Soon after the June 2009 death of the ‘King of Pop’ Michael Jackson, a number of worldwide conspiracy theories and death hoax scenarios emerged, generated by fans who either refuse to deal in reality, or by individuals who genuinely believe that a cover-up concerning Jackson’s death took place.
Although most stories are taken about as seriously as reports of an Elvis Presley sighting at a Burger King, suspicious events in Ontario, Canada are leading many to believe that Jackson, in order to escape mounting legal problems, staged his death, assumed a second identity, and is now living in Canada under the name Alain Pontifex.
One week after reports of Jackson’s death, a mysterious newcomer moved into a small bungalow near Ontario’s Lake Doré. According to a neighbor, a fleet of moving vans and a limousine pulled up in front of the property where a ‘pale middle-aged male’ was escorted into to the house, surrounded by what appeared to be 3 bodyguards.
Census records list Alain Pontifex as the owner of the home. He has never been seen in public. A small live-in staff attends to his needs. When locals ask questions about Pontifex, the answer given by household employees is always the same: “Mr. Pontifex is a very private person.”
Jackson ‘truthers’ believe that stories of the entertainer’s ill health and frailty while rehearsing for his 2009 “This Is It” London comeback concert were all part of a disinformation campaign designed to lend credibility to Jackson’s faked death. “Truth For MJ,” a Jackson death hoax organization with a growing membership, cites many hints leading to the logical conclusion that Alain Pontifex and Michael Jackson are one and the same person. Group moderator MJTruthCaptainBob@yahoo.com writes:
- Many packages delivered to the cottage are from theatrical makeup and costume companies
- Visitors to the cottage are always privately escorted from Ottawa International Airport to the Pontifex home by staff members and shielded with umbrellas
- The town has received a request for a permit to house exotic animals on the premises.
A former contractor hired to do “outside work” around the cottage said “I never met Mr. Pontifex, but I did hear his voice once or twice. It did sound like Michael Jackson’s voice,” said the anonymous worker. “I can’t swear that it was Jackson, but I got the feeling it was some famous person who wanted to hide out, and I think I heard something about them building a recording studio inside the house.”
Town officials offer no comment except to say that they respect the wishes of all members of the community. A few Jackson truthers have attempted to visit the cottage, but have been stopped by private security.
So now, conspiracy theorists have one more plot to debunk, add to, or pick apart. In a recent posting, MJtruthcaptainBob said, “The truth is out there and we, the world’s greatest fans of Michael Jackson will work hard to expose it. We owe it to the greatest entertainer in the world. He never gave up on us, and we will never give up on him,” he added.