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All Quiet at Neverland
Aired November 20, 2003 - 16:16 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Let's scoot down the road there in Santa Barbara right now to Gary Tuchman who is at Michael Jackson's ranch, Neverland.
Gary, assuming Michael Jackson comes home, so to speak, from the sheriff's department after having been formally charged, what is he actually -- how much privacy can he actually have there?
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We're actually 30 miles down the road -- actually up the road since we're north.
And what kind of privacy? Immense privacy here. Because these grounds, 2,600 acres, as you may have heard and seen in pictures that we have shown you over not only the last couple of days, but months and years.
On the grounds are amusement park rides, a ferris wheel and bumper cars. There's also statues of children that he has strategically placed throughout the grounds. There's herds of cattle that wander around. Some of the cattle literally come right up to us next to the fence that were standing next to.
Then there's a mansion that sits on the grounds literally two miles from where we are standing. Right now we're 12 inches from the ranch border, but the house is two miles away. And there's no way with the naked eye you could see where Michael Jackson lives. So he would have a lot of privacy if he came here.
You brought this up earlier, Judy, and it's an interesting point. The only way you would be able to see him is if you flew your news helicopter or news airplane above Neverland. And then could you see him, but he probably live with that because those shots would be few and far between. He would have privacy in the house.
One thing we're surprised we're not seeing it, and maybe we're nor seeing it because he's possibly not coming here, but's there's absolutely no elaborate security of any kind here. There's one guard who's behind the fence. There's a guardhouse and he's inside there. And he's just kind of hanging out like he has been the last couple of days. So no extra security set up.
And really no supporters or detractors here. We have seen one or two people since we have been here in the last couple of days. One person came by last night and brought this sign and put it down in front that says, "We support you, Michael, King of Pop. We love you." And then it's signed here on the bottom from your "Lil' fans, Marble Eyes and Esme. (ph)"
So that is one thing we would expect to see. I mean this is not Graceland. You go to Graceland, you have thousands of people wandering around at all times. We have the not seen that here at all in Michael Jackson's moment of need.
WOODRUFF: But, Gary, you are also in a fairly remote area there. Or -- I mean, how far is it to the closest house down the road?
TUCHMAN: Right. And especially compared to Graceland, which is on like a state highway.
WOODRUFF: Exactly.
TUCHMAN: There's lots of things -- lots of things around Graceland. We're in a very remote area. I mean it's easy to find. You just ask if you wanted to come here.
But this is just a beautiful, lush area surrounded by mountains. Interesting. Even though the houses are spaced apart every half mile, across the street -- and this is something we didn't know until we came here. But right down the road across the street there is actually a private school across the street from where Michael Jackson lives.
WOODRUFF: And we don't know whether his children attend it or what grades it is or whatever. Something...
TUCHMAN: I actually -- actually, we went to find that out. They didn't want to talk about if his children went there. So that didn't mean they do, that didn't mean they don't. They just wouldn't tell us that.
WOODRUFF: All right, Gary Tuchman, and we'll be coming back to you if there's any indication Michael Jackson is headed your way.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired November 20, 2003 - 16:16 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Let's scoot down the road there in Santa Barbara right now to Gary Tuchman who is at Michael Jackson's ranch, Neverland.
Gary, assuming Michael Jackson comes home, so to speak, from the sheriff's department after having been formally charged, what is he actually -- how much privacy can he actually have there?
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We're actually 30 miles down the road -- actually up the road since we're north.
And what kind of privacy? Immense privacy here. Because these grounds, 2,600 acres, as you may have heard and seen in pictures that we have shown you over not only the last couple of days, but months and years.
On the grounds are amusement park rides, a ferris wheel and bumper cars. There's also statues of children that he has strategically placed throughout the grounds. There's herds of cattle that wander around. Some of the cattle literally come right up to us next to the fence that were standing next to.
Then there's a mansion that sits on the grounds literally two miles from where we are standing. Right now we're 12 inches from the ranch border, but the house is two miles away. And there's no way with the naked eye you could see where Michael Jackson lives. So he would have a lot of privacy if he came here.
You brought this up earlier, Judy, and it's an interesting point. The only way you would be able to see him is if you flew your news helicopter or news airplane above Neverland. And then could you see him, but he probably live with that because those shots would be few and far between. He would have privacy in the house.
One thing we're surprised we're not seeing it, and maybe we're nor seeing it because he's possibly not coming here, but's there's absolutely no elaborate security of any kind here. There's one guard who's behind the fence. There's a guardhouse and he's inside there. And he's just kind of hanging out like he has been the last couple of days. So no extra security set up.
And really no supporters or detractors here. We have seen one or two people since we have been here in the last couple of days. One person came by last night and brought this sign and put it down in front that says, "We support you, Michael, King of Pop. We love you." And then it's signed here on the bottom from your "Lil' fans, Marble Eyes and Esme. (ph)"
So that is one thing we would expect to see. I mean this is not Graceland. You go to Graceland, you have thousands of people wandering around at all times. We have the not seen that here at all in Michael Jackson's moment of need.
WOODRUFF: But, Gary, you are also in a fairly remote area there. Or -- I mean, how far is it to the closest house down the road?
TUCHMAN: Right. And especially compared to Graceland, which is on like a state highway.
WOODRUFF: Exactly.
TUCHMAN: There's lots of things -- lots of things around Graceland. We're in a very remote area. I mean it's easy to find. You just ask if you wanted to come here.
But this is just a beautiful, lush area surrounded by mountains. Interesting. Even though the houses are spaced apart every half mile, across the street -- and this is something we didn't know until we came here. But right down the road across the street there is actually a private school across the street from where Michael Jackson lives.
WOODRUFF: And we don't know whether his children attend it or what grades it is or whatever. Something...
TUCHMAN: I actually -- actually, we went to find that out. They didn't want to talk about if his children went there. So that didn't mean they do, that didn't mean they don't. They just wouldn't tell us that.
WOODRUFF: All right, Gary Tuchman, and we'll be coming back to you if there's any indication Michael Jackson is headed your way.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
