Joe does believe “the fans would come.”
Asked about Michael’s ongoing death investigation, Joe says he prefers not to discuss it, only adding, “I still can’t believe he’s gone.”

[From E! Online]

I wonder if the reporter asked Joe specifically about a Vegas Neverland or if Joe came up with it on his own. My money is with good ‘old Joe. While Jermaine is planning that elaborate tribute concert in Vienna, Joe wants to take his rightful place as guardian to a chintzy Vegas shrine, his soulless eyes and lilac-colored eyebrows taking in all the money-making opportunities created by his son’s premature death.

Joe Jackson is shown at a hometown memorial held for Michael Jackson in Gary, Indiana on 7/10/09. Credit: WENN.com