Crime & Arrests

Big update in the Menendez Brothers case ... California governor Gavin Newsom just revealed when Erik and Lyle will appear before the parole board.

Gavin dropped the bombshell news Tuesday on his new podcast, announcing the convicted killers will go in front of the parole board June 13 for a hearing.

The Governor says after the hearing, the parole board will finalize their risk assessment and send it to his desk ... and he'll consider their findings as part of his decision on whether to grant clemency in their case, which would set them free.

More legal issues for former "Big Brother" winner Mike 'Boogie' Malin ... he just got busted for the second time in three months ... and this one involved another 'BB' winner.

TMZ has learned ... Mike was arrested and thrown in jail Friday after a bench warrant was issued when he was a no-show at court.

We're told the hearing was in regards to Mike recently violating the terms of a restraining order his former 'BB' costar Will Kirby has against him ... with Boogie disobeying the order by directly contacting Will's wife.

Infamous wife-killer Scott Peterson got an ass-whoopin' from another inmate in a California state prison -- in an altercation over pickleball ... TMZ has learned.

Multiple sources tell TMZ ... Peterson got into the heated confrontation Sunday in the yard near his housing unit at Mule Creek State Prison, about 40 miles southeast of Sacramento.

Our sources say Peterson hit the ball directly at the other inmate, triggering the assault. We're told Peterson got "beat up" by the other prisoner, but his injuries were not serious enough to land him in the hospital.

The Florida inmate who cops say was communicating with the wife of "Ghost Adventures" star Aaron Goodwin as part of her alleged murder-for-hire plot is a convicted killer himself ... TMZ has learned.

Police say Aaron's wife, Victoria Goodwin, hatched a plan to off her husband to get out of her marriage ... and she allegedly enlisted a prisoner named Grant Amato to help her see the diabolical plan through.

Well, we did some digging and discovered Amato is serving a life sentence for a triple murder involving his family. A former nurse, Amato was found guilty in 2019 of fatally shooting his father, mother and brother in their Florida home.

Tristan Tate is ripping James Kennedy a new one ... blasting the "Vanderpump Rules" alum for deleting a photo of them together and caving to online backlash.

Andrew's brother unloaded on James on social media, explaining the lead up to their photo over the weekend in Las Vegas, which James posted and then scrubbed from his account.

Tristan claims James "begged and kissed my a** for 30 minutes straight and called me a hero. He knew EXACTLY who I was and what content I made."

The wife of "Ghost Adventures" star Aaron Goodwin got busted in a murder-for-hire plot ... and cops say she tried to pay a hitman to knock off her husband.

Victoria Goodwin was arrested last week and booked on two charges ... solicitation to commit murder and conspiracy to commit murder ... after police said she hatched a plan to kill Aaron while he was filming his show with Zak Bagans.

According to the arrest report, obtained by TMZ, cops say Victoria was messaging an inmate in a Florida prison about getting out of her marriage to Aaron when she asked ... "Am I a bad person? Because I chose to end his existence. Not divorce."

Attorney Mark Geragos says the new Los Angeles County District Attorney has no clue what he's talking about when it comes to the Menendez brothers ... telling us Nathan Hochman needs to brush up on the facts.

Mark, who is repping Erik and Lyle as they seek to get out from prison after three decades behind bars, joined us on "TMZ Live" Monday and offered a scathing reaction to Hochman's latest press conference.

For Mark, the whole thing was ridiculous and irrelevant ... and not just because Hochman was talking about a resentencing hearing that no longer holds weight due to California Governor Gavin Newsom circumventing the process.

The Menendez brothers' relatives, who are also victims in their murder case, are ripping L.A. County D.A. Nathan Hochman ... claiming he's being hostile, dismissive and patronizing.

Erik and Lyle's cousin Tamara Goodell laid out the family's issues with Hochman in a formal complaint to the United States Attorney's Office Civil Division ... blasting L.A.'s new top prosecutor for allegedly violating their rights as victims.

In the complaint, obtained by TMZ, Goodell claims Hochman is re-traumatizing the family now that he's sinking his teeth into their case.

12 PM PT -- The family of Erik and Lyle Menendez has hit back after L.A. County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said he's asking the court to withdraw the previous district attorney's motion to resentence the famed brothers.

In a statement obtained by TMZ they say ... "District Attorney Hochman made it clear today he is holding Erik, Lyle, and our family hostage."

They also claim Hochman has "blinders" on that prevent him from seeing Erik and Lyle were "repeatedly abused" as kids, making them fear for their lives, and that they have apologized multiple times for murdering their parents.

They say the most "alarming" part is the D.A. is sending a message that young boys who are victims of abuse should not come forward.

The L.A. County District Attorney Nathan Hochman just said he wants to withdraw the prior D.A.'s motion to have the Menendez Brothers resentenced, saying what they did in killing their parents was unforgivable and they have not copped to the various lies they told to cover their tracks.

Hochman went through a litany of lies he says were never retracted by Erik and Lyle, and said that's sufficient to turn thumbs down on a resentencing request. He pointed to the jury rejecting any claim of self defense in the second trial. What Hochman ignored, in the first trial, half the jury rejected murder in favor of manslaughter, based on "imperfect self defense." Hochman did not explain the judge in the second trial rejected "imperfect self defense" so the jury never received that instruction.

The bottom line here ... the whole resentencing motion is irrelevant, because if the judge approved it, the case would go to the parole board. Fact is ... the parole board has the case already at the behest of California Governor Gavin Newsom so there is no need for a resentencing hearing anyway.

Dana White's catching some flak online after warmly greeting Andrew and Tristan Tate at a Power Slap event ... welcoming them back to the United States.

The president of the UFC was out Power Slap 12 in Las Vegas Friday night ... and, video of him dapping up the controversial brothers is circulating online.

Watch the clip for yourself ... Dana pulls the brothers in for a quick hug before yelling out "Welcome to the States, boys."

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy was arrested in Williamson County, Texas ... and the allegation is very serious.

Xavier was arrested Friday night on suspension of domestic violence -- specifically, an assault against a family or household member by impeding their breathing or circulation, so apparently choking.

Law enforcement tells us he is still in Williamson County jail -- without bail as he waits to appear before a judge at some point today.

It's not yet clear exactly what occurred ... but the charge is a third degree felony.

The second suspect in the murder of rapper G$ Lil Ronnie has been arrested ... TMZ has confirmed.

According to online records, 21-year-old Jakobie Russell -- the second person cops announced as a suspect in the shooting death of Ronnie and his five-year-old daughter -- was arrested Friday for capital Murder of multiple persons, along with assault of a pregnant person and assault causing bodily harm.

It's not clear where he was arrested ... but, he's being held at the Lon Evans Corrections Center in Fort Worth.

The brutal murders of four University of Idaho students just got even more horrifying ... On Thursday, prosecutors released new documents, containing text messages between the two surviving roommates in the death house -- and their exchange is downright freaky!

The roommates, identified as "D.M." and "B.F.," began trading texts while they were in separate rooms as the killer was going on his rampage with a knife through the off-campus house in Moscow, Idaho ... according to court records.

As we reported ... prosecutors have charged Bryan Kohberger with fatally stabbing Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves as the victims were sleeping in their rooms in the early hours of November 13, 2022. The two other roommates, identified only as D.M. and B.F., were not attacked.

Getting R. Kelly on the phone from prison put podcasters April Smith and Patricia Dillard in a serious dilemma ... one where they risked backlash from the public, and even their own families.

As we reported, April and Patricia made the decision to post their interview with the convicted felon, which they did for their "Inmate Tea with A&P" podcast -- and during their chat Patricia, in particular, was feeling it when Kelly started singing.

The duo told us scoring the Kelly interview happened totally by accident ... they were interviewing a different inmate who mentioned Kelly was in the same prison, and he managed to get him on the line.

Weston Cage is officially tying the knot with his girlfriend ... and, while his mom Christina Fulton says she's happy for him, she adds it doesn't change the alleged abuse she suffered at his hands.

The son of Nicolas Cage proposed to Jenifer Alexa Canter ... and, he tells TMZ she's his first and only love -- adding he's loved her since she was a teen and he will remain committed to her forever.

Weston adds, "Jenifer saved my life. I am so happy now that my sobriety isn’t even a struggle. I can’t imagine returning to the active addiction as I now have all that I have ever wanted. Thank God I don’t have to pretend to be happy anymore."

A "Big Brother 2" contestant found herself back in the slammer ... less than a year after being taken into custody for property theft.

According to court docs obtained by TMZ ... Autumn Daly -- who was on the hit reality series in 2001 -- was arrested by Denton County sheriff's deputies in Texas on February 6 over several violations of her community watch agreement.

The 10-year agreement was set in July 2022, when Autumn pled guilty to first-degree theft. One of the rules to keep herself out of jail? Don't break the law.