A small group of Michael Jackson's most devoted supporters gathered outside the gates of his Neverland Ranch in Los Olivos, California on 30 January 2005, the day before his criminal trial was set to begin in nearby Santa Maria.
The admirers had traveled from Switzerland, the Netherlands, Britain, and Spain, parking along the low wooden fence bordering the property and waiting for any sign of the entertainer. One Swiss fan, who gave only her first name, Chantal, had taken three weeks off work to attend, convinced Jackson was being singled out because of his unconventional personality.
Jackson faces charges of sexually molesting a 13-year-old boy and supplying him with alcohol at the ranch around 2003. He settled a separate molestation accusation from 1993 out of court for a reported multimillion-dollar sum. He has pleaded not guilty to the current charges and is free on a $3 million bond, publicly calling the allegations a fabrication driven by his accuser's family and prosecutorial ambition.
The Santa Maria trial, held roughly 50 kilometers from the ranch, was expected to last several months.
Residents of Los Olivos were largely unmoved, describing the fan vigil as baffling and Jackson himself as a deeply unusual figure.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this AFP wire report, first published in January 2005, in its own words.