Jackson’s belongings to be sold

BEVERLY HILLS - Reuters

An armoire from the Carrolwood Drive home of pop star Michael Jackson is seen with a note written on the glass. REUTERS photo

Contents of the mansion where Michael Jackson’s lifeless body was found by convicted killer Dr. Conrad Murray go under the auction hammer next week, closing one chapter on a tragic saga that started in 2009 and ended last month with his former physician behind bars.

Some 500 lots of mostly paintings, furniture and ornaments are for sale from the Bel Air home Jackson rented while preparing for a series of comeback concerts in London. But only a handful of the items bear a poignant but personal connection to the singer, his three children and famous family.

“Even though these weren’t items that belonged to him, they were items that surrounded him in the final months of his life. Anything associated with Michael Jackson is highly collectible,” said auctioneer Darren Julien.

The ornate headboard on the bed where Jackson’s body was found on June 25, 2009 was removed from the Dec. 17 sale last month at the request of Jackson’s family.

But the “Thriller” singer did leave his mark on an ornate mirror in the bedroom, scrawling a message in felt pen that reads “Train, perfection March April Full out May,” presumably a reference to rehearsals for London’s “This Is It” concerts set to start that July. The mirror is part of an armoire and carries an estimated sales price of $6-8,000.

A pottery rooster holding a chalkboard from the kitchen bears a poignant reminder of Jackson’s children Prince, Paris and Blanket. A note from the children in chalk reads “I (heart) Daddy SMILE it’s for free”. The item is priced at $400-600 but is expected to fetch much more.