True Crime

Sofia Vergara's blowing off some steam ... hitting the dancefloor in Miami and hanging out with soccer's G.O.A.T. -- instead of letting a new lawsuit get to her.

The Colombian-American actress hit up Papi Steak Miami with Lionel Messi ... chowing down on some costly cuisine before shaking her moneymaker with a few of her girlfriends.

Check out the video ... SV's clapping to the beat, grinding up on the ladies in her group and basically taking over the discotheque -- unsurprisingly looking great while doing it too.

Our sources from the club tell us ... Sofia pulled up with some friends around 9 PM ET and partied hard until around 1 AM -- she ran into Lionel at the restaurant who just happened to be there ... splitting a reportedly $1,000 steak with his wife!!!

Messi brought a couple of football friends to the club too ... Luis Suárez and Jordi Alba -- who are not only soccer legends but teammates with LM on Inter Miami. Talk about a star-studded group pic.

It's good to see Sofia's not stressing her recent legal drama too much. We broke the story ... convicted drug queen-pin Griselda Blanco's estate is suing Vergara and Netflix over her portrayal of GB in the new upcoming series "Griselda."

Blanco's adult children are leading the charge ... with her son Michael alleging the new show at times leans on notes and anecdotes he took down between 2009 and 2022 and shared with a Netflix producer -- who Michael says assured him they weren't gonna use his notes when they made the series.

It's aIl pretty murky, but the bottom line is the estate wants the show put on hold ... a tall order since it's set to come out on the streamer Thursday -- not leaving much time for a judge to rule in their favor.

The ruby red slipper theft has been solved ... with a confession from a mobster!

Terry Jon Martin has copped to stealing one of the most iconic items in movie history -- Dorothy's ruby red slippers from "The Wizard of Oz."

Terry Jon now admits ... he's the guy behind the smash and grab back in 2005 ... he used a hammer to obliterate the display case that was supposed to protect the slippers.

JJM says he was under the mistaken impression the shoes were bedazzled with real jewels. The reason he thought that -- the shoes were famously insured for $1M.

The shoes were recovered in 2018 and Martin was arrested and pled guilty to the theft.

The 76-year-old will not go to jail ... he's suffering from a serious illness so the judge showed him mercy. He's in hospice care and is only expected to live another 6 months.

El robo de los zapatos rojos de rubí ha sido resuelto, ¡luego de que de un mafioso confesara!

Terry Jon Martin confesó haber robado uno de los artículos más emblemáticos de la historia del cine, zapatillas de color rojo rubí de Dorothy en el "El Mago de Oz".

Terry Jon admite ahora que él es el  autor del robo que ocurrió en 2005. Utilizó un martillo para destruir la vitrina que se suponía iba a proteger las zapatillas.

Terry dice que estaba bajo la impresión errónea de que los zapatos estaban adornados con joyas reales. La razón por la que pensó eso... los zapatos estaban famosamente asegurados por $1M.

Los zapatos fueron recuperados en 2018 y Martin fue arrestado y se declaró culpable del robo.

El hombre de 76 años no irá a la cárcel, sufre una enfermedad grave, por lo que el juez tuvo piedad de él. Está en cuidados paliativos y solo se espera que viva otros seis meses.

Sarah Palin's eldest daughter, Bristol Palin, has been hounded by stalkers for years -- and after little help from the criminal justice system ... she's taken matters into her own hands.

We talked to Bristol for a new documentary airing Monday at 9 PM ET/8 Central on FOX -- delving into the horrors of famous people who've had to battle obsessed fans ... to the point their lives have been put at risk, including BP here -- whose history with this is well-documented.

The incidents for Bristol date back to the mid-2010s ... and they were all harrowing.

In the years since, Bristol hasn't shied away from the fact that she exercises her 2nd Amendment right to bear arms -- something she touches on here in our sit-down with her.

Check it out ... she describes the anxiety she lives with in the aftermath of everything she's gone through -- and explains why she feels protecting herself, her home and her family is absolutely essential in her daily life going forward.

Part of the reason she feels she needs to go to these extremes is because the law itself is simply too lenient when it comes to stalking -- and doesn't do enough to deter them.

We get far more into the topic in the doc itself -- titled 'TMZ Investigates: Obsessed and Dangerous: Hollywood’s Stalker Crisis' -- and cover more stars who've dealt with this.

La hija mayor de Sarah Palin, Bristol Palin, ha sido hostigada por los acosadores durante años, y después de recibir poca ayuda del sistema de justicia penal, ella decidió tomar el asunto por sus propias manos.

Hablamos con Bristol para un nuevo documental que se emitirá el lunes a las 9 PM y 8PM Central en FOX, que profundiza en los horrores de los famosos que han tenido que lidiar con fans que se obsesionan con ellos a tal punto que sus vidas han estado en riesgo, incluyendo el caso de Bristol, cuya historia está bien documentada.

Los incidentes de Bristol se remontan a mediados de la década del 2010, y todos ellos fueron desgarradores.

En los años transcurridos desde entonces, ella no ha rehuido el hecho de que ejerce su derecho de la 2ª Enmienda de portar armas, algo que conversó con nosotros.

Echa un vistazo al video, en este ella describe la ansiedad con la que vive después de lo que pasó y explica por qué siente que protegerse a sí misma, su hogar y su familia es absolutamente esencial en su vida diaria.

Siente que tiene que llegar a estos extremos en parte porque la ley en sí es simplemente demasiado indulgente cuando se trata de acoso, y no hace lo suficiente para disuadirlos.

En el documental "TMZ Investigates: Obsessed and Dangerous: Hollywood’s Stalker Crisis", cubrimos mucho más sobre las celebridades que han lidiado con esto.

Logan Paul was once in the crosshairs of a man who seemed obsessed with him -- and who even broke into his home -- but he didn't realize the man took his own life ... until now.

We sat with the YouTuber-turned-boxer for a conversation about this dark chapter in his life -- namely, back in 2018 when a guy named Tahj Deondre Speight allegedly trespassed by making his way into Logan's house without authorization, which led to a confrontation.

LP ended up detaining Speight -- and he was ultimately arrested, charged, prosecuted and eventually jailed ... but at some point, he died -- and it appears it was via suicide.

Harvey actually broke this news to Logan in our interview ... and it's clear he was not aware of this development -- with the update hitting him hard on the spot. We ask the question ... did the system fail Speight by not getting him the help or resources he needed?

Logan gives an honest answer, and somewhat surprisingly ... he says he has empathy for the man he once wrestled to the ground. It's an emotional response, and a heartfelt one too.

His full chat is part of a new show called 'TMZ Investigates: Obsessed and Dangerous: Hollywood’s Stalker Crisis' -- the start of a weekly series that hits FOX Monday at 9/8c.

A Pennsylvania man is dead because his loud snoring kept waking up his fed-up neighbor, who stabbed him to death to get him to stop.

The bizarre, real-life tale began last Sunday evening in Upper Moreland Township, where police responded to the home of Christopher Casey after receiving a 911 call from him to report a stabbing.

When they arrived, the cops discovered Casey's neighbor, Robert Wallace, about 50 feet from the house with two knife wounds in his body. Casey also had been stabbed in the right thigh. Police found blood inside and outside the residence.

Both men were rushed to a local hospital, where Wallace died, and Casey was treated for his non-life-threatening injuries.

Investigators were able to piece together that Wallace went over to Casey's home that night and stepped onto his porch to detach a screen from one of the windows.

Casey, who was eating dinner, was somehow alerted and confronted Wallace, getting into a heated argument.

During the verbal altercation, Casey produced a military-style knife, plunging the blade into Wallace twice. It was not clear how Casey suffered his wound. Police recovered the knife at the crime scene.

Perhaps the most stunning element of the story came when detectives learned the motive behind the attack ... the neighbors had been involved in an ongoing beef over Casey's loud snoring, which could be heard through a wall shared by their connected homes.

Logan Paul estuvo alguna vez en la mira de un hombre que parecía estar obsesionado con él, y que incluso irrumpió en su casa, pero no sabía que el hombre se había quitado la vida.... hasta ahora.

Nos sentamos con el YouTuber convertido en boxeador para conversar sobre este capítulo oscuro de su vida. Esto es, cuando por allá por 2018, un tipo llamado Tahj Deondre Speight supuestamente entró sin autorización a su casa, lo que llevó a un enfrentamiento.

Logan Paul terminó deteniendo a Speight, quien finalmente fue arrestado, acusado, procesado y finalmente encarcelado, pero en algún momento murió y parece que fue a través del suicidio.

Harvey le dio la noticia a Logan en nuestra entrevista y está claro que él no estaba al tanto del suceso y la noticia le golpeó fuertemente. Nos preguntamos... ¿le fallo el sistema al no proporcionarle la ayuda o los recursos que necesitaba?

Logan da una respuesta honesta, y algo sorprendente, dice que tiene empatía por el hombre con quien alguna vez luchó. Es una respuesta emotiva y sincera.

Su charla completa forma parte de un nuevo programa llamado "TMZ Investiga: TMZ Investigates: Obsessed and Dangerous: Hollywood’s Stalker Crisis", el comienzo de una serie semanal que se emitirá en FOX el lunes.

The fact Scott Peterson's case has been taken up by the L.A. Innocence Project could result in the convicted murderer getting a new trial ... and his former attorney couldn't be happier.

Mark Geragos, Peterson's lawyer during his 2004 trial, joined us Friday on "TMZ Live," and we asked him about the startling development -- Innocence Project lawyers citing "new evidence" in court filings obtained by ABC News.

Mark says he feels "gratified" to have another set of eyes looking over Scott's case ... and also cites Peterson's reduced sentence as just one of many reasons the case needs more review.

Peterson's death sentence -- for murdering his wife Laci Peterson and their unborn child -- was knocked down to life without parole after the California Supreme Court said some jurors were improperly dismissed during jury selection.

Geragos says a hearing was ordered at the same time as the resentencing, and he thinks that's what drew the Innocence Project's attention  ... plus, Mark says the case against Scott is an "abomination."

Geragos says he can debunk all of the evidence from Peterson's trial, but thinks the jury was laser focused on Peterson's admission he was cheating on his wife.

The Innocence Project is a nonprofit that works to exonerate people who've fallen victim to wrongful conviction -- something Peterson has maintained is the case since the beginning.

The org confirmed it's repping Peterson, and added it's "investigating his claim of actual innocence" -- though they haven't elaborated beyond that.

In the court filing, the L.A. Innocence Project claims Peterson's state and federal constitutional rights were violated and his claim of actual innocence "is supported by newly discovered evidence."

As you may know ... Laci was 8 months pregnant with Peterson's child when she disappeared on Christmas Eve 2002. Her body was found in the San Francisco Bay months later.

Peterson became a prime suspect when it was revealed he was having an affair with his massage therapist, and cops arrested him in April 2003. He was found guilty of first-degree murder and second-degree murder.

ABC says the Innocence Project's asking for a ton of items related to the case it couldn't find ... including Laci's watch, evidence from a 2002 burglary across the street from the Petersons' home, and interviews with several witnesses.

The Stanislaus County D.A.'s Office, which prosecuted Peterson, says, "Mr. Peterson, like all individuals convicted of crimes, is afforded the legal right to appeal his conviction with representation of his choosing."

Breonna Taylor's mom is thanking Niecy Nash-Betts for mentioning her late daughter while winning her first Primetime Emmy ... praising her for using her platform for justice.

Niecy won the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in an anthology series, and her powerful acceptance speech prompted a standing ovation ... with Niecy saying, "I accept this award on behalf of every Black and Brown woman who have gone unheard, yet overpoliced, like Glenda Cleveland, like Sandra Bland, like Breonna Taylor!”

Breonna's mother, Tamika Palmer, tells TMZ … it's "amazing" Niecy used her big moment to  "acknowledge women, including my daughter, who have tragically fallen victim to police brutality."

Niecy also told the Emmys audience she feels it's her responsibility as an artist to speak truth to power, and she plans to do so until the day she dies.

Breonna's mom adds ... "The lack of accountability for these injustices is undeniable, and it is crucial for us to keep saying their names and reminding people of the profound impact of their loss."

As you know, Breonna was shot and killed by cops in Louisville during a botched raid back in March 2020, and her death sparked demonstrations against racial injustice and policing.

Rex Heuermann -- the alleged Gilgo Beach serial killer -- has just been hit with a new murder charge ... an expected development, officially rounding out the 4 known victims.

Prosecutors lodged a new murder complaint against Heuermann Tuesday -- accusing him of killing Maureen Brainard-Barnes ... a woman who's long been tied to the Gilgo Beach case, but is now being connected to RH via law enforcement.

Maureen disappeared in 2007, and her remains were found in 2010. She was technically the first of the Gilgo Four that was discovered within days of each other -- with the other three women being Megan Waterman, Amber Costello and Melissa Barthelemy.

Heuermann had already been charged in connection to their murders ... and now, he's being rung up for Brainard-Barnes too -- mind you, there are outstanding women's disappearances that are currently being investigated that may well end up being linked to this.

The added murder charge for Brainard-Barnes was something that seemed to be coming -- investigators were waiting for DNA test results from hair recovered from her remains.

Now, it appears as though they feel they have enough evidence to point the finger. Heuermann has pled not guilty to the charges against him ... he'll have to answer for this one at some point down the line.

Gypsy Rose Blanchard is getting bombarded with criticism from Nick Godejohn supporters -- it's been going on since she got out of prison, but Gypsy feels the haters aren't giving her a fair shake.

Sources close to Gypsy Rose tell TMZ ... she's been inundated with folks expressing negative feelings toward her, because she's now free -- whereas Nick's serving a life sentence for murdering her mother Dee Dee.

We're told that fact of Gypsy's situation is one over which she feels a lot of guilt to this day.

Still, our sources say Gypsy feels it's not right she's being branded a murderer by some of these overzealous Nick fans ... and the reason for that is because she didn't actually carry out the act of taking her mother's life. Remember, Nick was the one who stabbed Dee Dee, and Gypsy was convicted of second-degree murder -- basically, for masterminding the slaying.

With that in mind, Gypsy also thinks it's strange Nick is getting sympathy from folks who want to see him freed. We're told she believes he enjoyed stabbing her mother 17 times, so the fact he's got a group of backers is sorta ass-backwards.

Remember ... Nick got life in prison without possibility of parole after his conviction for first-degree murder. Gypsy got a 10-year sentence, but was released on parole last month, after more than 8 years of incarceration.

Our sources tell us Gypsy feels like she tried to help Nick in his 2018 trial by testifying she came up with the plan to kill Dee Dee, because it was the only way she could escape her mother's abuse. She feels her testimony was the right thing to do to clear her conscience, and we're told doing so helped her forgive herself.

Now, we're told Gypsy has NO feelings towards Nick ... she doesn't want to communicate with him and she's trying to leave their past behind and move forward with her new life.

Our sources say Gypsy doesn't hate Nick, but she doesn't love him or feel sad for him either -- she just doesn't feel anything for him ... good or bad.

Some of the same folks attacking Gypsy online say Nick should be freed too ... but we're told she feels his punishment fits the crime. Our sources say Nick told Gypsy in text messages, before Dee Dee's murder, he was going to enjoy killing her mom ... and Gypsy feels her ex is a danger to society who needs extreme mental health care while behind bars.

Gypsy Rose Blanchard ha sido bombardeada por el odio de los partidarios de Nick Godejohn desde su salida de la cárcel y ella siente que está recibiendo un trato injusto.

Fuentes cercanas a Gypsy Rose le dicen a TMZ que ha estado experimentando sentimientos negativos hacia ella desde que fue puesta en libertad. Todo porque ella es la que ha asegurado su libertad, mientras que Nick está cumpliendo una cadena perpetua por asesinar a su madre Dee Dee.

Nos informan que la situación de Gypsy es un hecho por el que se siente muy culpable hasta el día de hoy.

Sin embargo, nuestras fuentes dicen que Gypsy siente que no es correcto que esté siendo tildada de asesina por algunos de los fans de Nick, y la razón de ello es que en realidad ella no le quitó la vida de su madre... recordemos que Nick fue quien apuñaló a Dee Dee y Gypsy fue condenada por asesinato en segundo grado, básicamente por ser la autora intelectual del crimen.

Nos dicen que Gypsy también piensa que es extraño, Nick está recibiendo la simpatía de la gente que quiere verlo en libertad. Nuestras fuentes dicen que ella cree que disfrutó de matar y apuñalar 17 veces a su madre, por lo que el hecho de que él tenga un grupo de seguidores es inaudito.

Recordemos que Nick fue declarado culpable de asesinato en primer grado y condenado a cadena perpetua sin posibilidad de libertad condicional, mientras que Gypsy fue condenada a 10 años pero salió en libertad condicional tras cumplir 8 años de prisión.

Nuestras fuentes nos dicen que Gypsy siente que trató de ayudar a Nick en su juicio penal de 2018 al testificar que ideó el plan para matar a Dee Dee porque era la única manera de escapar del abuso de su madre y nos dicen que Gypsy siente que su testimonio fue lo correcto en ese momento para limpiar su conciencia, lo que la ayudó a perdonarse a sí misma y seguir adelante.

Ahora, nos dicen Gypsy NO tiene sentimientos hacia Nick... ella no quiere comunicarse con él y ella está tratando de dejar su pasado atrás y seguir adelante con su nueva vida.

Nuestras fuentes dicen que Gypsy no odia a Nick, pero no lo ama o se siente triste por él tampoco... ella simplemente no siente nada hacia él, bueno o malo, y punto.

Algunas de las mismas personas que atacan a Gypsy en línea dicen que Nick debería ser liberado también, pero nos dicen que ella siente que su castigo se ajusta al crimen. Nuestras fuentes dicen que Nick le dijo a Gypsy en mensajes de texto antes del asesinato de Dee Dee que iba a disfrutar de matar a su madre y Gypsy siente que su ex es un peligro para la sociedad y necesita atención de salud mental extrema, mientras que está detrás de las rejas.

The trial for 2 men charged with murdering hip hop legend Jam Master Jay of the trailblazing group Run-DMC is all set to begin ... more than 20 years after the pioneering DJ was killed.

Jury selection began last week from a pool of more than 500 prospective candidates -- the process is scheduled to be completed by January 22, and the trial will begin one week later.

Karl Jordan Jr. and Ronald Washington are the defendants who were indicted back in August 2020.

Prosecutors charged a third defendant, Jay Bryant, in July 2023 and his trial will commence sometime in 2025.

Jay was shot and killed in October 2002 inside a Queens recording studio he owned and operated.

Sam Haskell Jr. is officially denying culpability in his triple murder case this week -- and the guy continues to go shirtless before a judge ... this as officials have fears of self-harm.

The murder suspect had an appearance in court Friday in Los Angeles, where he and his lawyers officially entered not guilty pleas to the 3 counts of murder Haskell is facing. Also of note ... the fact he was trotted out in front of everybody with his bare chest exposed again.

Remember, he was rocking the same sorta look when he first appeared in court last month ... something correctional officers relegated him to because of what they said were suicidal thoughts he was expressing.

Now, more than a month later of his being in custody ... he's still shirtless, something his lawyers griped about Friday -- claiming their client has not indicated he intends self-harm upon himself. Despite this, hizzoner denied Sam a shirt ... offering a self-harm vest instead.

Doesn't sound like Sam took the judge up on that ... and now, he's due back in court next month. It's unclear what exactly he's wearing behind bars, but when he's appeared in court ... he's been shirtless both times.

Remember, prosecutors allege Sam killed his wife, Mei, as well as her parents Yanxiang and Gaoshan. TMZ obtained surveillance video that appeared to show Haskell dumping something off at a dumpster shortly before he was arrested.

He remains in custody without bail.

Mariska Hargitay revealed this week that she's a survivor of sexual assault -- something a number of orgs advocating on behalf of victims are singing her praises over, for good reason.

The actress penned a gut-wrenching piece for People this week detailing her experience -- which detailed what she says was an outright rape committed by someone she considered a friend in her 30s. She doesn't specify when it happened, but she does remember it vividly.

She says, "I tried all the ways I knew to get out of it. I tried to make jokes, to be charming, to set a boundary, to reason, to say no. He grabbed me by the arms and held me down. I was terrified. I didn’t want it to escalate to violence. I now know it was already sexual violence, but I was afraid he would become physically violent. I went into freeze mode, a common trauma response when there is no option to escape. I checked out of my body."

Afterward, Mariska says she erased this incident from her narrative and tried forgetting it -- although, this issue is still very clearly near and dear to her heart ... evidenced in the fact that she founded the Joyful Heart Foundation, a nonprofit aimed at helping SA survivors.

Of course, there's also the fact she's been playing Det. Olivia Benson on 'Law & Order: SVU' for years now ... and her character is constantly out to catch predators of this nature as well.

Mariska has been getting praised for sharing her experience, but there are some advocacy groups in this space that wanna show her more love and appreciation ... including the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, the New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault, the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network and the New York State Coalition Against Sexual Assault.

Reps for all 4 orgs tell TMZ that Mariska coming forward continues to strip away the stigma of victims feeling afraid or ashamed to come forward and speak their truth ... noting what she's doing here is helpful to countless other people out there in the world.

Scott Berkowitz of RAINN says, "Mariska Hargitay has already done so much for survivors of sexual violence through her career and her foundation. To now share her personal story is another brave and important act, and we stand by her and all survivors who take this step."

All the groups here tell us just about the same thing -- that Mariska's recounting echoes so much of what victims go through collectively ... and that talking about it encourages others to do the same. With someone as high-profile as her speaking out, it helps pave the way.