The body of Michael Jackson has been released to his family, a Los Angeles County coroner's spokesman said today after an autopsy failed to immediately determine what killed the troubled pop star.
Members of Jackson's family were said to be gathering at his parents home in suburban Los Angeles to make final arrangements for the pop star, whose sudden death on Thursday dominated worldwide headlines and touched off two days of tributes from fans.
No funeral or public memorial plans have been disclosed, and ABC Newsreported that the family might seek a second, independent autopsy on the remains.
Coroner's officials have said that with no outward signs of trauma to Jackson's body or evidence of foul play, they would have to wait for the results of toxicology tests and other studies to establish a cause of death.
Speculation has centred on Jackson's use of prescription drugs and reports that he was injected with the narcotic painkiller Demerol shortly before collapsing at his rented mansion in a Holmby Hills neighbourhood of Los Angeles.
The 50-year-old entertainer was in full cardiac arrest when paramedics arrived, with his personal physician, identified as Dr Conrad Murray, trying desperately to revive him.
Police towed Murray's silver Mercedes from the driveway of the home where Jackson died, saying they wanted to search it for evidence and medication, and have sought to further interview the 51-year-old, Houston-based cardiologist.
The Los Angeles Timesreported that Dr Murray, who had been living in the Holmby Hills mansion with Jackson, had agreed to meet with detectives with his attorney present during the weekend, although he has not been accused of any wrongdoing.
The Rev Jesse Jackson, who has been acting as a spokesman for the singer's family, told ABC Newsthat they also had questions for Murray.
"When did the doctor come? What did he do? Did he inject him? If so, with what?" he said in an interview with the network. "Was he on the scene twice? Before and then reaction to? Did he use Demerol? It's a very powerful drug. Was he injected once? Was he injected twice?"
The celebrity website TMZ.com reported that police were also interested in speaking with another Jackson advise about the superstar's use of prescription medication.
Jackson's body was held under tight security at the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office, a spokesman said, and transferred to an area mortuary shortly after 9pm local time last night.
Few details were released about the autopsy's findings, but Fox News reported on its website that investigators found his body to be healthier and stronger than they had expected with some scarring on the face.
Celebrity website TMZ.com, citing an interview with a "close member" of the Jackson family, reported the entertainer was injected with Demerol about half an hour before he went into cardiac arrest.
TMZ, citing family members, said Jackson received a daily shot of Demerol, a narcotic painkiller, and that the family believed his death was caused by an overdose of the drug.
A senior law enforcement official told ABC that Jackson was "heavily addicted" to the painkiller Oxycontin and was injected daily with that medication, along with Demerol.
Facing a battered reputation and a mountain of debt that The Wall Street Journalreported ran to $500 million, Jackson spent the last two months of his life rehearsing for a series of London concerts that were seen as a make-or-break comeback for the man who dominated the pop charts in the 1980s.
Fans and fellow pop stars revived memories of Jackson's musical genius, tarnished over the past decade by accusations of child molestation and eccentric behaviour.
US President Barack Obama called Jackson a "spectacular performer" but said he believed aspects of his life were "sad and tragic," the White House said.
"My heart, my mind are broken," actress Elizabeth Taylor, long a close friend of Jackson, said in a statement.
"He will be in my heart forever but it's not enough," Taylor said. "My life feels so empty. I don't think anyone knew how much we loved each other."
On Hollywood Boulevard, police put up barricades to control thousands of fans who filed past Jackson's star on the Walk of Fame to honour the child prodigy who became one of the top singers of all time with an estimated 750 million albums sold.
Reuters