Former detective Ruby Wolff, who led the 2003 raid on Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch, has returned to the property for the first time in 23 years. The retired police officer became emotional upon seeing a child's drawing on the wall, recalling the innocence of the young accuser, Gavin Arvizo, who alleged the singer had molested him.
Wolff described the ranch as unsettling, with Peter Pan music playing and statues of children scattered across the grounds. Inside Jackson's bedroom, she found rotting food, overflowing drawers, and stage costumes thrown on the floor. A package of sausage had been left in a plastic bag for an unknown period, and a watch from actress Sophia Loren was discarded in a messy bathroom drawer.
The detective noted a doorbell system that alerted Jackson before anyone could enter his bedroom, which she found suspicious. She also discovered a small door in the bathroom leading to a hidden area, and a heavy rhinestone duvet on a tiny loft bed where Jackson slept.
During the raid, Wolff found a briefcase containing pornographic materials consistent with the grooming described by the victim. She later testified in the 2005 trial, where Jackson was acquitted. Wolff expressed frustration that the jury did not convict him, saying the innocence of a child was not regarded.
Wolff criticised Jackson's behaviour during the trial, including an incident where he danced on the roof of his SUV, calling it inappropriate given the serious charges. She remains haunted by the case and agreed to revisit Neverland ahead of a new film about the singer's life.
