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TMZ now knows what killed possibly one of the most infamous serial killers in United States history ... and it certainly didn't sound peaceful.

Gary Francis Poste, the alleged Zodiac Killer, died from sepsis, septic shock, dysphagia and vascular dementia ... according to his death certificate.

Sepsis is the body's toxic response to an infection and septic shock is when blood pressure drops to dangerous levels. For those who aren't doctors, dysphagia means difficulty swallowing.

The certificate, obtained by TMZ, also says Poste suffered from hypertension, osteoporosis, hypothyroidism and atrial fibrillation ... and he died at age 80 on Aug. 23, 2018, with his remains scattered in the Sierra Mountains.

According to the doc, Poste was married, served in the armed forces and worked as a house painter ... when he wasn't allegedly murdering folks.

Matiss Kivleneiks will be honored when the Columbus Blue Jackets take the ice on opening night ... with the late goalie's family set to attend the tribute.

The 24-year-old tragically died after suffering serious damage to his lungs and heart during a fireworks mishap at a Jackets coaches 4th of July party.

Matiss -- who signed with the Blue Jackets in 2019 -- was deemed a hero by his teammate, Elvis Merzlikins, for his actions during the fatal incident ... saying MK saved his family from the firework.

Kivleneiks' family will make the trip from Latvia to perform the ceremonial puck drop when CBJ takes on the Arizona Coyotes to kick off the season ... including his mother, stepfather, sister and aunt.

The team says a banner featuring MK's #80 will also be unveiled and will hang in the rafters at Nationwide Arena for the remainder of the 2021-22 season.

Blue Jackets players will also wear an "80" sticker on their helmets throughout the season.

After his tragic death, the Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation established the Matiss Kivleneiks Memorial Fund to support youth hockey initiatives in Columbus and his native Latvia.

At long last the Zodiac Killer -- perhaps Northern California's most infamous serial killer -- has been identified, but he's already dead ... according to an independent team of investigators.

The investigators say the man who terrorized the San Francisco area in the late 1960s was Gary Francis Poste. However, police never caught him, and turns out he died in 2018. Poste successfully eluded authorities not just in the Bay Area, but also committed murder hundreds of miles away -- a killing that was not previously linked to him.

According to Fox News ... a team of more than 40 detectives, journalists and military intelligence officers made up the so-called Case Breakers, who believe Poste is the one responsible for a 1966 murder in the SoCal city of Riverside.

The Zodiac Killer, of course, is connected to 5 murders in 1968 and 1969. He thumbed his nose at authorities by sending riddles and codes in letters to the San Francisco Chronicle.

The Zodiac Killer's rampage gave birth to a slew of movies ... most notably "Zodiac," starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr. and Mark Ruffalo.

As for how The Case Breakers broke the case ... the team reportedly spent years digging through new forensic evidence and photos from Poste's darkroom. The team apparently found a photo that featured scars on Poste's forehead that matched scars on a sketch of the Zodiac.

There were also other clues ... the team deciphered letters sent by the Zodiac that revealed Poste as the killer. According to the team, there was one note where the letters of Poste's full name were removed to reveal an alternate message.

Brian Laundrie's neighbors are profiting off the media circus outside his home ... charging media outlets to set up in their yards after cops barred media from parking on the street.

Brian's neighbors seem super business savvy ... catering to the media with tents to shield them from the elements, internet access, chairs, water and of course, bathrooms.

As you can see, the cameras are now set up in several yards and driveways on the Laundries' block -- but the neighbors aren't giving away that space. We're told some are charging as much as $3500 per week!

With nonstop media coverage outside the Laundrie home ever since Gabby Petito was reported missing last month, cops recently tried to reduce the number of journalists flooding the street by banning them from parking there.

Renting space from neighbors would provide reporters parking access to get around that.

Tensions are also starting to boil over on the block ... with a fight breaking out between a neighbor and a protestor with a megaphone.

Brian Laundrie's sister says she doesn't have the slightest clue where he is ... and she says she simply doesn't know if her parents are in on his mysterious disappearance.

Brian's sister, Cassie, confronted a group of protestors outside her Florida home Monday ... telling them she hasn't seen Brian since he went missing and she's been cooperative with law enforcement.

Cassie says she's just as frustrated as everyone else with the case, and wants answers.

As you know, Brian fell off the grid last month ... and his parents are the last ones who saw him before he disappeared.

Dog the Bounty Hunter is searching high and low for Brian, even venturing to a remote island off the Florida coast, but so far he's struck out.

There's been a few alleged Brian sightings ... most recently a hiker claims to have seen Brian on the Appalachian Trail ... but nothing concrete.

Dog the Bounty Hunter believes Brian Laundrie is alive because his profile does not meet someone who is suicidal.

Dog appeared Monday on "TMZ Live" ... and he's convinced Laundrie has been hiding in the Florida Everglades where he's been searching.  Dog was quick to add Laundrie may have hightailed it out of there in the last few days, but he's adamant ... Laundrie's been there.

The famous bounty hunter does not think Laundrie's escaped to Mexico or South America ... he'd be a marked man, especially in Mexico.  Dog believes Laundrie is comfortable in the marshland ... noting he's a survivalist who has traversed the Appalachian trails for months at a time.

That said, Dog doesn't think Laundrie is doing well now because of the conditions and the amount of time that has elapsed since his disappearance.

Harvey & the gang talked about Dog's manhunt for Brian Laundrie in the latest TMZ Podcast.

An Idaho man collapsed and died during a marathon on Saturday ... just minutes from reaching the finish line.

He was just 22 years old.

Hayden Holman, from Sugar City, Idaho, was running with family members in the 26-mile St. George Marathon in Utah ... when tragedy suddenly struck near the end of the race.

Holman, according to officials, collapsed and stopped breathing -- but was revived by emergency personnel, who rushed him to a nearby hospital.

Unfortunately, he later died there.

Holman's stepmother, Karin Holman, told the East Idaho News that Hayden had spoken with loved ones just before he went down.

"He called (family members) when he was two minutes from the finish line to make sure someone was there to take a picture," Karin said. "But, he never showed up."

"Hayden was one of the most outgoing and nicest people," Karin added. "He loved everyone and wore his heart on his sleeve. He will be missed for a long time.”

A cause of death has not yet been revealed.

Holman -- who was a student at Brigham Young University-Idaho -- had just gotten married earlier this year. A GoFundme has been set up to help his wife, Charlotte, with funeral costs.

Dog the Bounty Hunter is searching high and low for Brian Laundrie in Florida ... and over the weekend, he was knee-deep in water, taking to the swamps and getting dirty.

The reality TV star posted a video of himself Sunday, where he's immersed in a marshy swamp somewhere in Florida. He doesn't reveal his exact location, though -- and probably for good reason.

Dog arrived by boat with the help of some local tour guides, he heads into the thick brush and floating vegetation for a harder look for his man.

Just goes to show ... the dude is, indeed, pounding the pavement in trying to find Laundrie -- just like he said he would about a couple weeks ago when he announced he was getting involved in the manhunt, and so far coming up with what sounds like promising leads.

So far, Dog has apparently tracked Laundrie's movement to a campsite he believes the guy might've recently visited ... and now, it seems he has reason to believe Brian may still be in the area.

TMZ broke the story ... Laundrie was spotted at a North Port, FL AT&T store to buy a phone just before his disappearance.

Of course, that flies in the face of what one would-be eyewitness claims they saw just this weekend ... namely, they allegedly encountered Laundrie along a road near North Carolina.

A statue of George Floyd in Union Square has been vandalized with paint not even 48 hours after it was unveiled to the public in an emotional ceremony.

The statue, which is one of 3 -- including Breonna Taylor and John Lewis -- was smeared with what appears to be grey paint ... it's currently unclear who carried out the attack on the art, but it seems to have happened Saturday night into Sunday morning.

A photo posted by reporter Shannan Ferry shows the extent of the damage.

Floyd's brother, Terrence, was part of a ceremony on Friday to premiere the statue ... the Union Square installation is called "#SeeInjustice" and the three pieces each stand at 6 feet tall. They're made from layers of African mahogany plywood and then finished with bronze paint.

It was of course Floyd's killing at the hands of Minneapolis cop, Derek Chauvin, that catapulted the civil justice movement across the United States. Chauvin was sentenced to 22.5 years in prison for the murder.

At the time of this post, there have not yet been any arrests made in connection to the vandalism.

Brian Laundrie is alive and on the run ... at least according to a Florida man who insists he came face-to-face with Gabby Petito's fiance.

Dennis Davis claims he was hiking on the Appalachian Trail Saturday when says he saw a dazed man on a deserted road ... right at the border between Tennessee and North Carolina. Davis says the man pulled his car up to his and asked for directions to California, but he did not want to take the Interstate ... he wanted to use back roads.

Davis says one of Dog the Bounty Hunter's daughters sent him audio of Laundrie's voice and says it was definitely a match, adding "There is no doubt in my mind I spoke to Brian Laundrie, none whatsoever" ... this according to the New York Post.

Davis went on to tell the Post Laundrie said, "Man, I'm lost ... me and my girlfriend got in a fight but she called me, told me she loves me, and I have to get to California to see her."

He says Laundrie was driving a light-colored pickup truck, like a Ford F-150 and was wearing a bandana.

A Texas pilot is lucky to be alive after his plane crashed into a massive store sign on the side of the road ... sending the vessel to the ground.

The incredible video -- taken Saturday in Winnie, TX -- shows the plane take off from Highway 124, clip a streetlight and then crash into a large sign before going down.

Local reports say the plane had been used in a parade as a float, and the pilot decided he would take off from the street to get back home. Luckily, the pilot was not injured in the crash, but the crash caused the street to be closed for several hours.

Tory Lanez bared witness to the Haitian immigrant crisis for himself this weekend ... and he brought a ton of supplies with him to hand out -- tens of thousands worth of it, no less.

The rapper went down to the southern Texas border Saturday -- near the town of Del Rio, where thousands of Haitian immigrants, among others, are being housed as the U.S. attempts to sort through who's seeking what, and who qualifies to possibly stay temporarily.

As you can see in Tory's IG Story ... it's a bit of a chaotic situation down there, which is why he jetted down with what we're told amounted to upwards of $50,000 worth of essentials -- such as blankets, clothes, towels and other items for the folks horded in these camps.

Looks like all the stuff he brought with him were very much needed (and appreciated) ... as scores of Haitians gathered around the table where TL was handing everything out, which came delivered in a ton of boxes that were unwrapped and organized before he went out.

The reason he's doing all this ... 'cause Tory feels for these folks, many of whom have come a long way in seek of refuge and asylum -- this in the wake of devastating calamites in their home country. We're told Tory feels blessed with his platform and means ... and wanted to spread some of the wealth to these immigrants, who truly need it right now.

Brian Laundrie's family can't seem to get any peace and quiet (shocker) -- evidenced in the ongoing swarm of protesters who continue to camp outside their home ... and whom cops have now had to confront with threats of tickets.

A meager-sized crowd was gathered outside the Laundrie home Saturday, where there were several people shouting from the street across the way ... with chants like, "Hey hey, ho ho ... the dirty Laundrie's got to go," among other things.

There's also a makeshift memorial honoring Gabby Petito that has been assembled on the front lawn of the Laundries ... so yeah, the heat is very much still on for them from their community members.

However, it seems one guy who was on a megaphone -- demanding they give up their still-missing son, be truthful with the cops and stop hiding from scrutiny -- was too much for the family ... as they seem to have called 911 to break up the crowd, and sure enough -- cops showed.

Looks like he might've been violating a noise ordinance there -- and the North Port police officers proved it by measuring the volume level with a decibel reader ... informing the gentleman that he was, in fact, too loud on the thing -- and had to drop it, or else.

Ashleigh Banfield just opened up about Katie Couric's memoir, in which the former "Today" show host revealed she was threatened by the rising star ... and Ashleigh clearly thinks Couric's jealously may have derailed her career at NBC ... and she's still not over it.

Ashleigh appeared Friday on "TMZ Live" and reacted to a passage from Couric's new memoir, in which she wrote, "For a minute there, Ashleigh Banfield was the next big thing; I'd heard her father was telling anyone who'd listen that she was going to replace me. In that environment, mentorship sometimes felt like self-sabotage."

Fact is ... Ashleigh was a big star at the Peacock network. Her 9/11 coverage stood out from the pack, and NBC rewarded her with her own primetime show.

But suddenly, without explanation, in 2002 her show was canceled and she says things just unraveled from there, to the point they took away her office and put a desk in a tape closet, which is where she sat until NBC got rid of her.

Listen to her speak ... it's very clear she's still not over it, telling us "It broke my heart, it broke my soul."

As for whether she believes Katie was behind the sabotage, Ashleigh's a class act and wouldn't say directly, but she did say she heard rumors that's exactly what happened ... as she said, "I got a sense" Katie was the culprit.

One of Vanderbilt University's longtime employees says she's been bullied and viciously mocked by co-workers -- using words like "freak," and "gross" -- after she underwent transition surgery.

Olivia Hill is suing Vanderbilt for the abuse she says started back in mid-2018, when she'd informed her employer she'd been diagnosed with gender dysphoria ... and, therefore, needed to transition from male to female. She says she soon learned a direct supervisor was referring to her as "it," "trans freak" and "weirdo."

Olivia -- a U.S. Navy veteran who's worked at Vandy for 25 years -- says that sort of reaction made her second guess getting the surgery, and she even delayed it until February 2019. In the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, she says the abuse was even worse when she returned to work in May 2019 -- some people would leave rooms as soon as she entered, while others made crude remarks.

According to the suit, those comments included a bigwig commenting directly to her about her big feet looking strange. She alleges he also asked if she shaves her chest now, and added ... "Ugh, the thought of you shaving your tits is gross."

Olivia claims in the suit another employee asked if he could "be the first to use her new vagina."

Interestingly, Vanderbilt touted Olivia's transition ... even posting a video where she tells her story. However, Olivia's attorney, Abby Rubenfeld, says this only highlights the university's hypocrisy -- "The way Olivia was treated violates federal and state law, and is inconsistent with Vanderbilt's own policies and public presentation as allegedly being a model of LGBTQI tolerance and inclusion."

Olivia says she informed her supervisors, but got no relief, and even filed complaints with the University and federal employment agencies. She says the school placed her on paid administrative leave, and says she's been passed over for promotions.

She's suing Vanderbilt for damages, including lost wages and pain and suffering.

Monica Lewinsky says she had suicidal ideations during the scandal over her affair with Bill Clinton because she couldn't see a way out ... but a psychiatrist helped her through it and possibly saved her life.

Monica revealed her mental health struggles amid the investigation into the Clinton scandal to CNN's David Axelrod on Thursday's episode of his podcast, telling him she thought killing herself might be a solution.

Lewinksy says it went as far as her asking the lawyers working for Ken Starr -- who was leading the investigation -- what would happen if she died.

According to Monica ... it's inexcusable there was no protocol back then to help someone in her situation, but thankfully she began seeing a forensic psychiatrist who guided her through it.

She adds ... "And so I was, you know, pretty, pretty lucky."

Monica's infamous experience is back in the spotlight thanks to the latest installment of "American Crime Story" on FX -- 'Impeachment' -- for which she's a producer. BTW, the show is great and -- because Monica was so involved -- it gives never-before insight into her relationship with Clinton and Linda Tripp.