Crime

The former University of Virginia running back accused of killing three current Cavaliers football players had "no overlap" with the victims during his time on the team ... the school's athletic director revealed on Tuesday.

According to Carla Williams, Christopher Jones Jr. -- the man who allegedly murdered D'Sean Perry, Lavel Davis and Devin Chandler on Sunday night -- only spent one semester on the Cavs' football roster as a walk-on in 2018, before he left the team.

Williams said during that time, neither Perry, Davis nor Chandler, who were all juniors this year, crossed paths with him on the field or in the locker room.

"There was no overlap," Williams said as part of an emotional press conference with football head coach Tony Elliott. "I don't know if there was any interaction outside of the class."

Jones Jr. allegedly opened fire on the three football players -- and others -- on a bus on campus after they had all returned from a class field trip. Police have yet to reveal a potential motive.

Jones Jr.'s father, Christopher Jones Sr., told NBC12 on Monday his son had complained about people "picking on him" at school about a month ago ... but said, otherwise, Jones Jr. "was doing real well."

At Tuesday's news conference, both Elliott and Williams spoke fondly of the victims -- remembering them as great men and teammates.

Elliott confirmed a fourth member of the Virginia football team -- running back Mike Hollins -- was also shot in the incident ... and is currently in the hospital receiving treatment for his injuries. Elliott declined to give further details on the football player's condition.

Brian Laundrie's family wants an apology from "Celebrity Jeopardy!" after the game show used Gabby Petito's murder and Brian's suicide as a clue.

Laundrie family attorney, Steven Bertolino, tells TMZ ... "The entire Laundrie family is appalled and concurs with all of the comments on social media on how distasteful this was. I believe an apology is due."

As we reported ... social media users are up in arms over a "Celebrity Jeopardy!" clue on Monday's episode which brought up Gabby and Brian's deaths.

The clue reads ... "In 2021 Fugitive Brian Laundrie Ended His Days In Fla.'s Myakkahatchee Creek Area, Home to These Long & Toothy Critters." The answer was, "What are alligators?"

Tons of folks on social media have a problem with the clue ... the general feeling being it's making light of Gabby's homicide and Brian subsequently dodging a nationwide manhunt.

Casey Anthony blames her father for the death of her daughter, Caylee -- going further than what she'd alleged about him in court ... now reportedly linking him directly to the act.

According to People mag, which has seen an early release of the new Peacock doc, "Casey Anthony: Where the Truth Lies" ... Casey spills her guts on camera, accusing George Anthony of staging Caylee's death to make it seem like it was Casey's fault, all in an alleged effort to cover up what Casey claims might've been sexual abuse at his hands.

In the documentary, Casey reportedly claims she fell asleep with 2-year-old Caylee on top of her on June 16, 2008 ... only to be awoken by her dad in the middle of the night with Caylee missing and George asking where she was. Casey says it didn't make sense for Caylee to be gone, because she says the kid would never leave a room without telling her.

She claims George eventually presented her with Caylee's dead body, which was soaking wet and cold and allegedly told Casey she had caused this. Casey then claims he took Caylee's body and disappeared ... again, according to People's review.

Casey's theory, all these years later, is George allegedly smothered Caylee with a pillow to knock her out, and drowned her in their above-ground pool. Casey says she doesn't believe Caylee would be able to get in there on her own ... as she says there was no ladder.

Casey had already accused George of sexually abusing her when she was a child, and of disposing of Caylee's body -- claims he vehemently denied in court -- but now she's taking it a step further by suggesting he planned the whole thing ... Caylee's death included.

People reports Casey says she believes her father had moved on to her kid, and wanted to hide it by getting rid of Caylee and framing Casey. As for why it took Casey so long to report her missing ... she says she was under the delusion Caylee was still alive, apparently in denial she'd died, and allegedly following her dad's instructions in the aftermath.

Of course, you know the jury acquitted Casey of murder, manslaughter and child abuse. She was found guilty of lying to cops, but that's it.

Billy McFarland, the man behind the infamous Fyre Festival, is apologizing to the Bahamas for the project gone wrong ... and he says he wants to right his wrongs.

Billy fired off an apology letter to the Bahamian government Monday, hours after Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper said his nation wanted nothing to do with Billy's next venture, which appears to be a treasure hunt in the Bahamas.

In the letter, obtained by TMZ, Billy doesn't mention Fyre Fest by name ... but he opens by saying, "I am writing to you to profusely apologize for my actions 5 years ago. I was completely wrong and I wholly regret my actions."

Billy mentions his prison release and time served -- he ended up pleading guilty to 2 counts of wire fraud over the disastrous failed event and served 4 of his 6-year sentence behind bars -- and says, "my main focus is how I can right my wrongs and how I can make the Bahamas and Family Islands, a region I care so deeply about, whole again."

BF says he's kept in contact with folks in the Bahamas over the years and writes ... "Their generosity and kind hearts have been a constant guide and motivation for me. I have been re-engaging with the families of the islands to see what I can do to begin making amends."

As we reported ... Billy recently teased his latest venture, which our sources said involved another festival, among other things in the near future. His TikTok video teasing the project showed a treasure map and made it look like he's planning something else in the Bahamas, something the government there is not taking kindly.

Billy's not offering any more specifics on what he's got cooking, though, writing ... "I don't have much right now, but I am committed to make these families whole as soon I am allowed. I ask for guidance on whom to speak with to begin my journey to do right by the incredible people of the Bahamas and Family Islands."

Billy ends his plea with another apology ... "I truly acknowledge the hurt I caused to the people, and region, and I will spend the rest of my life working to right my wrongs."

Anne Heche's fiery car crash into a Los Angeles home almost killed the woman who lived there with her pets, and now they don't have a home ... according to a new lawsuit.

The late actress' estate is being sued over her August car wreck by the woman who lived in the home where Anne crashed her Mini Cooper and ignited a huge blaze.

According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Lynne Mishele says she was minding her business at home with her pets when suddenly Anne's car came barreling inside, allegedly stopping just a few feet away from the woman, her dogs and her tortoise.

Lynne claims she is still traumatized by the incident -- she says she's startled by loud noises, plagued by nightmares and flashbacks of the crash, terrified of walking outside ... and has no place to live.

In the suit, she claims the house and all of her possessions were completely burned and destroyed as a result of Anne's crash.

She notes Anne was driving erratically before crashing into her home ... remember, Anne also crashed into another home nearby, and also notes a blood analysis showed Anne had cocaine and fentanyl in her system at the time of the crash.

As we reported ... Anne was stuck in her burning car for at least 45 minutes after the crash, and she was transported to a hospital where she later died from smoke inhalation and burn injuries.

Lynne is going after Anne's estate for at least $2 million in damages.

Jen Shah's sentencing in her fraud case isn't the only thing she's on edge about these days -- the 'Real Housewife' absolutely lost it during an explosive argument, screaming and cussing on the streets of Salt Lake City.

TMZ obtained this intense footage of Jen and 4 other people having a blowout in downtown SLC ... and you hear Jen scream several times, "F*** YOU!!!"

We're told this heated showdown happened around 9:50 PM on November 5 ... as they say Saturday night's alright for fighting! It's unclear what sparked the dispute, or who the other combatants are, but there's some clear chatter about someone's husband.

There's also one person, not Jen, who hurls a homophobic slur a few times.

You could understand why Jen might be wound pretty tight -- she's about to find out her punishment after copping a plea deal in her fraud case.

As we reported ... Jen went before a federal judge in July and pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with telemarketing. As part of her plea deal, the feds dropped one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, but she could still get up to 14 years behind bars.

At the end of the Saturday night argument, Jen stormed off and our law enforcement sources say cops were not called to the scene.

Mike Pence says Donald Trump's characterization of him as a coward on January 6th was reckless and made him angry ... and he got emotional talking about it.

The former Veep talked about that dark time with ABC's David Muir, and when Muir read back the ex-Prez's tweet as the insurrection was unfolding ... you can see MP get visibly upset, seemingly searching for the right words.

Eventually, he found them ... saying Trump's suggestion that he lacked the courage to do what was necessary to avoid a "steal" couldn't be more off the mark. Pence told his daughter, who was also at the Capitol, it takes more courage to uphold the law than to break it, which is what DT wanted him to do.

As Pence speaks, you see him incessantly tapping his foot ... itself a show of emotion.

Remember, Pence was overseeing the certification of the 2020 election on Jan. 6 ... when at some point in the day, in the middle of their session, hundreds of rioters came barreling through Capitol doors and windows, causing lawmakers to hide in fear.

For some reason, Muir pressed Pence about what he thought Trump could've possibly been doing at the White House that whole time -- Pence had no idea because he wasn't there. Pence told Muir he'd have to take that one up with Trump himself.

There's not much ambiguity here ... Pence has not only broken ties with Trump, he has contempt for him. It's especially stunning because during Trump's presidency Pence was his #1 cheerleader.

Nas's home was burglarized this weekend -- and it sounds like a lot of crap was jacked.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... two men broke into the rapper's Calabasas property Saturday around 8:30 PM PT, apparently having smashed through a rear door to gain entry. We're told Nas's team became aware of their presence due to a Ring camera.

When the two guys were leaving, we're told the crew saw them ... and they called the cops. By the time officers arrived, the two dudes were long gone. Nas wasn't home, BTW -- he was in NYC for an album release party. Nobody else was at the house either, it seems.

As for the damage done ... our sources say the guys tore the place apart and left with at least two bags worth of stuff. Unclear what exactly was taken, or how much it's worth.

We're told Nas is still out of town and will have to come back and do a proper inventory of the items stolen, which will then give authorities an idea of what they're looking for. No arrests have been made and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is investigating.

Actor Enzo Zelocchi stole a laptop with $8 million in cryptocurrency he can't access without a password, and he's trying to extort the man with the code ... according to a new lawsuit.

Zelocchi is being sued by Iris Au for attempted extortion ... she claims he swiped a laptop from her boyfriend, Adam Iza, which contains millions of dollars in Bitcoin.

According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Zelocchi and Iza met back in 2018 when Zelocchi was looking for investors to produce a documentary on cryptocurrency. Au says that's when a nightmare scenario began.

Au claims once Zelocchi was hip to Iza's wealth, the actor began targeting him ... ultimately stealing a laptop with Iza's Bitcoin wallet.

Problem is ... Au claims Zelocchi didn't know the crypto passkey to the Bitcoin wallet on the laptop, so he couldn't access the cryptocurrency. Au says Zelocchi's been trying to cut deals with Iza to return the stolen laptop, in exchange for money and a hefty cut of the Bitcoin wallet.

In the suit, Au claims her boyfriend has paid Zelocchi more than $360k in an effort to get the laptop back, but Zelocchi never followed through with his promise to turn over the laptop.

What's more, Au claims Zelocchi's not only threatened her boyfriend's life, but also her children's. She says he's also tried to sully their reputations ... all in an attempt to gain access to the laptop's Bitcoin wallet.

A disturbing discovery at the site of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago has put construction on pause ... because someone left a noose in the area.

The group overseeing construction, Lakeside Alliance, says operations were halted after "an act of hate was discovered at the project site."

Chicago police are on the case ... a CPD officer was photographed leaving the construction site Thursday afternoon with what appears to be plastic bag containing the rope.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot says "Racism and racist symbols have no place in Chicago."

Meanwhile, recently reelected Governor J.B. Pritzker condemned the incident, saying he'll make sure Illinois "will make all needed resources available to help catch the perpetrators."

The Obama Foundation called the incident "shameless" and an "act of cowardice and hate ... designed to get attention and divide us."

The Obama President Center is supposed to open in 3 years ... and plans include a library, activity center, plaza, forum and a museum.

Columbus Short's neighbor says the actor's got it out for him so bad, he's had to go to court to get protection ... and a judge is giving it to him.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the neighbor says Columbus got in his face last weekend ... allegedly referring to himself as a "killer" while threatening to beat up the man, whose child was with him at the time. It's not clear what sparked the alleged altercation.

The man claims Columbus grabbed his wrist and tried to follow him into his home -- and a similar altercation went down 2 days after that.

That was enough for a judge to grant a temporary restraining order barring Columbus from coming within 15 yards of the neighbor, his spouse and his daughter.

We've reached out to Columbus for comment ... so far, no word back.

As we reported, Columbus was arrested back in February after cops were called to his home over an argument he had with his wife that allegedly got physical. He was charged with 2 misdemeanors, but those charges were later dismissed.

Columbus told us, "They dismissed the case from what I was told because the prosecutor felt there was no wrongdoing."

With this new case on his hands, we'll see how the neighbor drama plays out for Columbus.

An Alabama city councilman accused of using racial slurs was arrested after punching the town's Black mayor ... and it's all on video.

Police in Tarrant, AL just released the footage ... and cops say the video shows Councilman Thomas Bryant punching Mayor Wayman Newton in the face.

There's a bunch of people who cops say saw the punch, which went down Monday in the City Hall parking lot, with witnesses including the Tarrant Police Department's own police chief. Officers arrested Bryant at the scene and took him to jail.

Police say Bryant was initially charged with harassment, but the charge was since upgraded to third-degree assault.

The dispute reportedly arose from a heated meeting inside City Hall, where Bryant challenged the mayor to step down.

Video shows the guy who took the punch run away before falling to his knees and then getting back up and jumping around.

Bryant's been accused of racism in the past ... just last year he allegedly referred to another council member as a "house n*****" during a public meeting.

Nancy Grace says the upcoming Peacock docuseries on Casey Anthony is a sham ... she says Casey will lie her way through the series and laugh all the way to the bank.

The queen of true crime joined us Wednesday on "TMZ Live" and we asked her why Peacock is coming out with a series on the woman Nancy called the "most hated mom in America" during the trial for her daughter Caylee's murder.

There's already tons of outrage over Peacock's three-part doc, "Casey Anthony: Where the Truth Lies," and Nancy says the only thing the network and Casey care about here is making money.

Nancy, who famously dubbed Casey the "Tot Mom," says she was actually invited to sit down with Casey for an interview as part of the docuseries ... but she says she refused when she was told she couldn't grill Casey the way she would in a court of law.

Translation: Nancy wasn't down for a bunch of softball questions.

As you know, Casey was acquitted of murdering her 2-year-old daughter back in 2011 during a trial that got wall-to-wall coverage on cable news ... especially from Nancy, who was convinced Casey was guilty.

The Peacock series is the first time Casey is giving an on-camera interview since her trial ... and a teaser for the doc was released Tuesday, sparking the backlash.

TMZ Sports has learned a judge granted the restraining order on Wednesday. A hearing on the matter has been set for Nov. 30.

NBA star Miles Bridges has filed for a restraining order against the woman who accused him of domestic violence ... claiming she's harassed him repeatedly -- and won't stop.

Bridges spelled out his claims in new court documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, alleging that despite a June 27 argument between the two that turned physical and ultimately resulted in the basketball player's arrest ... Mychelle Johnson will not leave him alone.

Bridges says on three separate occasions, including just two days after he accepted a plea deal to close out his criminal case with Johnson, she's showed up to his home or places he's staying and harassed him, causing him emotional distress and anxiety.

The first incident allegedly happened on Oct. 12. In the docs, Bridges claims he had been renting an Airbnb in Los Angeles ... when Johnson unexpectedly entered his side gate with their two kids.

Bridges said in the documents that due to the ongoing criminal case with Johnson -- and the protective orders that had been put in place -- he ran inside in an attempt to avoid her.

He claims, though, his door would not lock -- so he had to hold it shut as Mychelle allegedly attempted to break in by swinging a hose nozzle at the home.

Bridges says after she couldn't get in, she then stole his dog, and left with their children.

Nearly three weeks later, on Oct. 31, Bridges said in the docs that Johnson followed him and his friends home from an L.A. hookah lounge at around 2:30 AM, and sat in his driveway with their two kids in her car demanding he speaks with her. He claims he didn't want to due to the ongoing criminal case.

Bridges says despite attempts from his friends and bodyguards to get her to leave, she refused and stayed parked there for nearly 6 hours before leaving.

On Nov. 5 -- two days after Bridges pleaded no contest to one count of felony domestic violence stemming from their June 27 incident to close out his criminal case -- the 24-year-old former Charlotte Hornets star said he was forced to call the LAPD after Johnson showed up to his Airbnb and "stood outside the home antagonizing me and refusing to leave."

Bridges says officers showed up ... and were able to convince her to leave without incident.

Bridges -- currently an NBA free agent -- is asking a judge to order Johnson to stay at least 100 yards away from him and have no contact with him or his dog.

Cain Velasquez was nothing but smiles and relief after finally getting out of jail on Tuesday night -- giving a huge hug to a friend, and saying he feels "appreciative" and "blessed."

Velasquez had been locked up since Feb. 28 -- after authorities say he fired a gun at Harry Goularte, a man who had been accused of molesting one of the UFC legend's close relatives.

But, following a lengthy hearing Tuesday afternoon, a judge set Velasquez's bail at $1 million ... and he posted the bond several hours later, giving him his first taste of freedom in over eight months.

Velasquez will now have to follow multiple restrictions while out on bond -- including wearing a GPS monitor -- although it was clear on Tuesday night, Velasquez was very happy to finally be out from behind bars nonetheless.

"I just feel blessed, you know?" Velasquez said. "Ready to go home, be with the loved ones -- family, friends."

The 40-year-old promised to "make something positive of this terrible situation," and thanked all of his fans and former coworkers for their support. His friend even joked about getting him some Taco Bell.

Velasquez is still facing 10 criminal charges in the case -- including 1st-degree attempted murder and multiple counts of assault with a deadly weapon.

Michael Jackson's estate is not just content with preventing the potential sale of MJ property the estate claims was stolen from the singer's home after he died ... they want it all back.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Michael's estate is seeking to recover $1 million in property the estate believes is being wrongfully possessed by Jeffre Phillips.

TMZ broke the story ... MJ's estate claims Phillips was engaged to one of Michael's siblings and used the sadness and chaos around MJ's 2009 death to take a bunch of private and personal property from the singer's Carolwood House, with the estate recently preventing a potential sale of the items.

Now, Michael's estate wants to recover the allegedly stolen property ... which the estate claims is worth seven figures.

Michael's estate claims the items Phillips allegedly stole from the home include hard drives, laptops, iPods, CDs and DVDs believed to contain non-public performances and unreleased concert footage ... which the estate says alone is worth at least $500,000.

MJ's estate also claims Phillips made off with a bunch of Michael's handwritten notes with bits of song lyrics ... plus personal computers, cassette tapes, a photo album with MJ on the cover, a black bag with a skull on it, framed record awards and a Michael Jackson doll.