AP Photo/Lois Bernstein; Pool Photographer/Getty ImagesWe may not know exactly where Michael Jackson's body is, but we do know at least one place it isn't—Neverland Ranch.
The process to bury the star's remains at his Santa Barbara estate is considerably lengthy and involved.
Kim Brown, spokesperson for the California Department of Consumer Affairs, tells E! News the Jackson family would first have to obtain a "certificate of authority" from the California Funeral and Cemetery Bureau in order to bury M.J. on private property. This certificate allows a private property to "operate as a cemetery."
So far, "one has not been issued," Brown says. If it were (or when it does), it will be public record.
To obtain a certificate of authority, one must submit a variety of documents, including a zoning permit in Santa Barbara, a deed to the property, a map of the proposed cemetery site and several other applications.
Brown tells E! News it's up to a family how long it takes to gather the necessary requirements.
"It really depends on going to the county to get those zoning permits," he says. "And then they have to get a cemetery manager, somebody appointed as that."
Once all the documents are set, Brown claims it takes the state about "seven to 30 days" to process.
"Once you get all of that and submit it to the state, then the state works as rapidly as possible to issue a certificate of authority," he explains. "It's not an overnight process."
An employee at the Los Angeles County Public Health office also tells E! News that an amendment to Jackson's death certificate has not been issued.
Reports say La Toya Jackson will be issuing a statement Friday about their plans for the burial. Her rep has not returned a request for comment.
The King of Pop may not be buried (at least not right away) at his fabled abode, but at least one of his most famous symbols will follow him to the grave: his sparkly glove.
Jeffrey Relf, a rep for Gaspar Gloves, confirms to E! News that they designed a Swarovski crystal white "kidskin" leather glove for the star's final outfit.
According to Relf, M.J.'s stylist of 24 years, Michael Bush, and sister La Toya were both very involved in dressing Michael and making him "look amazing and appropriate" when he was laid to rest.
"La Toya wanted to make sure Michael Bush styled Michael in the way that people know him as looking," he tells E! News. "Within that, they were going over what gloves, because you know Michael had tons of gloves and some of the gloves were custom, which is what my client Dorothy [who owns Gaspar Gloves] did for him. La Toya wanted the glove to look luxury enough so Michael Bush looked through the archive and found the one that Dorothy designed for him 10 or 12 years ago and that’s what they chose."
The Thriller had worn Gaspar Gloves for more than 20 years.
As for who would actually see Michael in his last outfit, that remains unknown. Relf says he doesn't know if there was an open casket, but says some people probably saw him since there was such an emphasis to make him look "appropriate" for the occasion.