Custody battle likely over Jackson's kids

LOS ANGELES, June 26 (UPI) -- Michael Jackson's three children, orphaned by the pop icon's sudden death in Los Angeles, could become the focus of a custody battle, legal analysts said.

The children -- Prince Michael I, 12; Paris, 11; and Prince Michael II, 7 -- were staying with their grandmother, Katherine Jackson.

Debbie Rowe, Jackson's ex-wife and the mother of the two older children, surrendered her parental rights when she divorced the pop icon. But Jeffrey Toobin, a legal expert for CNN, said she has recently been trying to rebuild her relationship with her son and daughter and could make a strong case for custody.

Brian Oxman, a former lawyer for the Jackson family, suggested their grandmother's home might be the best place for the children.

"Katherine is the logical choice -- she has all the grandkids and nieces around her but it will be up to the courts," he told People magazine.

Prince Michael II's mother is unknown.

Jackson reportedly said he wanted the children to remain in the care of a nanny if he died.