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Rodney King: Public Memorial for Rodney King to Be Held Saturday on Astini News

RIALTO, Calif. (KTLA) -- The Reverends Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson will be speaking at a public memorial for Rodney King on Saturday.

King, who became a symbol for civil rights after his beating by L.A. police officers in 1991, was found dead in the swimming pool of his Rialto home on June 17th. He was 47 years old.

King's memorial will be held at 2 p.m. at the Forest Lawn Hall of Liberty in Hollywood Hills, according to a statement from his family.

The service is open to the public, but seating is limited, according to Kali Bowyer, a publicist for the family.

Bowyer said the family has covered the majority of the funeral expenses, but they're still seeking donations to help with flowers, programs, unpaid bills and other costs.

Kings' three daughters have established the Rodney Glen King Memorial Fund through Bank of America in Los Angeles County.

They are still searching for King's life insurance policy and have not decided what to do with his house, Bowyer said.

Meantime, the investigation into King's death continues.

King's fiancee, Cynthia Kelly, called 911 around 5:25 a.m. after finding him at the bottom of the swimming pool.

Officers pulled King out of the pool, unresponsive, and attempted CPR, but he was pronounced dead at an area hospital 46 minutes later.

Police say Kelley had been sleeping inside, but King began banging on the sliding glass door. When she went to open it, she heard a loud noise.

Kelley told the 911 operator, "I was asleep (inaudible). I heard something fall from the table and then I looked over (inaudible) and he was at the bottom of the swimming pool."

Authorities say Kelley wasn't a strong enough swimmer to jump in and save the 6'3" King, but she did poke him with a garden tool and try to wake him up.

She says on the tape, "I tried to wake him up but he's at the bottom. (inaudible) a shovel to wake him up. But he's not moving."

Police say that Kelley, who was a juror in King's lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles in 1994, has been very cooperative and given very consistent statements.

She admitted that King had been drinking and possibly smoking marijuana earlier in the night.

But she wasn't sure what, if anything, he had taken just prior to his death.

An autopsy has been completed on King, but the results were deferred pending toxicology tests that could take six to eight weeks.

Police confiscated marijuana plants as well as a wood-handled pitchfork and hoe into evidence from the home.

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