RIP

Marcio Freire -- a big wave surfer whose career was so iconic it was featured in the popular 2016 "Mad Dogs" documentary -- is dead after a tragic accident in the water in Portugal.

The Brazilian surfing veteran had been hitting the massive waves at Praia do Norte beach in Nazare on Thursday, practicing his tow-in ... when authorities say he fell off his board.

According to the Portuguese National Maritime Authority, rescuers found the 47-year-old in cardio-respiratory arrest ... and immediately started "resuscitation maneuvers on the sand."

However, Freire didn't make it despite the life-saving attempts.

The surfing world was rocked by the news ... with Nic von Rupp mourning the loss in an emotional social media post.

"We surfed all day, it was perfect, clean, barrels, Márcio was stoked had that huge smile. With that smile is how I’m going to remember him."

Added Hawaiian surfing star Matt Meola in an Instagram post of his own, "Man what a sad day for surfing. Hard to imagine somebody who seemed so big and invincible is gone."

Freire -- one of the three "Mad Dogs" surfers who victoriously rode the "Jaws" wave in Hawaii -- had been seen just moments before his death smiling and enjoying the waves.

The manufacturer of the knife Idaho murder suspect Bryan Kohberger allegedly used to butcher 4 students says cops reached out to them for info ... but the company has no records tying him to any purchase.

According to the arrest warrant affidavit, cops found a sheath for a KA-BAR knife at the murder house, with Kohberger's DNA on it. KA-BAR sells both to retailers and directly to consumers.

KA-BAR Director of Sales and Marketing Joseph Bradley tells TMZ ... Moscow police and other law enforcement agencies involved in the murder case contacted the company, specifically asking about KA-BAR knives and sheaths.

The company says law enforcement made the first contact after the Nov. 13 quadruple murder and asked KA-BAR to identify the sheath ... and KA-BAR confirmed it was one of theirs.

KA-BAR says they don't have any records of someone using the name Bryan Kohberger to purchase a knife sheath or any other products directly from them.

We're told the KA-BAR knife that would fit the sheath found at the crime scene is a 7-inch utility knife, which is traditionally used as a tool. The company says it's been making the knife since World War II, and it can be used for hunting and small tasks around a campsite ... like chopping firewood or cutting wire and rope.

Bryan Kohberger's DNA was found on a knife sheath at the scene of the Idaho murders ... and authorities made a match by rooting through trash at his family's house and finding his dad's DNA, which had enough of a match to the DNA taken from the sheath for cops to pin the murders on Bryan.

According to the arrest warrant affidavit just released, authorities had Kohberger in their crosshairs less than 2 weeks after the murders. As we reported, cops were on the hunt for a white Hyundai Elantra. On November 13 -- the date of the murders -- there were several videos showing the white Elantra making 3 passes by the murder house before finally stopping at 4:04 AM.

Multiple surveillance videos show the car leaving the area of the murder house at 4:20 AM at a high rate of speed.

Police initiated a video canvas around the murder scene and it appears the car traveled toward Washington State University, which Kohberger attends -- 10 miles from the murder house.

On November 25, cops released info to law enforcement that they were on the lookout for a white Hyundai Elantra. On November 29, a WSU cop pulled up a hit on Kohberger's vehicle and license plate number. Cops went to his apartment in the middle of the night and observed a white Elantra sitting in the driveway.

Now, what we didn't know -- one of the survivors in the murder house says she saw a man 5'10" or taller, not very muscular but athletically built with bushy eyebrows, wearing black clothing with a mask.

Her description is absolutely chilling ... she says the man walked right past her as she stood in a "frozen shock phase," and then he walked past her and left the house.

She had only looked out of her bedroom because she'd heard a female voice, possibly murder victim Kaylee Goncalves, say something like "there's someone here." She also heard a male voice say, "It's ok, I'm going to help you."

Cops got a driver's license picture of Kohberger who had a listed height of 6', 185 lbs and the pic shows he has bushy eyebrows.

Cops say they have WSU cams showing Kohberger's car leaving the campus area at 2:44 AM on Nov. 13. They also have a cell phone number and the records show on the night of the murders, at 2:47 AM the phone left his residence and traveled south through Pullman, Washington. It then stopped reporting, but picked up again at 5:30 AM and showed the phone traveling back to his residence. Cops think he deliberately disabled the phone to conceal his travels.

They also have WSU camera footage of him returning at 5:25 AM.

The cell records also indicate Kohberger returned to the scene of the crime just a few hours later -- between 9:12 AM and 9:21 AM. Worth noting is the fact police were not called to the home until 11:58 AM.

BTW ... the cell phone records also show since June 22, he had been near the murder house at least 12 times prior to the murders, and they were typically in the late evening or early morning hours.

And, there's this ... Kohberger applied for an internship with the Pullman PD in Fall 2022.

Idaho murder suspect Bryan Kohberger stalked his victims for months before he allegedly murdered 4 innocent college students, according to the investigators who took him down.

Court records, obtained by TMZ, reveal Kohberger's cell phone was pinged close to the murder house at least twelve times between June 2022 and the date of the murders, November 13, 2022.

Investigators note that in all but one of those instances, the cell phone data was picked up in the late evening and early morning hours.

In one of the most chilling details from the murders, documents reveal one of the roommates told detectives she heard victim Kaylee Goncalves -- who lived a floor above -- around 4 AM the morning of the murder say "there's someone here."

The roommate says she looked outside, and didn't see anyone, but opened her door and heard what she thought was crying coming from victim Xana Kernodle's room. She then says she heard a male voice say something to the effect of, "It's ok, I'm going to help you."

What's not clear is who the male voice was, whether it was Kernodle's boyfriend, Ethan Chapin, who was also killed -- or whether it was Kohberger.

Investigators say a security camera on a neighbor's home picked up distorted audio of voices or a whimper followed by a thud starting at 4:17 AM.

The surviving roommate says when she opened her door a third time after she heard crying, and saw a man dressed in black clothing and a mask covering the man's mouth and nose walking towards her. The roommate says he was 5'10" or taller, not very muscular, but athletically built with bushy eyebrows.

She says she was in a "frozen shock phase" as he walked toward the sliding back door. The roommate says she locked herself in her room, and investigators believe the man left the residence at that time.

Quavo broke weeks of silence today via his Takeoff tribute song, "Without You" ... an act of therapy French Montana says he got to witness leading up to the track's release!!!

TMZ Hip Hop linked with French Thursday in Queens, where he revealed he was privy to Quavo's new track before it dropped, and shared a recap from the star-studded NYE blowout in St. Barts.

French says he did his best in cheering up Quavo and even gave him advice from the heart ... which he says was, basically, don't wallow in depression for the rest of your life.

Drake, Diddy, Yung Miami, Lil Baby and Meek Mill were among the celebs partying last weekend on the Caribbean island, and French pretty much confirmed what fans' speculated based on pics of Quavo down there -- that he's still reeling from Takeoff's death.

French thinks Takeoff would want Quavo to keep grinding, and he's happy to see him making music again ... but he isn't naive about the pain he's feeling.

FM actually dealt with the death of his best friend and Coke Boys artist Chinx during a pivotal time in his career.

Chinx was gunned down in May 2015 and his widow, Janelli Caceres-Pickens, recently compiled an album to keep his musical legacy alive, much like French says Diddy did for Biggie after his 1997 murder.

Quavo has honored his late nephew and Migos co-captain Takeoff on his new track … and it’s incredibly moving material.

For the new single "Without You," Quavo created a lyric visualizer featuring him sitting solemnly in the studio … as a giant blunt burned in his hand.

The lyrics are just as somber … Quavo laments over the good times he and Takeoff shared while also shedding light on the fact that the family took the loss hard this past Christmas.

The video concludes with Quavo’s lyrics being folded into a paper rocket ship and blasting off into space, a clear tribute to Takeoff’s rocket mantra.

The timing of the track's release doesn't appear to be a coincidence, either.

Bryan Kohberger is flying private to Idaho right now to face murder charges -- and it seems like the teeny-tiny plane he's on needed a break mid-flight... ditto for the suspect himself.

TMZ has obtained photos of Kohberger being led in and out of Flightstar Wednesday -- a fixed-base operator at Willard Airport in Champaign, IL ... where he and a handful of armed officers landed at around 11 AM PT while he was being transported across the country.

Check out the pics ... you can see the aircraft Kohberger and the PA law enforcement officials are traveling in -- a 2015 fixed-wing, single-engine Pilatus that seats 11 ... and which we've learned is actually owned and operated by the Pennsylvania State Police.

Eyewitnesses tell us the plane appeared to be getting refueled ... while Kohberger appeared to be taking a whiz inside. During this period, we're told the entire airport was placed on lockdown -- with everyone being evacuated, including employees -- while he was in there.

A few minutes later, our sources tell us Kohberger was led back to the plane ... and they took off without incident.

If you're wondering why this plane needed to refuel on a flight that typically takes around 4 hours ... well, it has to do with the capabilities of this particular aircraft and the length of this journey. The Pilatus can go about 1,700 nautical miles on a single tank.

Going from Pennsylvania to Moscow is about 1,800 nautical miles ... so they were playing it safe.

In any case, Kohberger's almost there -- as of this post, he's somewhere over South Dakota, so Idaho is just a couple states away. Remember, he agreed to be extradited without putting up a fight ... and now, he'll learn the full scope of the charges and evidence against him.

James "Buster" Corley, one of the co-founders of the Dave & Buster's chain, suffered a traumatic brain injury months before his apparent suicide according to his daughter.

Kate Corley tells TMZ ... her father suffered a stroke 4 months ago that affected his communication skills, and the part of his brain associated with personality.

As we reported ... Buster died Monday, on his 72nd birthday, from what cops are calling an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Police in Dallas say he was shot in his home before being taken to a local hospital where he died.

Buster's daughter is remembering her dad as "someone who cared about people, full of life, charismatic" ... and she wants people to focus on his legacy as a D&B co-founder and not his death.

She adds, "Having him as a dad was epic. I got to see personally how many people he helped and an industry he created. He treated everyone the same, everyone mattered to him no matter who it was. The first thing he did when he retired was thank his wife and always said he could not have done it without her. He is a legend and the coolest person on Earth.”

James opened the first Dave & Buster's in Dallas way back in 1982, along with his business partner David Corriveau and went on to open more than 140 locations across the country.

James was 72.

RIP

Video has now surfaced of Bryan Kohberger's first traffic stop in Indiana, and the officer who pulled him over was asking a lot of questions about a "mass shooting."

Kohberger was behind the wheel with his father in the passenger seat, when a patrol officer from the Hancock County Sheriff's Dept. pulled them over for following too close to another vehicle.

The officer begins asking questions about where they were headed. At one point, Kohberger's dad mentions they were coming from Washington State University. Bryan seems to interrupt and talk over him, as if it's not a subject he wants out there. As you know, the University was only 9 miles from the Idaho quadruple murder scene.

The father then brings up what he calls a "mass shooting" that went down at WSU earlier that day. The officer seems curious and asks several questions about it, and then the conversation turns to where Kohberger and his dad were heading.

The officer didn't connect the fact that Moscow, Idaho police put out an alert they were on the hunt for a white Hyundai Elantra ... the same type of car the Kohbergers were in.

TMZ broke the story ... there was a second traffic stop a short time later where an officer from a different agency pulled them over for the same offense and also didn't connect the dots.

Stephen "tWitch" Boss is getting an emotional goodbye from those closest to him this week ... with a larger gathering planned for the future to properly honor him en masse.

Sources within tWitch's inner circle tell TMZ ... the late media personality is being laid to rest Wednesday afternoon in Los Angeles, in what we're told is going to be a small and intimate funeral attended by close family.

We're told there is going to be a larger celebration of life ceremony in the near future, which will be held for close friends and the people who Stephen considered his family.

Presumably, the larger celebration would include Ellen DeGeneres and staff members from her show -- on which tWitch served as the DJ for years. The folks from "So You Think You Can Dance" would also likely be on the extended list for the memorial down the road.

TMZ broke the story ... tWitch took his own life last month, leaving behind a suicide note alluding to past struggles. Despite issues he was obviously dealing with, there didn't seem to be any sign, outwardly, that something was wrong ... as his death took everyone by surprise.

There has been an outpouring of tributes made in his honor from the entertainment industry and beyond -- including heartfelt condolences sent by Ellen herself.

He was 40.

RIP

YSL rapper Lil Keed's died of natural causes stemming from a battle with eosinophilia ... according to officials.

As we reported, the 24-year-old died in May 2022, and on Tuesday, The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner revealed his death was linked to eosinophilia, a condition defined to be caused by "a parasitic infection, an allergic reaction or cancer," according to the Mayo Clinic.

Sources close to the "Trapped On Cleveland" rapper told TMZ Hip Hop at the time he had been complaining of excruciating stomach pain days before his death -- and was recently sober from drugs and alcohol. People first reported the ME's findings.

Keed's passing happened just as Young Thug, Gunna and several other YSL members were arrested on various RICO charges.

Since his death, Keed's brother Lil Gotit has been going the distance in keeping his sibling's name alive ... and free from disrespect.

Former UFC star Phil Baroni was reportedly arrested for allegedly killing his girlfriend in Mexico over the weekend ... and the details are terrifying.

According to the Mexican outlet, Tribuna De La Bahia, police found Baroni's girlfriend naked and unresponsive in bed with a sheet covering her. The report says cops noticed bruises and markings all over her face and body ... and she showed no sign of life.

When authorities looked at Baroni's body, they reportedly noticed his hands were red. They took photographs.

As for what Phil said transpired, the retired fighter tracked down authorities and told them he got into a drunken argument with his girlfriend in their hotel room when things turned physical.

Baroni reportedly told police he was upset after finding his GF slept with another man, so he told her to take a shower -- but she refused.

Baroni claims he then grabbed the woman by her arms and forced her into the shower ... which led to her hitting her head.

The 46-year-old -- who was reportedly under the influence of drugs and alcohol -- reportedly claimed the woman couldn't get out of the tub by herself, so he assisted. She then complained of being cold, so Baroni said he took her to bed, removed her clothes and wrapped her in a blanket.

Baroni then says he went out for cigarettes and beer, per her request.

When he got back, Baroni reportedly told authorities he believed the woman was asleep. Tragically, she was deceased.

Authorities are planning to conduct an autopsy on the alleged victim to determine her cause of death.

Baroni was arrested for murder ... and is currently behind bars.

The former MMA star fought for a bunch of top promotions during his career ... including the UFC, Pride and Bellator. Baroni last fought in September 2019 ... where he lost via submission.

The daughter of rally star Ken Block is speaking for the first time since her dad's fatal snowmobile crash on Monday, penning an emotional post about her dad, calling him her "best friend."

Lia, 16, shared a photo on Instagram Tuesday evening showing her and her famous dad walking side by side in their racing gear.

"Yesterday I didn't just lose my father, I lost my best friend," Lia wrote, "He was truly my whole world and the only person I ever looked up to."

"No matter what I did he was always there to support me. I can't believe how fast he was taken from all of us."

Lia continued, saying her dad -- who was also the co-founder of DC Shoes -- was an amazing person who accomplished so much in his 55 years of life.

"He always did what he loved no matter what, right up to the last second, and always was there for me and my siblings and my mom whenever we did what we loved," Lia said.

"He was one of the most amazing people in the world, not to mention the best dad I could have ever asked for. I will strive every single day to make you proud. I love you to the moon and back kenny boi. ❤️ #kb43ver"

Lia is one of Block and his wife Lucy's three children ... and she was following in her dad's footsteps in racing.

In fact, on the day of Block's death, he posted an IG photo of Lia and her new '85 Audi Ur Quattro.

"Will her newly-refinished vintage Audi finally do a donut?" Block said in the caption hours before his death.

According to the post, he was supposed to go Live on YouTube with Lia to show off her new whip Tuesday, but never got the chance.

James "Buster" Corley, one of the co-founders of the Dave & Buster's restaurant chain, has died … TMZ has learned.

A rep for D&B confirmed Corleys’s death, telling TMZ he’ll be remembered as "an innovative and creative force" with a "pioneering spirit."

Cops say they responded to a Dallas, TX home Monday, James’ birthday, to find a man suffering from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was transported to a hospital where he died.

The rep for D&B adds ... "Buster’s passion for hospitality, his demand for excellence, and the deep care he had for his team members were unparalleled. Our hearts go out to his family at this difficult time and while we will miss his wise counsel and his easy laugh, the legacy he and Dave built endures."

James opened the first Dave & Buster's in Dallas way back in 1982, along with his business partner David Corriveau ... with Dave winning a coin toss to have his name first.

Dave & Buster's went on to open more than 140 locations across the country ... combining food with video arcade games.

Cops say they are investigating.

James was 72.

RIP

Bryan Kohberger was just seen for the first time since his arrest ... heading into court to face charges he savagely murdered 4 college students -- in a case that has riveted the nation.

The suspected killer is expected to waive extradition Tuesday and will be returned to Moscow, ID -- where he's charged with 4 counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary. He faces a possible death sentence or life imprisonment, if convicted.

The victim's families said they'd be present for the hearings ... and Steve Goncalves -- whose daughter Kaylee Goncalves was one of the four slain victims -- told NBC News, "I want him to be sick of seeing us and sick of knowing that these people won't let it go."

Steve also told "GMA" the arrest came as a huge relief to his family -- saying it's like "seeing sunlight after being stuck in a house for a month."

As for Kohberger, his public defender Jason LaBar told "TODAY" he's acting "very calm" ahead of the hearing ... reiterating the claims Kohberger believes he'll be fully exonerated.

As we reported, Kohberger was arrested Friday by police at his parents' home in Effort, PA, in connection with the murders of Kaylee, Maddie Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin. The victims, all students at the University of Idaho, were found fatally stabbed in an off-campus house in Moscow, ID, on Nov. 13.

Kohberger, a graduate student in criminology at nearby Washington State University, drove cross country with his father back to Pennsylvania around Christmas.

Investigators were already hot on Kohberger's trail after tying him to the crimes, in part, using DNA evidence. Cops have not disclosed a motive for the attack, nor have they located the murder weapon, which is believed to be a combat knife.

Kohberger's attorney, Jason LaBar, told TMZ ... his client expects to be "exonerated," suggesting he's innocent of the crimes. LaBar also said Kohberger has not specifically addressed the serious charges against him, meaning he hasn't denied involvement in the slayings or admitted guilt.

His hearing is scheduled to start at 3:30 PM EST ... we'll stream it live.

The Idaho murder suspect has been placed on suicide watch while behind bars, but his time behind bars has been uneventful ... despite reports to the contrary.

Garry Haidle -- the warden of Monroe County Jail in Pennsylvania, where Bryan Kohberger has been held since his arrest on Dec. 30 -- says the 28-year-old criminology student was put on suicide watch from day 1 ... but it's not because they thought he'd take his own life.

Haidle says it's actually standard operating procedure for high-security inmates who face serious charges like the ones Kohberger is up against -- four counts of first-degree murder.

With that said, the warden notes that Kohberger's stay with them was "uneventful" ... and wouldn't elaborate further. Still, it sounds like Monroe County is shooting down any notion that Kohberger was acting out.

There've been reports suggesting Kohberger was taunting guards, threatening to cut/urinate on people, exposing himself, and even rapping violent lyrics.

Former Monroe County inmate Valerie Cipollina told the Daily Mail she was placed in a cell close to Kohberger when he was first brought in. She also claimed Kohberger was saying he didn't care what happened to him.

But, the warden seems to be saying that's not what was happening. If anything, he makes it seem like nothing was out of the ordinary while Kohberger was there -- which jibes with what his defense attorney told us. Jason LaBar says his client has remained even-keeled through all this ... but did say Kohberger thinks he'll ultimately be exonerated.