Crime

Brian Laundrie's notebook confession to murdering Gabby Petito is now public for the first time ... revealing his handwritten excuse for why he took her life.

In the 8-page confession, first obtained by Fox News, Laundrie admits killing her, but claims he only did it after Gabby sustained an injury while they were hiking in Wyoming.

He thought what he was doing was "merciful, that it is what she wanted, but I see now all the mistakes I made. I panicked. I was in shock."

Laundrie also seemed to be ready to take his own life at the point of writing his confession ... saying "From the moment I decided, took away her pain, I knew I couldn't go on without her."

As you know, the notebook was picked up with the rest of his bag in Florida's Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park by FBI agents back in October when the hunt for him was in full swing.

The pages suffered some significant damage, although his writings remained legible -- it had been underwater for roughly 5 weeks.

Vince Carter's wife -- while hiding inside of her son's bedroom closet -- mortifyingly spoke with dispatchers as burglars ransacked the NBA legend's home earlier this month, new 911 audio, obtained by TMZ Sports, reveals.

The call is terrifying ... you can hear Sondi Carter pleading on the phone with cops to hurry to her place in Atlanta as she said people had broken in and were stealing things inside of it at around 11:50 PM on June 19.

"Oh, my God," she said on the call. "Oh, my God. Please, Lord, help me. Please, God, help me."

"Don't make a sound!" she added, appearing to speak to her children that were with her inside of the closet. "Don't make a sound!"

The call lasted roughly 10 minutes ... and throughout it, you can hear Sondi was understandably panicked and scared.

"Please, hurry up!" she told dispatch, whispering. "Please, hurry up! Please, hurry up!"

Eventually, cops made their way to the scene ... and while they said in police documents the suspects fled in an SUV before they could be apprehended, no one was injured.

Officers say Vince told them he believed close to $100,000 had been taken during the incident. No arrests have been made, cops say. An investigation is still ongoing.

Some more positive news from hoops star Aaliyah Gayles ... the USC recruit is starting to walk again just two months after being shot 10 times at a house party.

The 18-year-old guard shared the amazing feat on Thursday via Instagram -- showing a video of her getting out of her wheelchair and taking a few steps.

"They told me I couldn't do it," Gayles said in the caption. "I told them watch me do it."

"I got the whole world watching. I gotta prove it."

The progress is both inspiring and exciting for the 5-star basketball recruit who was shot in both arms and legs during a house party in Las Vegas on April 16.

Over the last few weeks, Gayles has hit a few monuments during her road to recovery ... the #8 overall girls basketball player in ESPN's 2022 class also graduated from Spring Valley High School earlier this month.

Her father, Dwight, tells us he's as confident as ever that Aaliyah -- who is still committed to playing basketball for the USC Trojans -- will make a full recovery.

"She's going to be just fine," he said, "this kid is built different."

"Cheer" star Jerry Harris should spend 15 years behind prison bars for his child pornography case ... at least according to federal prosecutors.

In legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the U.S. Attorney's Office is recommending that sentence when the judge metes out Harris' punishment next week.

As we reported, the "Cheer" star is facing a maximum of 50 years behind bars after pleading guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography, and one count of traveling with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct.

Prosecutors called Harris' actions horrific, but noted his rough childhood also factored into their recommendation of a somewhat lenient 15-year sentence.

They've also requested he get 10 years of supervised release once he gets out of prison.

For his part, Jerry's legal team is trying to convince the judge to give him an even lighter sentence of 6 years in prison, and 8 years supervised release.

You'll recall, Harris -- a breakout star from the popular Netflix series -- had been under a 2019 FBI investigation for soliciting sex from minors at cheer competitions, and coercing teen boys to send inappropriate photos.

Ex-NBA star Vince Carter had a horrifying Father's Day ... 'cause police say his home was burglarized while his wife and two kids were inside of it -- and nearly $100K was taken in the incident.

According to an Atlanta Police Dept. incident report, obtained by TMZ Sports, suspects broke into Carter's Atlanta home at around 11:50 PM on June 19 ... while the Toronto Raptors legend's wife, Sondi, and her two sons were lying in bed.

According to the report, Sondi said she was frightened by loud noises that had come from the front of her home ... so she took her two boys, hid in a bedroom closet, and dialed 911.

Cops say Sondi told them she had heard suspects rummaging through their belongings in different rooms.

According to the report, an off-duty Atlanta cop arrived at Carter's home first and saw a man wearing a mask and all-black clothing fleeing the property, before eventually getting into an SUV and taking off.

Officers say they arrived a short time later and saw the front window of the home was completely broken. They also said they found $16,100 in $100 bills scattered outside the gated home.

According to the docs, officers said they spoke with Carter on the phone and he said the cash was from a brown bag he had in his closet. He said the $16K was only a small portion of the $100K that was inside of it.

Cops say they also recovered two guns outside the home -- a Desert Eagle that they say belonged to Carter, and a Glock 26 with an extended clip that they suspect belonged to the alleged thief.

Thankfully, cops say no one was injured in the incident. An investigation is ongoing.

Fred Goldman says the staggering sum that O.J. Simpson owes him has now ballooned to a whopping $96 MILLION, TMZ Sports has learned.

Goldman laid it all out in new court documents, in which he's applying for a renewal of his old judgment against the former NFL star stemming from the death of Fred's son, Ron Goldman.

You'll recall, in 1997 ... O.J. was ordered to pay $33.5 million to the Goldman family after he was found liable in the 1994 killing of Ron, who died along with Nicole Brown Simpson in Brentwood, Calif.

In 2015, Fred said with interest, O.J. owed him $57 million. But, in the new docs, Fred now says interest has continued to pile up over the last 7 years and has now reached nearly $97 mil.

Bill Cosby seemingly didn't care he was found liable in a civil suit accusing him of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl ... cheering over the phone when he found out the whole thing was only going to cost him $500,000.

Cosby's rep Andrew Wyatt tells TMZ he called the 84-year-old directly after the judgment was read -- informing Cosby the jury didn't award any punitive damages -- which could've cost the disgraced comedian millions.

Wyatt says when he let Cosby know the jury only awarded his accuser, Judy Huth, $500k ... Cosby responded, "What? That's all?" followed up with a "Booyah!"

We're told Bill was also able to get on the phone with the 2 jurors who had sided with him, thanking both women for being on the right side of equal rights and social justice.

We're told Cosby plans on filing an appeal ... so Huth's payday is, at the very least, likely to be delayed.

The only action going down at the World Cup will be on the pitch ... 'cause local authorities are reportedly enforcing a strict sex ban for single fans in Qatar this year.

The conservative Arab country -- where premarital sex is illegal -- is set to be a no-bone zone for all spectators planning to hit up the massive event in November ... with officials saying if you're not married, ya can't do it like they do on the Discovery Channel.

Get this -- Any rule-breakers lookin' to score could face a severe punishment if they get caught ... with the Daily Star reporting fans could face up to 7 years behind bars.

"Sex is very much off the menu, unless you are coming as a husband and wife team," a police source told the outlet. "There definitely will be no one-night stands at this tournament."

"There is essentially a sex ban in place at this year’s World Cup for the first time ever. Fans need to be prepared."

D.C. rap staple No Savage is a wanted man for a shooting that occurred inside a high-profile shopping district ... this according to law enforcement.

Fairfax County PD believes No Savage got into a fight with another group inside VA’s Tysons Corner Center … before firing off shots and fleeing the scene in a black Cadillac.

The alleged encounter that led to the shooting was caught on camera. Two men appear to approach each other and seem to be scrambling for items on the ground. Shoppers at TCC were running for their lives once the shots were fired.

Thankfully, no injuries were reported as a result of the stampede.

Cops are calling No Savage “armed and dangerous” and are charging him with attempted malicious wounding, three counts of discharging a weapon in an occupied building and use of a firearm in a felony.

Rep. Adam Kinzinger is not cowering from crazies who are so angry at his feelings toward Donald Trump they threaten to kill him.

Kinzinger, a member of the Jan. 6th House Committee, posted a letter he says was sent to his home, and here it is ... "You are one stupid c***. That pimp you married not only broke his oath, he sold his soul. Yours, and Christian's too! Adam's activities have not only hurt this country, but countless patriotic and God-fearing families. Therefore, although it might take time, he will be executed."

Then the writer goes on to attack Adam's wife and son ... "But don't worry! You and Christian will be joining Adam in hell too! We find it blasphemous that you name the son of the devil Christian!"

Kinzinger, who is not running for re-election, appeared on ABC's "This Week" Sunday and said he believed Trump's involvement in the insurrection rose to a level of criminality.

In posting the letter, Kinzinger blamed the tone of the GOP for people like this letter-writer going nuts ... "The Darkness is spreading courtesy of cowardly leaders fearful of truth. Is the what you want @GOP? Pastors?"

BTW ... along the same lines, a GOP candidate named Eric Greitens, who's running for the U.S. Senate in Missouri, appears in a campaign ad with gun in hand, saying he's going after RINO's ... Republicans In Name Only.

Houston Baptist men's basketball star Darius Lee was tragically shot and killed while at a gathering in New York on Monday, the university confirmed.

He was just 21 years old.

According to the NYPD, the shooting occurred at what appeared to be a barbeque in Harlem at around 12:40 AM.

Cops say when they arrived on the scene following reports of gunfire, they found nine people -- seven males and two females -- suffering from gunshot wounds.

Lee, who was ID'ed by Houston Baptist as one of the seven injured males, was transported to a nearby hospital after being struck in the chest by a bullet. He was sadly pronounced dead there, cops say.

Police say a firearm was recovered at the site of the shooting, but no further details regarding the incident were revealed. Cops say they've yet to make any arrests and an investigation is ongoing.

Houston Baptist officials mourned Lee's death on Monday, with men's basketball head coach Ron Cottrell calling the 6-foot-6, 230-pound wing "a remarkable young man."

"We are in shock and cannot wrap our heads around this news," Cottrell said. "My heart breaks for his mom, his sister and his entire family, and for our basketball team. The only thing we find comfort in right now is knowing where Darius is. He is in the arms of Jesus… we know that as fact. And we will see him again some day."

Lee was Houston Baptist's best player last season ... averaging 18.2 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. The rising senior was expected to graduate in December, the school said.

"As great of a basketball player as he was, he was an even better person," Cottrell said. "I can't even think of basketball right now. I can only think of what a light Darius was during his short time on earth. He was a joy to coach and we loved him so much."

The emergency protection order that was filed against Rajon Rondo last month after he was accused of pulling a gun on the mother of his kids has been dismissed, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

A judge ordered the dismissal of the petition on June 16, according to court records.

Court documents show the reason for the move was Rondo and his accuser, Ashley Bachelor, "reached an agreement." No further details surrounding the pact were revealed.

As we reported, the emergency protection order was initially filed on May 13 after Bachelor claimed Rondo became enraged after she interrupted a video game session between the NBA player and his son in Kentucky on May 11.

Rondo allegedly smashed a bunch of items around the house ... and, according to court documents, told Bachelor "You're dead" before leaving the residence.

Bachelor claimed Rondo eventually came back with a gun, scaring her and their kids.

Bachelor was eventually granted protection for herself and her two children, and Rondo had to temporarily stay at least 500 feet away from Ashley and their kids.

Former NASCAR star Clint Bowyer struck and killed a woman in a tragic car crash earlier this month, according to new police documents obtained by TMZ Sports.

The accident, per a Lake Ozark Police Dept. crash report, happened on June 5 at around 9 PM in Missouri -- just hours after Bowyer had finished working a gig as a TV analyst for a NASCAR Cup Series race in Madison, IL.

According to the docs, the 43-year-old ex-racecar driver said he was traveling in a 2019 Nissan Rogue when he hit a pedestrian in the middle of the street.

Bowyer, cops say, immediately hit his brakes and called 911.

Officers said in the docs that medical personnel arrived on the scene a short time later, and attempted to render aid to the 47-year-old woman. They say, however, she died at the scene.

In the docs, cops say Bowyer showed "no signs of impairment" ... adding that a breathalyzer test revealed he had a .000 BAC.

According to officers in the docs, "a crystalline substance ... believed to be methamphetamine" was found near the woman's belongings ... and residents at a nearby RV park where the woman was staying believed she had been "under the influence of drugs."

Bowyer -- who did not work his role as an analyst for last Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race in California -- released a statement Thursday addressing the accident, saying, "Anyone that knows me, knows that family is everything to me."

"My thoughts and prayers are with the family and loved ones of [the woman]. This is a very difficult time for my family and I, please respect our privacy as we move forward."

Mike Tyson is finally telling people why he beat the hell out of an overbearing fan on a recent flight ... with the boxing legend explaining he was just high and irritable at the time!

"Hey listen, I'm usually good at these things," Tyson told Jimmy Kimmel on his show Thursday night.

"I was wrong, that should've never happened. That's me back in my primitive child stages, I shouldn't of done that, but I was just irritated, tired, high, and pissed off. S*** happens!"

"I don't wanna hurt nobody!," MT sang.

So, the dude tried Mike at the wrong time ... and Tyson beat him up for it.

Of course, Mike, who was removed from the plane along with the bloodied and bruised passenger, wasn't charged with a crime for the April 2022 incident.

Melvin Townsend III, the 36-year-old man who was on the receiving end of the beating, hired an attorney several days after the fight ... but it's unclear if he's struck a financial deal with Tyson.

Jokes aside, it certainly seems Mike regrets his actions ... even though anecdotally, most believe the former heavyweight champ was well within his right to serve up the beating.

Kimmel also asked Mike about a possible boxing match with Jake Paul. Mike and Jake are actually buddies ... but Tyson's clearly open to the idea.

Ex-NHL star Sean Avery has just been convicted of attempted criminal mischief ... after he was accused of slamming his scooter into a car in a road rage incident back in 2019.

A spokesperson for the Manhattan District Attorney's Office tells TMZ Sports ... Avery was found guilty of the misdemeanor charge on Thursday, following a short bench trial this week.

According to the spokesperson, Avery was sentenced to time served. The judge in the case also issued full orders of protection for the victims.

42-year-old Avery was initially charged back in 2019 ... after a businessman said the former New York Rangers center damaged his car following a dispute over a New York bike lane.

The man claimed Avery's outburst left a small hole in his vehicle's door, near where his 4-year-old daughter had been sitting during the incident.

Manny Halley, Young Thug's former manager, has no bad blood with his ex-client -- he wants to see him free again, and firmly believes the system is using "our culture" against hip hop superstars.

We chopped it up with Manny Thursday at LAX, where he told us about his time at YSL ... stressing there was never any notion about the company being a gang. He says it feels like law enforcement's using "made-up charges" to take down a successful revenue stream for Black artists.

Manny and YSL unceremoniously parted ways back in 2018 after he was awarded a 7-figure settlement from Thug's former business managers ... but he says it's still all love and wants to see Thug and Gunna free as the air outside.

Some of what he told us echoes attorney Drew Findling's sentiments about Georgia prosecutors and the RICO charges.

The YSL guys have been getting loads of support from the likes of Chris Brown, Lil Baby, and DJ Khaled. Thug even recorded a message played last week at Summer Jam to thank fans for their support.

As we've reported, Thug, Gunna and co. aren't slated to go to trial until early 2023.