RIP

Police still have not cracked the case involving the 2018 killing of Richard Jefferson's father ... but now, they're hoping a big monetary reward can help change that.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Dept. Lt. Patricia Thomas said on Tuesday they're offering $20,000 to anyone who can assist them in solving the four-year-old case.

Thomas told reporters at a news conference she and investigators believe there are people still out there who saw the suspects that shot 65-year-old Richard Jefferson Sr. in Compton, CA back on Sept. 19, 2018.

She said investigators believe a car full of gang members fired on the former NBA player's father while he was talking with neighbors -- mistakenly thinking he was part of a rival gang.

Thomas urged anyone with info to call the homicide bureau at 323-890-5500.

Jefferson Sr.'s brother, Kenneth, also spoke at the news conference -- and pleaded for anyone with information to come forward as well.

Knicks legend Willis Reed, arguably the greatest player in the history of the organization, has died at the age of 80, the team confirmed on Tuesday.

No cause of death was reaveled ... but Reed had been ill, battling congestive heart failure, longtime NYC columnist Peter Vescey reported.

"The Knicks organization is deeply saddened to announce the passing of our beloved Captain, Willis Reed," the Knicks said in a statement. "As we mourn, we will always strive to uphold the standards he left behind -- the unmatched leadership, sacrifice and work ethic that personified him as a champion among champions."

"His is a legacy that will live forever. We ask everyone to please respect the family’s privacy during this difficult time."

Simply put, Willis was one of the best hoopers to ever step foot on the hardwood.

Reed, a 6'10" center, was drafted by the Knicks with the tenth overall pick in the 1964 NBA Draft. Over his 10-season career, he averaged nearly 19 points and 13 rebounds. Willis was a 7x All-Star, 2x NBA Finals MVP and the 1970 NBA MVP.

Willis' most famous moment came during Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals. The Knicks and Lakers were knotted at three games apiece, with the title on the line. Reed missed Game 6 with a severe thigh injury, and almost no one expected the big man to play in the deciding game.

But, to the amazement of thousands of fans at Madison Square Garden, Reed limped onto the court during warmups, prompting the crowd to erupt. Willis hit the first two shots for the Knicks, and it was the only time he scored in the game.

However, Reed's presence gave his Knicks teammates the lift they needed to down Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, and Jerry West's Lakers squad, 113-99. It was the Knickerbockers' first title.

NYK then won another championship three years later in 1973.

After retiring from the NBA in '74, Reed was hired by the Knicks as head coach in '77. His coaching stint in NY didn't last very long. In 1981, Willis went back to college, where he coached Creighton. He then had stints as an assistant coach with the Atlanta Hawks and Sacramento Kings.

In 1988, Reed was again named an NBA head coach when he was hired as the New Jersey Nets' headman.

The Knicks' last title was in 1973 ... and the franchise recently celebrated the 50-year anniversary, welcoming back stars from the team like Walt Frazier. Sadly, Reed, because of health issues, wasn't able to make it to NYC for the event.

The Garden played a pretaped message from the legendary hooper ... and the crowd loved it.

NBA commish Adam Silver released a statement on the legend's passing ... saying, "Willis Reed was the ultimate team player and consummate leader."

"My earliest and fondest memories of NBA basketball are of watching Willis, who embodied the winning spirit that defined the New York Knicks' championship teams in the early 1970s. He played the game with remarkable passion and determination, and his inspiring comeback in Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals remains one of the most iconic moments in all of sports."

"We send our deepest condolences to Willis' wife, Gail, his family and his many friends and fans."

He may now be gone ... but Reed's #19 will forever hang in the rafters of the World's Most Famous Arena.

Two star high school athletes from Illinois -- who were enjoying their spring break in Colorado -- were tragically killed in a horrific sledding accident over the weekend.

They were only 17 and 18 years old.

The Summit County Sheriff's Office said the crash happened at Copper Mountain Ski Resort in Frisco at 8:35 PM on March 19 ... after Dylan Bazzell and Drew Fehr's sled launched off of a massive snowbank at the bottom of a half pipe.

"The two individuals came down hard on the hard ice below," police said, "causing blunt force trauma."

Emergency medical personnel raced to the scene to tend to the two teenagers ... but they were pronounced dead a short time later.

The school district in Illinois where the two attended high school said counselors would be available to help students cope with the loss.

"As we know, 'it takes a village' to raise a child," Prairie Central school district officials said in a statement. "And it will take all of us working together to comfort and support our children through this tragic event."

Bazzell and Fehr, both high school seniors, played for Prairie Central's basketball and football teams. Bazzell had just been named to the Associated Press All-State First Team earlier this month.

Fehr, meanwhile, was a football team captain who logged 1,439 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns this past season.

Police said the deaths are under investigation ... and are urging spring breakers and other thrill seekers "to always practice safe on snow activity habits and to be aware of the risks associated with these activities."

Lance Reddick's tragic absence was felt at the "John Wick: Chapter 4" premiere this week -- but his costars made sure to pay tribute to him with a notable symbol ... including Keanu Reeves.

The cast and crew members who were on hand for the film's debut Monday night were all wearing a blue ribbon ... several of which were passed out before the screening in honor of Lance. There was even a little note everybody got that gave a nod to LR by name.

It read, "We kindly ask you to wear this royal blue ribbon in honor of our dear friend Lance Reddick." The color is actually in line with Lance's taste -- the guy loved blue, so they picked it with his preference in mind.

Like we said ... just about everybody in the 'JW' world was rocking this. Not just the stars themselves -- like Keanu, Laurence Fishburne, Ian McShane and the rest -- but it looks like just about everyone who went to the premiere was able to wear the ribbon too.

Of course, Keanu and co. also got a chance to talk about Lance with the media.

Their interviews are touching -- you can tell how much Lance's passing has affected them. Keanu called him a beautiful person and a special artist, going on to say it was the honor of a lifetime to work with him. Laurence was even more emotional ... almost tearing up.

Lance had been in all 4 'John Wick' movies, playing Charon ... the concierge at the Continental Hotel, a home base of sorts in the flicks where JW would check in, get guns and have conversations with other characters ... including Lance's, who was a fan fave.

TMZ broke the story ... Lance died last week unexpectedly. A cause of death is yet to be confirmed, but we're told it appeared to be of natural causes.

A deadly car wreck captured on video looked like a wild scene straight out of a Hollywood movie, but the scary thing was ... it was all real.

Check out the insane footage showing a driver barreling through an NYC intersection and crashing into another vehicle. Two people were killed and five others were injured.

Police say Vitaliy Konoplyov was in a Toyota Camry cruising through a traffic light at the Brooklyn intersection on Monday afternoon, when he T-boned a Honda crossing in front of him in the opposite direction. It was not clear who had the right of way.

The impact from the collision sent the Toyota spiraling onto the sidewalk as people ran for cover. The Honda spun around in the street as shrapnel was flying everywhere.

The NYPD says both vehicles also hit a pedestrian and the Toyota struck an occupied Chevrolet Equinox.

Cops say the Honda driver and pedestrian died at a local hospital.

A passenger in the Honda was in critical condition at the hospital. The Equinox driver was in stable condition.

Konoplyov and his two passengers were also injured, but all were expected to survive.

Heath Ledger's Manhattan home has sold for a ton of cash -- the same place the late actor was found dead more than 15 years ago.

Heath rented out the swanky loft for around $25K a month. It sold for $14.25M last month .. per the NY Post.

The 4,400+ square foot penthouse has an open floor plan and was sold fully furnished. It's also got some great architecture, including cast-iron columns.

TMZ broke the story, Heath was found dead in this NYC home back in 2008 after an accidental drug overdose involving prescription meds. Fans of the actor quickly flocked to his loft after the news spread, holding a vigil out front.

XXXTentacion's family can finally turn the page over his tragic murder now that 3 men were found guilty of killing him -- so says his mother ... who's relieved justice was served.

The late rapper's mom, Cleopatra Bernard, tells TMZ ... she and her brood are grateful the jury delivered a guilty verdict, and thankful prosecutors were able to secure it through their work at trial. She says this has given them closure and will allow them to move forward in peace.

We're told she's also sending love and thanks to all of XXX's supporters ... who showed up for him in a variety of ways during this saga -- both digitally and, in some cases, in person.

As for whether Cleopatra anticipated this outcome, she tells us she actually did ... and went into court Monday expecting all three defendants would be found guilty of murder -- which, of course, they were after about 2 weeks of deliberations. She was also wearing an XXX shirt.

Cleopatra says the experience has been gut-wrenching but is glad it's all over now.

One last thing from Cleopatra here -- she tells us that the attempt to rope Drake into this trial from the defense side was a transparently desperate ploy just to raise doubt -- and insists she and her loved ones always knew who was responsible for her son's death.

MMA fighter Iuri Lapicus -- who recently fought ex-UFC star Eddie Alvarez -- has died following a motorcycle crash in Italy last week, ONE Championship announced Monday.

He was just 27 years old.

The 14-2 fighter lost control of his motorbike in Northwest Milan on Friday, according to Milano Today, and was thrown several feet from the crash site. He was taken by helicopter to a hospital, the outlet reported, and had remained in a coma ... until he tragically succumbed to his injuries on Monday.

One Championship, the org. Lapicus began fighting for in 2019, said following the news of his passing that it's "heartbroken."

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to his loved ones at this difficult time," the org said in a statement to ESPN.

Lapicus had fought five times in the ONE Championship, logging a 2-2 record. His April 2021 bout against Alvarez ultimately ended in a no-contest.

His last fight was against Zebaztian Kadestam on Aug. 26, 2022 ... but the Modolvan-Italian fighter lost, going down in Round 1 via KO.

The 3 men accused of killing XXXTentaction have just been found guilty of murder in the 2018 shooting.

The verdicts came in Monday for Michael Boatwright, Trayvon Newsome, and Dedrick Williams. The decisions follow the jury's deliberations, which started March 8.

As we reported, 20-year-old XXX was at a South Florida motorcycle dealership almost 5 years ago when prosecutors say he became the victim of a robbery -- getting shot while in his vehicle. They say the men ran off with $50K in cash and a Louis Vuitton bag.

The 3 were charged with first-degree murder with a firearm and armed robbery ... and in closing arguments last month, defense attorney Joseph Kimok claimed evidence clears all 3 men from the crime -- saying the DNA found on the rapper's body and necklace didn't belong to them.

You'll recall, a 4th man named Robert Allen was also arrested in connection to the killing ... but he pled guilty last year to second-degree murder and agreed to testify against the other 3 suspects, adding he was hesitant about the robbery and even asked the others to ditch the idea in the moment.

In a discovery and bail hearing for Allen back in 2018, surveillance video from the dealership was shown -- which appeared to show the entire thing going down in real time.

Jason David Frank shows off his mixed martial arts skills in his last movie role ... and we got exclusive video of him kicking ass in what turned out to be the late actor's final gig.

JDF is the star of the upcoming action flick "Legend of The White Dragon" ... playing a fugitive trying to clear his name in the city he once fought to protect.

The late 'Power Rangers' star goes from the White Ranger to the White Dragon. The movie will be released this fall, lining up with what would have been Jason's 50th birthday.

In this preview clip, obtained by TMZ, Jason's character squares off with Mark Dacascos, another famous mixed martial artist known for his work in kung fu movies.

TMZ broke the story ... Jason died by suicide back in November, with a close friend telling us Frank was struggling with mental health issues and battling depression.

Producer Sean Schoenke tells TMZ ... “Despite the tremendous loss, the production team has worked tirelessly to complete the film and ensure that it meets the high standards that Jason set for himself. The result is a powerful and moving tribute to his talent and dedication.”

In addition to acting in 'White Dragon,' Jason was also one of the producers ... and his daughter, Jenna Rae Frank, has a supporting role.

An award signed by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs is hitting the open market ... and it's a super rare memento, because the guy never signed autographs and hardly ever left his signature.

Steve scribbled his John Hancock on a 10-year award plaque presented to an Apple employee way back in 2000 ... shortly after Steve had returned to the company.

The award plaque is up for sale over at Moments In Time ... with a $95,000 price tag.

Steve presented the hardware to Apple marketing exec Suzanne Lindbergh, and the letter to her reads ... "This ten-year plaque recognizes those who have contributed a decade of personal achievement to Apple's phenomenal success. Apple honors you not only for your talent, enthusiasm and energy, but also for your ten years of creativity and career commitment. We hope you continue to believe, as we do, that the journey in itself is the best reward."

Jobs used a black felt-tip pen to leave his signature at the bottom of the plaque ... and it's also rare because Apple later transitioned to facsimile signatures on its anniversary awards.

Steve, who died from cancer in 2011, famously refused to sign for autograph hounds ... so there aren't a lot of items out there with his signature.

Ed Winter, the Deputy L.A. County Coroner who handled the death cases/investigations into some of the biggest celebrities in Hollywood has died ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Winter passed away at his L.A. area home Friday of natural causes.

Winter was right there in front of the cameras in cases that include Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Brittany Murphy, Paul Walker, Tom Petty and Corey Haim.

Perhaps the most notable case involved Michael Jackson's death. Winter had immediate concerns when he saw a shocking number of injection points in Jackson's body. He was at UCLA Medical Center, where Jackson was taken, and immediately after he was pronounced dead he noticed Dr. Conrad Murray had left the facility. Winter said, "He fled."  Murray would have been the one to sign Jackson's death certificate, but Winter ended up doing it.

Winter later said Jackson had enough Propofol in him "to put down a rhinoceros or an elephant."

But Winter knew there was more to the story, and also set his sights on Dr. Arnold Klein, Jackson's dermatologist who fueled him almost daily with massive doses of Demerol. He tried to get Klein's medical records and eventually discovered Jackson had 19 aliases to score drugs, and Klein was a principal enabler.

Whitney Houston's death just before Clive Davis's 2012 pre-Grammy party was also a defining moment in his career. Winter had become such a staple on TV, he himself was very recognizable. After Whitney's body was discovered, her family gathered near her hotel room. Someone introduced a member of the family to Winter, and the woman said, "I know who Ed Winter is." The woman was Dionne Warwick.

On Winter's first day on the job, he was assigned to a notorious celebrity case -- the death of Lana Clarkson, at the hands of music icon Phil Spector, who was convicted of murdering her.

Paul Walker's horrific death was another high-profile case Winter managed. He went on TV to explain what happened in the car crash ... "He died instantly," Winter told reporters, despite reports the actor was screaming for help.

Lance Reddick, famous for his work on HBO's "The Wire" and the "John Wick" movie franchise has died ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Lance's body was discovered at his Studio City home Friday morning around 9:30 AM. His cause of death is currently unclear, but our law enforcement sources say it appears to be natural.

Lance had been doing a press tour for the fourth installment of the 'John Wick' franchise -- he plays Charon in the movie -- and had a guest appearance scheduled for next week on Kelly Clarkson's show.

Lance posted a selfie video on social media Wednesday morning, appearing to be at home with his dogs instead of attending the 'Wick 4' premiere in New York City ... though he never mentioned why he wasn't going to the premiere.

Before his work on 'Wick,' Lance was best known for playing fictional Baltimore Police Department officer Cedrick Daniels on the hit HBO series "The Wire" ... with his character appearing in all five seasons.

Lance also had recurring roles on a bunch of popular TV shows ... including "Fringe," "Bosch," "Oz" and "Lost."

In addition to his success on TV, Lance also acted on the big screen outside the 'Wick' franchise ... with credits in films like "Angel Has Fallen" and "Godzilla Vs. Kong."

Lance has some unreleased projects in the works ... he plays the Greek god Zeus in the upcoming Disney+ series, "Percy Jackson and the Olympians."

Born and raised in Baltimore, Lance earned a music degree from the University of Rochester and he got his MFA from Yale.

Lance was 60.

"The Crown" is returning for its sixth and final season ... and we've now got a visual of how they'll portray Prince William's first meeting with his future wife Kate Middleton.

Ed McVey, who portrays the prince during his late teen/college years, and Meg Bellamy, who plays Kate, were fully into character in a series of photos taken on set in St. Andrews, Scotland earlier this week.

In the photos, the younger "royals" recreate William and Kate's first encounter at St. Andrews University in Scotland in 2001 ... giving fans a glimpse into their romance in its earlier years. And, we gotta say, casting for the two appears to be spot on.

As you know, the Prince and Princess of Wales started dating back in 2001 ... building on their legacy ever since.

The Netflix hit series chronicles the royal family in the wake of Princess Diana's death in 1997. And, the show is expected to take fans along a royal ride well into the late '90s and early 2000s.

Alabama head basketball coach Nate Oats says Brandon Miller needs armed security to keep him safe after his star player received numerous disturbing messages.

A video of the SEC Player of the Year walking into Birmingham's Legacy Arena went viral on Wednesday ... because the future NBA lottery pick was accompanied by an armed guard.

Oats was asked about the protection during Wednesday's presser and explained he and the university felt it was "appropriate" following the disturbing messages Miller received.

"It's nothing a college kid should have to go through," Oats said. "I think if you were able to see what I've seen and you'd understand why that's going on right now."

"Some of the messages from people that can sit behind fake email addresses, but who knows whether they're real or not. Something that nobody would ever want for their son -- I treat my players like my own sons. I put myself in his parent's shoes."

Oats added, "I don’t want to get into all that. The entire situation, as you know, is just a heartbreaking situation on all accounts."

Of course, Oats is referring to the murder of Jamea Harris, who was fatally shot on January 15 in Tuscaloosa. According to police, Brandon delivered the gun to the men accused of shooting Harris.

Miller's teammate, Darius Miles, along with another man, were arrested and charged with capital murder.

As his team preps for their first round NCAA tourney game, Miller was asked about the detail.

"I feel like we always travel with security. That's all I'm gonna be able to say on that."

Despite all the off-court distractions, Coach Oats say they're prepared for the NCAA Tournament and have blocked out all the outside noise.

"Our guys have been really mature about kinda focusing on the task at hand," Oats said.

"I think it's that mentality of like we're all in this together, we're trying to get to be the best we can be, and let's just make sure we're all focused and have a great practice."

A "Family Feud" contestant gave prosecutors a big clue in their case against him for allegedly murdering his wife ... his response to the "biggest mistake you made at your wedding."

Timothy Bliefnick, who was arrested Monday and charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of a home invasion, taped an episode of the 'Feud' back in 2019. Steve Harvey put him on the spot when it was his turn to answer the question -- "What's the biggest mistake you made at your wedding?" His answer -- "Saying 'I do.'"

Fast forward to late last month, when his estranged wife Rebecca Bliefnick was found dead inside her home. Timothy has been charged with breaking into her home and shooting her multiple times. The couple was living apart and in the process of divorcing.

Bliefnick's answer triggered gasps from the audience as he quickly added he loves his wife. As you know, the answers are based on 100 members of the studio audience and, incredibly, "I Do" was the second most popular answer.

Rebecca had reportedly filed for a restraining order against her estranged husband ... it's unclear if was in effect at the time of her death.