Heath Ledger taken home to Perth for burial

By M&C People Jan 26, 2008, 0:55 GMT

Heath Ledger Memorial at His Manhattan Apartment in New York - January 24, 2008 - 421 Broome Street - Manhattan, NY, USA © Janet Mayer / PR Photos

Actors, friends and industry luminaries will gather to pay their last respects to actor Heath Ledger.  His body will then be flown to his home city of Perth, Australia for burial. 

The Australian actor's distraught family will arrive in New York tomorrow to finalize the funeral arrangements for their accomplished son.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that his family will bury Heath's body in Perth.

"I just want to be with my son. I will be with my son,'' Kim Ledger told funeral home officials in discussing the arrangements, The New York Post reported.

There is rumor that a memorial service for Ledger, who died in his New York apartment on Tuesday from a possible accidental drug overdose - will be held Los Angeles.

According to the Sydney newspaper, Perth model Sophie Ward, whose sister supermodel Gemma Ward dated Ledger last year, said she believed the memorial service would be held in Los Angeles.

She told The West Australian that it would be a service only and that "he'll probably be buried in Perth''.

Test results due back early next month are expected to show if Ledger died from an accidental drug overdose, after six types of prescription drugs, including pills for anxiety and insomnia, were found in his home.

George Amado, the general manager of Manhattan's Frank E Campbell funeral home, confirmed today that funeral arrangements had been made, but would not reveal any details.

"The family doesn't want us to give out any information,'' Amado said.