ANNA NICOLE SMITH - NO RULING ON ANNA NICOLE'S REMAINS AS BURIAL PLANS ARE ANNOUNCED

LATEST: ANNA NICOLE SMITH's corpse is to remain in a Florida morgue indefinitely after local authorities failed to come to a verdict on who should be awarded the body this morning (28FEB07). Three weeks after Smith died on her way to a Hollywood, Florida hospital, the former model still doesn't have a final resting place confirmed following the brief court hearing. A Florida appeals court agreed to consider an appeal to overturn last Thursday's (22FEB07) ruling to grant custody of Anna Nicole's body to her baby daughter DANNIELYNN through the child's court-appointed guardian, RICHARD MILSTEIN. The appeal was brought by Anna Nicole's estranged mother VIRGIE ARTHUR, who wanted custody of the body, so she could bury her daughter in her native Texas. Smith's companion HOWARD K. STERN, her ex-boyfriend LARRY BIRKHEAD and MILSTEIN all agreed the body should be buried next to Smith's son DANIEL in Nassau, The Bahamas - Anna Nicole's adopted home. All parties presented their arguments this morning before the Florida 4th District Court of Appeals. The judges involved in the appeal then ended the hearing refusing to reveal when they would rule. But the panel implied that Anna Nicole's wishes to be buried in The Bahamas were a major factor in deciding the case. If the appeal is denied, Smith's funeral has been set for Friday morning (02MAR07) in The Bahamas.