1993 Michael Jackson sexual abuse allegations

Testimony from other children

During the 1993 investigation, police examined Jackson’s relationships with several boys. Investigators questioned a group of boys identified by the accuser, reportedly four boys, including the child actor Macaulay Culkin. Brett Barnes, 11, was questioned by investigators at Neverland, while later reporting identifies Wade Robson, 10, as another potential victim located by investigators. On August 25–27, 1993, Barnes and Robson publicly denied any sexual misconduct despite acknowledging that they had shared Jackson’s bed; later reporting states that these appearances were arranged by Jackson’s private investigator Anthony Pellicano. Robson repeated his denial under oath at Jackson’s 2005 trial, but on May 16, 2013, he reversed his account and alleged that Jackson had sexually abused him. Robson said that during the 1993 investigation Jackson called him daily and role-played/rehearsed how he should respond, warning him that disclosure would send them both to prison.

In August 1993, the Los Angeles Times reported that a boy who was at Neverland when police executed search warrants acknowledged having shared Jackson's bed but denied that Jackson had molested him. When prosecutors closed the investigation in September 1994, they said it had uncovered two additional boys who alleged that Jackson had molested them. Neither was publicly identified at the time; one was living outside the United States and had previously made statements generally denying wrongdoing, while the other alleged three incidents and had been receiving therapy. In 2004, retired LAPD detective William Dworin similarly told the Los Angeles Times that two other boys had told detectives that Jackson had touched them inappropriately, although he described their statements as weaker than that of the original accuser.

On November 17, 1993, the Los Angeles Times reported that Jackson attorney Bertram Fields accused LAPD investigators of intimidating children by falsely telling them, among other things, “we have nude photos of you”; Police Commission president Gary Greenebaum rejected the allegations as unfounded. On April 5, 2005, The Guardian reported that Jason Francia, son of Jackson's former maid Blanca Francia, rejected defense suggestions that police had pressured him into accusing Jackson, stating that investigators had asked him to disclose misconduct if it had occurred.

Testimony from staff

In early September 1993, former Neverland employees Mark and Faye Quindoy publicly offered to testify about what they described as Jackson’s unusual behavior around young boys. Contemporary reports noted that Mark Quindoy had left Neverland following workplace disagreements and a pay dispute, and the Los Angeles Times later reported that the couple came forward after Jackson refused to pay approximately $283,000 in back salary they claimed was owed to them. Quindoy alleged that he had seen Jackson fondling boys on at least two occasions. On September 22, the couple were interviewed for nearly four hours in Manila by investigators from the LAPD and Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department, and said they had provided details of alleged child abuse they claimed to have witnessed.

On November 22, 1993, five former security guards filed a wrongful-termination lawsuit against Jackson, alleging that they had been fired after acquiring firsthand knowledge of his nighttime visits with young boys. One of the guards, Leroy Thomas, further alleged that Jackson had instructed him to retrieve and destroy a Polaroid photograph of a naked boy from Jackson's private bathroom; Thomas described the boy as appearing to be between 10 and 14 years old. Jackson's representatives denied the guards' allegations. On December 2, the guards' attorney, Charles Mathews, held a press conference alleging that his clients had been subjected to systematic harassment and intimidation since their dismissal, including a drive-by shooting and an attempt to run one of them down with a car. Mathews suggested that Jackson's private investigator Anthony Pellicano had orchestrated the campaign. On September 15, 1994, a Superior Court judge ruled that Jackson could invoke the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution in the guards' civil suit, allowing him to avoid answering under oath questions concerning allegations of sexual abuse. Jackson's attorneys said that he maintained his innocence but had been advised not to answer because criminal charges remained possible. Mathews also stated that the guards had cooperated with the district attorney's office.

On November 30, 1993, Jackson’s longtime chauffeur Gary Hearne was questioned under oath for more than five hours in the Chandler civil case; the deposition was videotaped and transcribed. According to the Los Angeles Times, attorney Larry Feldman subsequently told reporters that Hearne had said he drove Jackson to the Chandler residence “at least 30 times,” dropping him off at night and collecting him the following morning. Hearne also testified about an earlier incident on August 21, the day police searched Jackson’s Century City condominium and Neverland: after being sent to the condominium by an aide, Hearne said he received a telephone call from Jackson and private investigator Anthony Pellicano instructing him to collect a briefcase, a suitcase and other items and deliver them to Pellicano’s residence. Hearne maintained that he never opened the containers and therefore did not know what they held.

On December 14, 1993, the Los Angeles Times reported that former maid Blanca Francia had told police and prosecutors that she had seen Jackson naked with young boys in a shower and Jacuzzi and had found him sharing a sleeping bag with another boy. In sworn testimony on December 15, Francia additionally described finding a photograph of a young boy who appeared naked except for a sheet covering his genitals. Francia had spoken to authorities before appearing on Hard Copy; she was subsequently paid thousands of dollars by the program. In April 2005, during Jackson’s criminal trial, newspapers reported that Francia’s son Jason, first questioned by police during the 1993 investigation, had accused Jackson of molesting him and that the Francia family had reached an out-of-court settlement in 1996, reported at more than $2 million.

Investigation into Chandler

On August 24, 1993, shortly after the investigation into Jackson became public, Jackson's private investigator Anthony Pellicano told reporters that the allegations had followed an unsuccessful extortion attempt. The following day, Pellicano and Jackson's representatives publicly alleged that the boy's father and his attorney had sought $20 million from Jackson and that the allegations had surfaced after Jackson refused to meet their demands. On August 26, the Los Angeles Police Department stated that no extortion complaint had been filed yet and that no investigation into extortion was underway.

On August 30, Jackson's representatives released recordings of the conversations to support their allegations that Evan had attempted to extort money from Jackson. The Los Angeles Times described the recordings as apparently edited and noted that Evan had not specified what he wanted from Jackson. Investigator Ernie Rizzo subsequently alleged that Pellicano had removed passages in which Evan expressed concern for Jordan's welfare. Pellicano and Jackson's attorney Howard Weitzman denied that Pellicano had tampered with the recordings.

Jackson's representatives subsequently reported the alleged extortion to authorities. Pellicano and Weitzman met with investigators, and by September 1 police sources confirmed that an extortion investigation was underway.

After more than five months of investigation, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office announced on January 24, 1994 that it would not file attempted-extortion charges against the boy's father. Deputy District Attorney Michael J. Montagna stated that the evidence did not establish that a crime had been committed. Montagna cited two circumstances in particular: Jackson's representatives had not promptly reported the alleged extortion to police, and they had continued negotiating with the father and his attorney for several weeks. Prosecutors concluded that the discussions appeared consistent with efforts to settle a potential civil claim rather than criminal extortion, with Montagna noting that attempts to settle civil disputes without litigation are favored by law.

Pellicano strongly disputed that interpretation. He maintained that Rothman had threatened to publicize the allegations and ruin Jackson unless the father's demands were met, and argued that neither Rothman nor attorney Gloria Allred, who briefly represented the boy, had actually filed a civil lawsuit during their involvement. A civil lawsuit alleging sexual abuse was later filed on the boy's behalf by attorney Larry Feldman.

Police raids

On August 21, 1993, police searched Jackson's Neverland Ranch in the Santa Ynez Valley and his condominium in Century City, Los Angeles, seizing videotapes and other materials. On August 30, Los Angeles police detectives, accompanied by local officers, searched a suite previously used by Jackson at the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas. According to a hotel spokesman, the search lasted approximately 30 minutes and no items were seized. On November 8, police searched the Jackson family residence in Encino, where his parents lived, reportedly seizing photographs and other materials. On November 19, investigators also executed search warrants at the offices of a plastic surgeon in Santa Monica and a dermatologist in Beverly Hills, seizing medical records as part of an investigation into whether Jackson had recently altered his physical appearance. Among the seized items were the books Boys Will Be Boys and The Boy: A Photographic Essay, both containing nude photographs of boys. Boys Will Be Boys reportedly contained a handwritten inscription by Jackson himself: "Look at the true spirit of happiness and joy in these boys' faces, this is the spirit of boyhood, a life I've never had and will always dream of. This is the life I want for my children." In a 1995 interview with Diane Sawyer, Jackson was asked about reports of photographs and books depicting nude boys. Jackson said he did not recall them and suggested they may have been unopened items sent by others. Additionally, two individual photographs of unidentified nude boys were found at Neverland and an additional photo of a naked boy was retrieved at the Jackson family home in Encino.

Interview with Richard Gardner

On October 6, 1993, Jordan Chandler was taken to New York to be evaluated by Dr. Richard A. Gardner, a child psychiatrist known for his work on allegations of child abuse and custody disputes. According to journalist Diane Dimond, Chandler's attorney, Larry R. Feldman, arranged the evaluation, during which Gardner administered psychological tests and conducted a videotaped interview. Chandler described the development of his relationship with Jackson and alleged progressively intimate physical contact, including sexual abuse during their May 1993 trip to Monaco. Dimond subsequently reported that Gardner had found Chandler's allegations credible.

Excerpts from the interview became public in 2005. On March 29, CNN broadcast audio in which Chandler explained that he had found it difficult to resist Jackson's alleged advances because Jackson was an adult, famous and powerful. On April 6, journalist Art Harris explained on CNN that Gardner had been retained by the family's attorney to evaluate Chandler's account rather than provide ongoing therapy. Harris also stated that the interview had been videotaped and that copies of the recordings had subsequently been obtained by a Chandler family member for a book.

On November 16, 1993, the Associated Press reported, citing an anonymous source, that Los Angeles police had obtained a warrant to conduct a physical examination of Jackson to compare his genitalia with a description reportedly provided by Chandler. Jackson's attorney Howard Weitzman said he was unaware of any such warrant and rejected the allegations, while Feldman declined to comment. The Los Angeles Times independently reported that investigators possessed Chandler's description, although police declined to confirm whether a warrant had been issued.

Strip search

On December 20, 1993, investigators from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department and the Los Angeles Police Department executed a search warrant requiring Michael Jackson to undergo a physical examination to compare his body with a description provided by Jordan Chandler. Jackson's body, including his genitalia, was photographed. On December 22, 1993, in a televised statement broadcast via satellite from Neverland Ranch, Jackson denied the allegations, criticized the media's coverage, and described the police examination as "the most humiliating ordeal of my life". Jackson also said that investigators had sought evidence of vitiligo, a skin condition he had already publicly discussed in February 1993. During a CNN appearance following Jackson's December 22 statement, Jackson's attorney Johnnie Cochran Jr. expressed concern that photographs taken during the examination could be leaked to the media.

On December 23, 1993, Cochran stated that the defense would challenge the admissibility of the nude photographs and described the examination as "really outrageous". Cochran also questioned the purpose of the examination, given Jackson's previously disclosed skin condition. On the same day, Los Angeles and Santa Barbara County authorities declined to comment publicly on the examination, while an anonymous law enforcement source told the Associated Press that investigators had compared the photographs with Chandler's description but declined to say whether they matched.

On January 4, 1994, Chandler's attorney Larry Feldman sought access to the photographs, alternatively requesting another examination or their exclusion from the civil case. Jackson's attorneys later sought their return, but a judge refused; the photographs were kept secured and were never made public.

Accounts differed over whether Chandler's description matched the photographs. On January 27, 1994, Reuters reported that an unidentified source close to Jackson said the photographs did not tally with Chandler's description. In March, Jackson's mother Katherine was subpoenaed before a Los Angeles County grand jury; a source told the Los Angeles Times that investigators were examining whether Jackson's appearance had been altered since Chandler gave his description. The criminal investigation closed without charges on September 21, 1994. During a 1995 ABC interview with Diane Sawyer, Michael Jackson and his then-wife Lisa Marie Presley explicitly denied claims that photographs of Jackson's genitalia matched Jordan Chandler's description.

Officials involved in the investigations later said that the photographs corroborated Chandler's description. In 2004, the Los Angeles Times identified retired LAPD detective William Dworin as having supervised the 1993 investigation and quoted him as saying that "the pictures of Jackson matched the description". During Jackson's 2005 trial, prosecutors sought to introduce the sealed photographs and compare them with a drawing Chandler had made in 1993. Senior Deputy District Attorney Ron Zonen argued that the evidence was relevant, but Judge Rodney Melville excluded it as unfairly prejudicial, particularly because Chandler would not testify and therefore could not be cross-examined.

Lauren Weis, who had been in charge of the Los Angeles criminal investigation in 1993, said in the 2019 podcast Telephone Stories that Chandler's description was accurate, referring to "not just the genitalia, but a particular mark on the underside of his penis". In 2026, former LAPD detectives Rosibel Ferrufino-Smith and Federico Sicard discussed the examination in documentaries. Ferrufino-Smith stated that Chandler had accurately described Jackson's genitalia, while Sicard said the information provided by Chandler had been confirmed.

As of 2024, the photographs taken by police in 1993 were still subject to a court-issued protective order and had not been made public.

Settlement

Jackson's legal team met three times a week at Taylor's home to discuss the case. Eventually, they agreed that Jackson was too sick to endure a lengthy trial and that he should settle out of court. The lawsuit was settled on January 25, 1994, with $15,331,250 to be held in a trust fund for Jordan, $1.5 million for each of his parents, and $5 million for the family's lawyer, for a total of approximately $25 million. According to a motion passed to Judge Melville in 2004, "the settlement was for global claims of negligence and the lawsuit was defended by Mr. Jackson's insurance carrier. The [carrier] negotiated and paid the settlement, over the protests of Mr. Jackson and his personal legal counsel."

On January 29, 1994, the Associated Press reported that Jackson had requested his insurance company, Transamerica Insurance Group (TIG), contribute to the settlement. A lawyer for TIG, Jordan Harriman, had made a "one-time-only" offer to Jackson on January 13 to resolve his claim. Jackson refused that offer but further negotiations followed. Russ Wardrip, a TIG claims analyst, had sent a January 13 registered letter to Jackson's lawyer, Howard Weitzman:

...acts of sexual activity do not constitute [accidental] bodily injury. Further, acts of sexual activity, especially those against a minor, are inherently intentional, wrongful and harmful. Coverage for such acts is precluded by [the] California Insurance Code.

According to Jackson's attorney Thomas Mesereau, Jackson's insurance company was "the source of the settlement amounts", as noted in a 2005 memorandum in People v. Jackson. The memorandum also noted that "an insurance carrier has the right to settle claims covered by insurance where it decides settlement is expedient and the insured may not interfere with nor prevent such settlements", as established by a number of precedents in California. Defeating the right would involve convincing a court with the power to overrule the precedent that the earlier decision was either wrongly decided or more often, "clearly" wrong (depending on the criteria of the court) or the court must be convinced to distinguish the case. That is, to make the ruling narrower than that in the precedent due to some difference in facts between the current and precedent case while supporting the result reached in the earlier case.

In 2004, Mesereau said: "People who intended to earn millions of dollars from [Jackson's] record and music promotions did not want negative publicity from these lawsuits interfering with their profits. Michael Jackson now regrets making these payments. These settlements were entered into with one primary condition—that condition was that Mr. Jackson never admitted any wrongdoing. [He] always denied doing anything wrong ... Mr. Jackson now realizes the advice he received was wrong." Jackson explained why he had settled: "I wanted to go on with my life. Too many people had already been hurt. I want to make records. I want to sing. I want to perform again ... It's my talent. My hard work. My life. My decision." He also wanted to avoid a "media circus". Mesereau later said Jackson regretted settling.

The settlement cannot be used as evidence of guilt in future civil and criminal cases. In 1994, Larry Feldman said "nobody bought anybody's silence".

Jackson

The allegations attracted extensive international media attention after becoming public in August 1993. British tabloids dispatched reporters to Los Angeles, while television crews and helicopters gathered around Neverland Ranch. Coverage varied between organizations. The New York Post published the headline "Peter Pan or Pervert?", while Time and Newsweek questioned Jackson's public image in their cover stories. The New York Times initially devoted relatively little coverage to the allegations. Its executive editor, Max Frankel, said it was reluctant to extensively publicize unproven allegations against an individual who had not been charged.

Media commentators questioned the handling of unverified information by television networks. Los Angeles Times writer Howard Rosenberg argued that the coverage had blurred the distinction between mainstream journalism and tabloid reporting. He criticized CBS This Morning for interviewing Hard Copy reporter Diane Dimond and raising an unconfirmed rumor that Jackson had attempted suicide. Rosenberg also noted that some broadcasts repeated tabloid headlines or presented speculative interpretations of the allegations.

In November 1993, after Jackson canceled the remainder of his tour to seek treatment for dependence on painkillers, British journalists searched hotels, hospitals and other locations in an effort to establish his whereabouts. In the same month, the television talk show Geraldo staged a simulated grand jury proceeding concerning the allegations, involving a former judge, attorneys and twelve jurors, although Jackson had not been charged.

A December 1993 nationwide survey by the Times Mirror Center for the People & the Press found that 57% of respondents believed news about Jackson's personal problems had received excessive media coverage. The Western Regional NAACP accused the media of excessive and prejudicial coverage, expressing concern that Jackson was effectively being tried in the press. The organization emphasized that it was taking no position on the truth of the allegations and announced a review of news coverage of African Americans. On December 22, Jackson delivered a televised statement denying the allegations and criticizing their portrayal in the media. Larry Feldman, the Chandler family's attorney, responded that Jackson was himself using the publicity to influence prospective jurors. The statement was carried live by numerous television networks.

Chandler family

The media attention also extended to Jordan Chandler and his parents, Evan and June Chandler. Although most American news organizations followed policies against identifying minors who alleged sexual abuse, the New York Daily News published Jordan's name, while the British tabloid The Sun printed photographs of him with Jackson. Time and Newsweek published photographs in which his face had been electronically obscured. By August 26, The Independent had also identified Jordan by name. The Associated Press reported that his name and photograph had appeared in newspapers in Britain, France, Italy and Germany.

Even news organizations that withheld Jordan's name sometimes disclosed information from which he could be identified. Reports described his parents' divorce and custody dispute, identified Evan's occupation and professional connections, and discussed June's disagreements with him over their son's relationship with Jackson. Television reporters filmed outside Evan's residence and visited both parents' workplaces. Los Angeles Times critic Howard Rosenberg criticized these practices for compromising the child's anonymity.

Leaks and paid reporting

In August 1993, confidential reports containing details of Jordan Chandler's allegations were obtained and published by news organizations. On September 2, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Marcus O. Tucker reminded police and child welfare authorities that disclosing confidential juvenile records without judicial authorization was unlawful. He also criticized the news media for disregarding the confidentiality protections applicable to children. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department subsequently investigated the leak at the request of child welfare authorities.

Payments for interviews became another contentious aspect of the coverage. In January 1994, The Washington Post reported that Jackson's former housekeeper Blanca Francia had sold her account to the television program Hard Copy, prompting Jackson's representatives to question her credibility as a paid witness. Investigating the practice for The New Yorker, Jeffrey Toobin obtained correspondence documenting a $100,000 agreement between Hard Copy and the attorney representing five former Jackson security guards, providing for interviews with two of them in November 1993. Toobin also documented a separate $60,000 agreement in February 1994 with former Neverland security employee Charli Michaels. He also examined how payments and competition for exclusive interviews could affect the credibility of potential witnesses and complicate criminal investigations.

The broader commercial pressures behind the reporting were examined in the PBS Frontline documentary Tabloid Truth: The Michael Jackson Story, broadcast on February 15, 1994. The program investigated the competition among television news programs and tabloids, including the purchase of interviews and the transformation of the allegations into a form of commercial entertainment. Erni subsequently analyzed the commercialization of witness testimony as one of the defining features of the media coverage surrounding the allegations.

Effect on Jackson's health and career

After the allegations became public in August 1993, Jackson continued his Dangerous World Tour. In September, he withdrew from plans to record a song and appear in a promotional video for the film Addams Family Values. According to The Washington Post, Paramount Pictures and McDonald's, which had promotional arrangements connected to the film, were reportedly concerned about the potential consequences of the allegations.

Authorities in Dubai barred Jackson from performing at two concerts scheduled for November, following the circulation of anonymous pamphlets calling for a boycott of his performances and Pepsi products. Officials justified the decision by citing local cultural values.

On November 12, 1993, Jackson canceled the remaining dates of his world tour, announcing that he had developed a dependency on prescription painkillers and needed treatment. He said the medication had initially been prescribed following reconstructive surgery for scalp burns sustained while filming a Pepsi commercial in 1984, and that his use had increased because of the stress associated with the allegations, which he denied. On November 14, PepsiCo announced that its sponsorship of Jackson had ended following the tour's cancellation. A company spokesman attributed the decision to the absence of a tour to sponsor and said that no decision had been made concerning future agreements.

On November 15, Jackson's attorney Bert Fields announced that the singer was undergoing treatment at an undisclosed location outside the United States. Fields described Jackson's condition as serious, saying that his use of painkillers had left him barely able to function intellectually. Jackson's attorneys denied that his departure was intended to avoid questioning in the investigation. In response, Larry Feldman, the attorney representing Jordan Chandler, questioned whether Jackson's condition justified delaying the civil proceedings. Sworn declarations filed on November 18 offered conflicting accounts of Jackson's health. Eve Wagner, an attorney representing Jackson in an unrelated lawsuit, described him as drowsy, unfocused and slurring his speech during a meeting on November 7. Howard Manning Jr., an opposing attorney who questioned Jackson on November 8 and 10, reported no apparent intellectual impairment. Jackson's physician Beauchamp Colclough subsequently reported that his condition had improved, while Feldman sought an independent medical examination to establish whether the reported dependency was genuine. On November 23, a judge rejected Jackson's request to postpone the civil proceedings, although he indicated that the decision could be reconsidered if criminal charges were filed.

On November 24, EMI Music Publishing announced an agreement to administer his ATV Music Publishing catalogue, including publishing rights to numerous Beatles songs. Contemporary estimates of the agreement's value ranged from $90 million to $200 million, and Jackson retained ownership of the catalogue. Jackson returned to the United States on December 10 after receiving treatment abroad. In December, Sega removed him from a planned interactive attraction in Las Vegas. A company spokesman subsequently attributed the decision to the controversy surrounding Jackson.

By January 1994, entertainment industry representatives were questioning Jackson's prospects as a concert performer and commercial endorser. The cancellation of the Dangerous World Tour had resulted in a $20 million lawsuit by concert promoter Marcel Avram, while industry executives expressed concerns about obtaining future sponsorships and cancellation insurance. Nevertheless, Sony Music maintained its support for Jackson, and MTV reported that it had not reduced the broadcast of his music videos because of the allegations.

In September 1994, the Los Angeles Times reported that approximately 200,000 bottles of a proposed Michael Jackson fragrance had been destroyed after retailers proved reluctant to stock the product during the investigation. By contrast, recording industry representatives reported that his music continued to sell strongly, particularly internationally, and anticipated substantial demand for his next album.

In June 1995, Jackson released HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I, his first studio album since the allegations. Writing in The Washington Post, Richard Harrington identified "Scream" and "Tabloid Junkie" as criticisms of the media, noting that the latter sampled older rumors rather than reports about the 1993 allegations. The song "D.S." was widely interpreted as an attack on Santa Barbara County District Attorney Thomas W. Sneddon Jr., who had investigated the 1993 allegations. Sneddon said he had not listened to it. "Stranger in Moscow", written during Jackson's 1993 tour stop in Russia, was subsequently described by La Tercera as reflecting his isolation amid the allegations and accompanying media coverage.

Further allegations

On December 18, 2003, Santa Barbara County prosecutors charged Jackson with nine felony counts, including seven counts involving alleged lewd acts upon a child under 14 and two counts of administering an intoxicating agent with the intent to commit child molestation. On March 28, 2005, Judge Rodney Melville ruled that prosecutors could introduce evidence concerning alleged prior sexual offenses by Jackson, including the 1993 allegations, under a California law permitting such evidence in sexual-abuse cases. In 2004, Santa Barbara prosecutors had consulted the FBI concerning the 1993 accuser Jordan Chandler, and the FBI opened a related federal travelers/enticement investigation. Two FBI agents interviewed the redacted accuser in New York in September 2004; according to the FBI memorandum, he said that he had no interest in testifying against Jackson and would legally oppose any attempt to make him do so, saying that he "believed that he had done his part". Contemporary reporting identified the interviewee as Jackson's 1993 accuser. The federal investigation was closed in December 2004 with no outstanding leads or evidence items. Raymond Chandler, Jordan's uncle, separately told NBC's Today that his nephew had left the country to avoid testifying because he did not want his life further exposed publicly. The People v. Jackson trial began in Santa Maria, California, on January 31, 2005.

Jordan Chandler did not testify. His mother June Chandler testified about her son's relationship with Jackson in 1993, instead. She told jurors that during a trip to Las Vegas Jackson became upset when she initially refused to allow Jordan to sleep in his bedroom, repeatedly questioned why she did not trust him, and was “sobbing” and “shaking”; she said that she eventually relented and that Jackson gave her a Cartier gold bracelet the following day. She also testified that Jackson later stayed at the Chandler home more than 30 times and slept in Jordan's bedroom. On cross-examination, she said that she had not spoken to her son in 11 years. She did not testify that she had personally witnessed Jackson molesting Jordan. Melville later declined to admit proposed prosecution evidence concerning the 1993 accuser's description of markings on Jackson's genitals, citing in part the accuser's absence and resulting inability of the defense to cross-examine him. On June 13, 2005, the jury acquitted Jackson on all ten counts in the indictment.

1993

• July 7, 1993 – Evan Chandler's attorney, Barry Rothman, files a proposed custody agreement restricting Jordan Chandler's contact with Michael Jackson and requesting a psychiatric evaluation.

• July 1993 (exact date uncertain) – David Schwartz records telephone conversations in which Evan Chandler threatens to damage Jackson's career. Jackson's representatives later cite the recordings as evidence of attempted extortion, which Chandler denies.

• July 1993 (exact date uncertain) – Jackson's private investigator, Anthony Pellicano, questions Jordan about his relationship with Jackson. According to a police report, Jordan provides no information.

• July 12, 1993 – June Chandler signs an agreement granting Evan legal custody of Jordan and restricting his contact with Jackson. She later challenges it, alleging that Evan pressured her into signing.

• July 14, 1993 – Evan Chandler and Rothman consult psychiatrist Mathis Abrams about suspected abuse.

• July 16, 1993 – According to Evan Chandler, Jordan discloses alleged sexual contact with Jackson after undergoing a dental procedure.

• August 4, 1993 – Evan and Jordan Chandler meet Jackson and Anthony Pellicano at the Westwood Marquis Hotel. Evan confronts Jackson with abuse allegations and subsequently proposes a $20 million settlement. Pellicano alleges attempted extortion, which Chandler disputes.

• August 13, 1993 – Pellicano proposes a $350,000 screenwriting arrangement, which Chandler rejects, ending the negotiations.

• August 16–17, 1993 – Following June Chandler's challenge, Judge Kenneth A. Black voids the earlier custody agreement and orders Jordan returned to his mother.

• August 17, 1993 – Jordan reports alleged sexual abuse to psychiatrist Mathis Abrams, who notifies child protective services, prompting an investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD).

• August 21, 1993 – Investigators search Neverland Ranch and Jackson's Century City condominium, seizing videotapes and other materials.

• August 23–24, 1993 – The investigation becomes public. Jackson's representatives deny the allegations and accuse Evan Chandler of attempted extortion, citing an alleged $20 million demand.

• August 26–27, 1993 – Investigators question other boys associated with Jackson. A police source reports that seized videotapes yielded no incriminating evidence and that sufficient physical or medical evidence had not been found.

• August 29, 1993 – Investigators search Jackson's former suite at the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas, reportedly seizing no evidence.

• August 30, 1993 – Jackson's representatives release excerpts of Schwartz's recordings to support their extortion allegations. The Los Angeles Times reports that the recordings appeared edited and did not establish Chandler's precise demands.

• August 30, 1993 – Attorney Gloria Allred begins representing Jordan Chandler.

• September 2, 1993 – Gloria Allred announces that Jordan wants the allegations examined in court and that a civil lawsuit is being considered.

• September 10–13, 1993 – Allred withdraws from the case, and attorney Larry R. Feldman replaces her as Jordan's civil attorney.

• September 14, 1993 – Jordan Chandler files a civil lawsuit against Jackson, alleging sexual battery, negligence and fraud. Jackson denies the allegations.

• September 22, 1993 – Investigators interview former Neverland employees Mark and Faye Quindoy in Manila about alleged inappropriate conduct involving Jackson and boys.

• October 6, 1993 – Psychiatrist Richard A. Gardner evaluates Jordan in New York, conducting a videotaped interview in which Jordan alleges sexual abuse.

• October 28, 1993 – Jackson's attorney Bertram Fields accuses LAPD investigators of pressuring children. Police Commission President Gary Greenebaum rejects the allegations.

• October 29, 1993 – Jackson's attorneys deny the civil allegations, allege attempted extortion and request a stay of proceedings to protect his Fifth Amendment rights during the criminal investigation.

• November 8, 1993 – LAPD investigators search the Jackson family's Hayvenhurst residence, seizing photographs and other materials.

• November 12, 1993 – Jackson cancels the remainder of his Dangerous World Tour, citing prescription painkiller dependency and stress related to the allegations.

• November 15, 1993 – Jackson's attorneys Bertram Fields and Howard Weitzman confirm that he is receiving treatment abroad and is temporarily unable to participate fully in legal proceedings.

• November 19, 1993 – Investigators seize medical records from two physicians while examining possible changes to Jackson's physical appearance.

• November 22, 1993 – Five former security guards sue Jackson, alleging dismissal over information about his relationships with boys. Jackson's attorney denies the allegations.

• November 23, 1993 – Judge David Rothman rejects Jackson's request to delay the civil lawsuit and schedules trial for March 21, 1994, despite his attorneys' Fifth Amendment concerns.

• November 23, 1993 – Jackson's attorneys report subpoenas for a possible Santa Barbara County grand jury investigation, without confirmation that a grand jury has convened.

• December 2, 1993 – Jackson's chauffeur, Gary Hearne, testifies that he collected luggage from Jackson's condominium on the day of an August police search and delivered it to Pellicano.

• December 8, 1993 – La Toya Jackson publicly alleges that Jackson abused children and paid families for their silence. Jackson's family and attorneys reject her claims.

• December 10, 1993 – Jackson returns to California after receiving treatment abroad. Attorney Johnnie Cochran confirms his return on December 13.

• December 13, 1993 – Former housekeeper Blanca Francia tells the Los Angeles Times that she allegedly witnessed Jackson naked with boys and has spoken with investigators.

• December 17, 1993 – Judge Rothman allows prosecutors access to civil depositions and rejects broad restrictions on attorneys' public statements.

• December 20, 1993 – Investigators photograph Jackson's body, including his genitalia, during a court-authorized examination to compare his physical characteristics with Jordan Chandler's description.

• December 21, 1993 – Bertram Fields and Anthony Pellicano confirm their departure from Jackson's defense team. Howard Weitzman and Johnnie Cochran remain his attorneys.

• December 22, 1993 – Jackson publicly denies the allegations in a televised statement, describing the physical examination as humiliating.

1994

• January 4, 1994 – Jordan Chandler's attorney Larry R. Feldman seeks access to photographs from Jackson's physical examination, alternatively requesting another examination or their exclusion from trial.

• January 24, 1994 – Los Angeles prosecutors decline to charge Evan Chandler with attempted extortion, citing insufficient evidence. Anthony Pellicano disputes the decision.

• January 25, 1994 – Jackson settles Jordan Chandler's civil lawsuit out of court without admitting wrongdoing. Financial terms remain undisclosed, and the criminal investigation continues.

• February 7, 1994 – A Santa Barbara County grand jury begins hearing evidence concerning the allegations against Jackson.

• March 1994 – A Los Angeles County grand jury hears evidence. Jackson's mother, Katherine, is subpoenaed amid questions about possible changes to his physical appearance.

• April 30, 1994 – The Santa Barbara County grand jury reportedly concludes its hearings without returning an indictment. The investigation continues.

• June 30, 1994 – The Los Angeles County grand jury's term ends without an indictment. The investigation remains open.

• July 6, 1994 – Jordan Chandler informs prosecutors that he will not testify in a criminal trial. His attorney cites death threats, media attention and the investigation's impact on Jordan.

• August 16, 1994 – Jordan's stepfather, David Schwartz, sues Jackson, alleging that his involvement with the Chandler family contributed to the breakdown of Schwartz's marriage. Jackson's attorney disputes the claim.

• September 15, 1994 – A judge rules that Jackson may invoke his Fifth Amendment rights in a separate lawsuit brought by five former security guards.

• September 21, 1994 – Prosecutors Gil Garcetti and Tom Sneddon announce that no criminal charges will be filed, citing Jordan's refusal to testify and two other potential complainants' unwillingness to participate. They state that Jackson has not been exonerated and that the case could be reopened.

1995

• January 9, 1995 – Journalist Diane Dimond reports that investigators are seeking a videotape allegedly depicting Jackson sexually abusing a minor. Jackson denies its existence, and prosecutors are unable to verify the report.

• January 12, 1995 – Jackson files a defamation lawsuit against Dimond, Paramount Pictures, KABC radio and others over the reports. Hard Copy stands by its reporting.

• June 14, 1995 – Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley appear on ABC's PrimeTime Live, where Jackson denies the allegations, discusses the civil settlement and acknowledges sharing a bed with children while denying sexual conduct.

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