Law grants McCartney privacy wish

Sir Paul McCartney's pleas for privacy have been answered by the records office

It seems Sir Paul McCartney's wish for privacy for his family following the death of his wife will granted thanks to Arizona state laws

In the face of intense media interest, officials in Tucson, Arizona, have said they can not confirm where the wife of the former Beatle died until 2048.

A 1925 Arizona law bars the release of vital records like birth or death records, or even disclosing the information they include, until 50 years after the death.

It means Linda McCartney's death certificate will remain private and if she did indeed die in Tucson, it will be up to the Pima County Medical Examiner's office to make her death certificate public half-way through next century.

Rumours over death

Uncertainty over where 56-year-old Lady McCartney died, fuelled rumours that her death was an assisted suicide.

Doctors have since confirmed that she died of natural causes after a long battle with breast cancer.

The confusion over the place of death came to light after the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department said on Wednesday it would investigate why no death certificate had been filed for Lady McCartney.

A family spokesperson issued a statement saying that she died "in a place private to her and her family".

Reports then surfaced that Lady McCartney died outside the city, possibly in Tucson, where she had been treated during her illness and where the family also own a ranch.

The Santa Barbara Sheriff's office has since confirmed that, contrary to the family's announcement of her death, she did not die in California.

The mystery would be put to rest if Arizona officials make an exception to the law or the family comes forward with the facts about where Linda McCartney died. But neither appears likely.

Mourners in Santa Barbara sign a condolence card

Despite holding a vigil in remembrance of her life and signing a card of condolences, the people of Santa Barbara do not appear to feel duped over the confusion.

One resident said it was unlikely the vigil would have been held if people had known, but said the sentiment expressed was real.

"People were touched by her in some way, so I think that the emotions expressed were genuine - just the location was slightly different," Elihu Gevirtz said.