RIP

Lavel Davis Jr.'s home state of South Carolina is making sure his name lives on -- and officials are doing it by naming a portion of a highway after the slain UVA football player.

The proposal was submitted to the South Carolina General Assembly in February, which is three months after Davis and two of his teammates were gunned down on the Virginia campus.

The request on the bill read, "Whereas, it would be fitting and proper to pay homage to Lavel 'Tyler' Norman Davis, Jr., an outstanding athlete and accomplished young man whose life held such promise but was tragically cut short by naming a portion of highway in Dorchester County in his memory."

According to Davis' cousin Sean Lampkin, Lavel's mother informed him of the great news on Thursday.

"Lavel’s mother, Simone, has informed me that the State of SC has decided to name a highway after Lavel Tyler Norman Davis Jr. near his HS," Lampkin said via Twitter on Thursday.

Lampkin says there will also be a ceremony to officially welcome the tribute.

The 9.6-mile stretch of Highway 78 will be named the "Lavel ‘Tyler’ Norman Davis, Jr. Memorial Highway" and will start from the 12.79-mile point to the 22.39 marker.

This dedication is one of the many that's happened since Davis, D'Sean Perry, and Devin Chandler were killed on Nov 13, 2022.

The University of Virginia posthumously awarded the three football players with their degrees ... and the Washington Commanders paid tribute with helmet decals featuring their jerseys numbers 1, 15, and 41.

The shooting suspect, Christopher Jones Jr., was arrested and charged with three counts of second-degree murder and three counts of using a handgun in the commission of a felony.

James "Tim" Norman, star of the reality series "Welcome To Sweetie Pie's," has been sentenced to life in prison for his murder-for-hire plot against his nephew.

Norman was handed his sentence Thursday, according to legal docs obtained by TMZ -- this after being found guilty in September of setting up his 21-year-old nephew Andre's slaying back in 2016.

As we reported, Norman was convicted of murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, and conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. Prosecutors said he tried cashing a life insurance policy on Andre worth $450K after working with a woman named Terica Ellis to pull off the killing.

FYI -- Ellis was charged with conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and has pled guilty -- getting sentenced in January to 3 years behind bars.

Alex Murdaugh's double murder trial hit a delay Thursday morning when the judge dismissed one of the jurors -- but she refused to leave court without some very valuable belongings.

Judge Clifton Newman announced one of the jurors had discussed her opinion about trial evidence with 3 people -- presumably not other jurors -- and therefore, she's being replaced with an alternate.

The jurors' dismissal also came with an inflationary sign of the times, as she demanded her belongings from the jury room before departing. Those items included her purse, a bottle ... and a dozen eggs!!!

The price of those eggs runs somewhere south of $4, on average, these days in South Carolina ... so ya get it.

Even the judge quipped, "We've had a lot of interesting things. But now a dozen eggs."

Ex-NFL owner Jerry Richardson -- the founder of the Carolina Panthers -- has died, his former team announced Thursday.

He was 86 years old. No cause of death has been revealed.

Richardson officially became an NFL owner in 1995, when the Panthers entered the league as an expansion franchise. He went on to be the honcho of the org. until 2018, when he sold the team to billionaire David Tepper.

"Jerry Richardson's contributions to professional football in the Carolinas are historic," Tepper said after learning the news of his death on Thursday. "With the arrival of the Panthers in 1995, he changed the landscape of sports in the region and gave the NFL fans a team to call their own.''

Tepper added, "He was incredibly gracious to me when I purchased the team, and for that I am thankful."

The Panthers made the playoffs eight times under Richardson's watch, making two Super Bowl appearances.

His tenure, however, was not without controversy. He was accused of sexually harassing female staffers and using racist language while running the team.

The league investigated the claims, and in 2018 -- just before he sold the franchise to Tepper -- he was hit with a $2.75 million fine.

A statue of Richardson that stood in front of the Panthers' stadium for years was eventually removed in 2020 -- after the team said it feared people would try to take it down during a summer of national protests.

Aaron Carter's mother believes he was the victim of a crime, not an overdose -- so, she's made the tough decision to let the world see where he died ... in order to make her point.

Jane Carter posted a series of pics Wednesday taken in Aaron's bathroom on the day he died. The shots include the bathtub where Aaron's body was found, you can see the water has a greenish tint -- that's because Aaron's body was there for several hours before his housekeeper discovered it.

There are also photos of towels on the floor and what appears to be contaminated water spilled on the bathroom tile.

Jane says she had the full support of Aaron's family and friends to post the images because she says she wants to bring attention back to his case. Jane says the photos weren't taken by law enforcement, and it's wrong cops allowed anyone in the house after Aaron's body was discovered before first doing a full investigation into what happened.

Jane says, "Because of my son's mental illness and prescription drug issues they (cops) just wanted it to be something easy that they didn't have the time or inclination to address."

Jane believes someone was out to harm Aaron, saying, "There are people who must be held accountable."

She also finds it suspicious Aaron was allegedly pulled out of the tub while someone performed CPR on the singer, yet the towels appear to be "perfectly placed."

TMZ broke the story ... the L.A. County Coroner's Office told Aaron's family his autopsy did not find any water in his lungs -- meaning he didn't drown -- and leading investigators to believe he died from an OD.

The FBI recovered a trove of evidence against accused Idaho student killer Bryan Kohberger at his Pennsylvania home, including a gun, knives and black face masks.

Newly unsealed search warrant docs, obtained by TMZ, show the Bureau's itemized list of property belonging to Kohberger that agents found inside his family house after he was arrested for the brutal stabbing murders of four University of Idaho students while wearing a mask.

Among the items listed were a Glock 22 semiautomatic .40 Caliber pistol, three empty Glock .40 Caliber magazines, a Smith & Wesson pocketknife, Taylor cutting knife with a sheath, black masks, black gloves, a black hat and a criminal psychology book.

The docs also say the FBI searched his white Hyundai Elantra, finding a knife. The warrant does not address whether the knife is the murder weapon. Authorities also found tire irons, a shovel, goggles, a Ziploc bag and other items in the car.

Top NFL prospect Jalen Carter -- the potential No. 1 overall pick in next month's draft -- turned himself in to police on Wednesday night ... posing for a mug shot -- before quickly being released.

The former Univ. of Georgia star defensive lineman was booked at 11:33 PM, according to jail records -- just hours after the Athens-Clarke County Police Department issued warrants for his arrest for his alleged role in a January car crash that killed two people.

The records show Carter was released just 16 minutes after he was initially booked. He's facing misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and racing.

In his mug shot, Carter -- wearing a white tank top -- appeared to be emotionless and stoic.

As we reported, cops have accused Carter of racing UGA staffer Chandler LeCroy in a 2021 Jeep Trackhawk ... before LeCroy's 2021 Ford Expedition veered off the road and crashed into power poles and trees.

Police said in a statement Wednesday morning, an investigation into the crash showed both Carter and LeCroy "switched between lanes, drove in the center turn lane, drove in opposite lanes of travel" -- adding that LeCroy reached speeds of 104 MPH before the accident.

Carter, who was at the NFL's combine in Indianapolis when the arrest warrant was made public, immediately left the league's scouting event to head back to Georgia. He later said in a statement, "There is no question in my mind that when all of the facts are known that I will be fully exonerated of any criminal wrongdoing."

Cops have just issued an arrest warrant for top NFL draft prospect Jalen Carter ... after they said he was racing a Univ. of Georgia football assistant moments before her fatal car crash in January.

The Athens-Clarke County Police Dept. said Wednesday morning an investigation into the Jan. 15 wreck -- the one that claimed the lives of UGA staffer Chandler LeCroy and Bulldogs football player Devin Willock -- revealed Carter and LeCroy had been driving recklessly "in an apparent attempt to outdistance each other."

They said the probe into the crash revealed Carter, driving a 2021 Jeep Trackhawk, and LeCroy, driving a 2021 Ford Expedition, "switched between lanes, drove in the center turn lane, drove in opposite lanes of travel, overtook other motorists, and drove at high rates of speed" at around 2:30 AM after leaving the downtown Athens area.

They added that LeCroy made it up to 104 MPH ... before she ultimately veered off the road and struck two power poles and trees -- killing her and Willock, while injuring the other two passengers in the vehicle.

Cops said they've now secured arrest warrants against Carter, a star defensive lineman for Georgia the past three years, for reckless driving and racing.

Police also said Tuesday that a toxicology report showed LeCroy's BAC was .197 at the time of the accident. They officially deemed alcohol impairment, racing, reckless driving, and speed as "significant contributing factors to the crash."

LeCroy was just 24 years old. Willock was just 20.

21-year-old Carter, meanwhile, is projected to be a top-five pick in next month's NFL draft -- with some insiders believing he could go No. 1 overall. He was slated to speak at the NFL's combine in Indianapolis later Tuesday. It's unclear if that will still happen.

A gunman casually executed a homeless person on a St. Louis street in broad daylight ... and the horrifying attack was all caught on video.

Check out this footage -- shot by a witness -- showing Deshawn Thomas brandishing a gun while standing just behind the homeless man outside a downtown building on Monday morning.

Thomas struggled at first to load the weapon as the homeless man sat on the edge of the sidewalk ... oblivious to the danger around him.

With the gun loaded, Thomas pointed the barrel at the head of the homeless man and pulled the trigger.

The witness reacted with sheer terror, screaming, "Oh my God, he just killed him!!"

Thomas fled on foot, but police later captured him and recovered his gun as he tried to enter a library near the crime scene. He was booked into the county jail for first-degree murder.

Vanessa Bryant just received a heck of a lot more money from L.A. County after her initial $15 million win last year ... another $13 mil or so, in fact, which now accounts for her kids.

Kobe Bryant's widow has settled with L.A. County, amounting to a total of $28.8 million -- this according to her lawyer, who says this resolves both Vanessa's original complaint and subsequent award ... as well as any potential future claims from her surviving daughters.

Unclear when, but it seems Vanessa amended her initial lawsuit to add 20-year-old Natalia, 6-year-old Bianka and 3-year-old Capri. The settlement resolves all claims.

Vanessa's lawyer, Luis Li, says, "Today marks the successful culmination of Mrs. Bryant’s courageous battle to hold accountable those who engaged in this grotesque conduct." He adds, "She fought for her husband, her daughter, and all those in the community whose deceased family were treated with similar disrespect. We hope her victory at trial and this settlement will put an end to this practice."

You'll recall ... Vanessa actually went to trial over this, taking the stand with emotional testimony about how the thought of those photos of Kobe and Gigi's remains possibly being leaked out publicly tortured her -- something a jury agreed with in the end.

They awarded her $16M ... but a mil got knocked down afterward due to a clerical error. Vanessa and her team had previously said she'd be donating the money from this to her Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation -- and in light of this, there's more to go around.

UNLV defensive lineman Ryan Keeler had been dealing with nausea and had felt sick for at least seven days prior to his tragic death on Feb. 20 ... this according to a new police report, obtained by TMZ Sports.

In the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department documents, cops say that after Keeler was found dead in his bed, they interviewed a friend of the football player's who told them Keeler had been fighting an illness since at least Feb. 13.

Cops say the friend, though, had told them he had just seen Keeler at dinner on Feb. 19 ... and Keeler was "feeling a little better."

In the report, cops say a man with the title of "director sports medicine" told them Keeler had been prescribed medication on Feb. 17 ... and had just visited him on Feb. 19 as well.

It's not clear what the prescribed medication was -- the report was redacted.

The new documents also revealed that UNLV assistant coach Julio Garcia was the one who had initially discovered Keeler after doing a welfare check on the defensive end earlier in the day.

According to the report, Garcia had knocked on Keeler's door, and when he got no answer, he kicked the door down, found Ryan unconscious and noted the 20-year-old was "cold to the touch." He then called 911, the report states.

Police also noted in the documents Keeler was found deceased laying face-up in his bed. They said an empty prescription medication bottle was found at the scene.

Keeler had just joined the UNLV football team in 2022 -- after he transferred from Rutgers following his freshman season. In his lone year with the Rebels, he played in two games ... recording a sack and eight total tackles.

Ben Kweller, a singer-songwriter who's toured with the likes of Ed Sheeran and others, experienced a major tragedy in his family ... through the unexpected death of his teen son.

16-year-old Dorian Zev Kweller was killed in a car accident Monday, Ben confirmed Tuesday. He took to social media to share the update, writing ... "There’s no way that I can be typing this but I am…. Our son, Dorian Zev Kweller, was killed last night. He was only 16 and he was a true legend. Kindest, gentle soul, a friend to all. If you knew him, you know. We’ll never get over him as long as we’re here on earth. Please keep his spirit alive with your memories and the music he made."

Ben says his son was an aspiring recording artist himself, adding that he would write/produce songs everyday on his own accord ... and that the kid was a true poet with a bright future ahead. In fact, BK says Dorian was scheduled to play his first gig at SXSW in 2 weeks.

He goes on to say this ... "My baby boy was at the starting line with so much life ahead of him… I have no idea why things like this happen. We’re in complete shock and don’t know what the future holds. Lizzy, Judah, and I have no idea how to deal with this disaster. Thank you for your prayers and support and we apologize if we are slow to respond to messages."

The exact circumstances of the crash have yet to be released -- but his mother, Liz, confirmed he'd died in a wreck. Dorian is survived by his parents and younger sibling.

Bob Saget's former L.A. home has finally found a buyer ... just one year after the comedian's unexpected death.

The late comedian's 6-bed, 7-bath house sold off-market last week for $5.4 mil -- as we reported, the place was originally listed for $7.7M last June but dropped down to $6.9M 3 months later.

He bought the beautiful home back in 2003 for $2.8 mil, and it comes with a ton of space -- and has sweet amenities like a spa, BBQ area, walk-in closet, and a big motor court out front. It's even got its own guest house, too.

Of course, the house hit the market months after Bob's death, which just reached the one-year anniversary last month on January 9 ... when he died in Orlando, after accidentally hitting his head and suffering a brain bleed.

Bob's wife Kelly saw the property as "too much of a burden," deciding to unload it despite all the fond memories they shared there.

She posted a photo last month at a get-together to honor Bob with other "Full House" cast members.

The woman whose trial testimony helped send Charles Manson and several of his murderous cult members to prison for life has died in Washington state.

According to a death certificate, obtained by TMZ, Linda Kasabian passed away at a hospital in Tacoma on January 21 and her body was cremated. Her cause of death was not disclosed.

The certificate noted that she had changed her last name to "Chiochios" apparently to protect her identity after dissociating herself from the Manson Family.

Kasabian was given immunity in exchange for becoming a key prosecution witness in the 1970-71 Manson trial. She participated in the 2 nights of mayhem perpetrated by Manson and his crazed minions who massacred 7 people in Los Angeles.

During 18 days of testimony, Kasabian described in graphic detail how the 1969 slayings went down under Manson's direction.

Kasabian testified that Charles "Tex" Watson drove her, Patricia Krenwinkel and Susan Atkins to filmmaker, Roman Polanski's house in Benedict Canyon. She testified that Tex, Krenwinkel and Atkins fatally shot and stabbed 5 victims, including Polanski's pregnant wife, Sharon Tate.

Kasabian testified that she witnessed the bloodshed, but she never physically harmed anyone.

Polanski was working on a movie in Europe at the time his wife and unborn child were killed.

What's more, Kasabian testified that she was the driver on the second night of the Manson murders, in which Leno and Rosemary LaBianca were butchered inside their L.A. home.

In the end, Kasabian's crucial testimony sealed the fate of Manson and his accomplices, all of whom were convicted of the murders and handed life sentences.

Manson died in prison at 83 after he went into cardiac arrest due to complications of colon cancer in 2017.

Madonna was taking care of her late brother, Anthony Ciccone, before his death -- and despite their complicated history, they were far from estranged ... TMZ has learned.

Family sources tell us Madonna was actually footing the bill for Anthony's stay at a Michigan rehab center before he died this weekend. We're told he'd been there for a while, and that 2 days before he passed ... Anthony himself removed the feeding/breathing tubes doctors had him using.

Our sources say he was in failing health toward the end -- having lost a lot of weight -- and he knew the consequences of removing the equipment, which ultimately resulted in his death. We're told some family members -- including his sister, Paula, and his father -- had been visiting in his final days, with Paula being at his bedside throughout most of it.

Anthony's rehab care wasn't just a last-ditch Hail Mary ... our sources tell us Madonna and other relatives have been actively trying to help Anthony for years, but, by and large, he rejected assistance, as living on the streets and drinking had become a way of life.

But, in the last stretch ... we're told the 66-year-old couldn't fend for himself, and the fam stepped in.

We're told he suffered from alcoholism, which led to homelessness -- and, as a result, his relationship with his famous younger sister had always been challenging. With that said, our sources tell us Madonna never considered herself on the outs with him, per se.

As we reported ... Anthony's passing was announced this weekend by the husband of one of Madonna's sisters, Melanie -- who remembered him in a sweet eulogy on social media.

Three crew members who say they were on the scene when Alec Baldwin shot Halyna Hutchins have just filed a new lawsuit ... claiming it was a tragedy waiting to happen.

Ross Addiego, Doran Curtin and Reese Price -- who say they were the dolly operator, set costumer and key grip on "Rust," respectively -- are suing Alec and the "Rust" production at large ... claiming they were 3 of 7 people in the church set the day the shooting happened.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, the plaintiffs say there were countless safety protocols that were overlooked from the top down through the entire shoot ... which they insist led up to the killing, and which they allege rocked them to their core -- emotionally and otherwise.

For instance, the three crew members place a lot of the blame on what they claim was the producers' decision to use "operable firearms" during 17 of the 21 scheduled film days ... despite the option to use alternatives like replicas, rubber prop guns, or special effects.  They also point out many alleged safety shortcuts on set ... like not properly investigating previous accidental discharges that they say occurred prior to that fateful day.

Not just that, but the crew members say Alec and others screwed the pooch with the hiring of armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, even though they say she "lacked essential experience."

The lawsuit also alleges Dave Halls cut corners when it came to safety protocols. And yet, they say Alec plowed ahead with them anyway ... all of which led to the death of Hutchins in 2021.

Speaking of the incident ... the plaintiffs describe it here too. They claim Gutierrez-Reed told Halls that she hadn't had a chance to check the gun before handing it off to him and that Halls took it and told AB it was "cold," without checking. Ditto for Alec, they say.

When Halyna and director, Joel Souza were hit by the bullet during a tech rehearsal -- the crew members allege they were forced to spring into action and assist, which they say haunts them to this day and has left them traumatized. Now, they're suing for negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress ... and asking for unspecified damages.