Crime

Actor Frank Vallelonga Jr., famous for his work in the Oscar-winning "Green Book," has died ... TMZ has confirmed.

The NYPD tells TMZ ... police responded Monday morning to a 911 call about an unconscious man in the Bronx, and when they got there they found a dead body in the street, which was later identified as Frank.

Cops say the Medical Examiner will determine an official cause of death. Meanwhile, police tell us a suspect has been criminally charged with dumping Frank's corpse. Cops also say the suspect told police Frank overdosed.

Frank's late father is "Sopranos" star Tony Lip, who played New York mob boss Carmine Lupertazzi in the HBO series ... and his brother, Nick Vallelonga, is the co-writer and producer for "Green Book," which won two Academy Awards for Best Original Screenplay and Best Picture.

In fact, "Green Book" is about Frank's father ... Tony worked as a bouncer and was hired to drive and protect pianist Don Shirley during an early 1960s tour through the Jim Crow South. In the movie, Viggo Mortensen portrays Tony and Frank plays his other brother, Rudy Vallelonga.

Cops say the suspect dumped Frank's body from a car owned by Nick -- but Nick told police the suspect did not have permission or authority to drive the car.

Frank was 60.

Idaho authorities seem to be back to square one ... they just reversed a key finding in their investigation into the slaughter of four college students.

The Moscow Police Department released a "clarification" on Facebook Wednesday night, saying they are now UNSURE if the victims or the murder house were targeted by the killer or killers.

The statement read ... "We have spoken with the Latah County Prosecutor’s Office and identified this was a miscommunication. Detectives do not currently know if the residence or any occupants were specifically targeted but continue to investigate."

Latah County prosecutor Bill Thompson sparked confusion during a recent interview with NewsNation, stating the assailant/assailants were "specifically looking at this particular residence." He added the use of the term "targeted" was likely a mistake because it implied one or more of the victims were in the killer/killers' crosshairs.

Thompson's words muddled the message from Moscow Police Chief James Fry, who has been adamant since the beginning of the probe that it was a "targeted attack," but he never explained why. Police have not identified the suspect/suspects or released a motive. Few details about the crimes are publicly known.

Four University of Idaho students were discovered fatally stabbed inside an off-campus home on November 13. Investigators believe the murder weapon was a combat knife similar to the one used by the Rambo character in the '80s film, 'First Blood.' But, the weapon has not been found.

With the killer/killers at large and little if no answers from police ... many university students -- out of fear -- have opted to attend classes remotely.

We're learning more about the sickening triple murder of a 15-year-old girl's family and the possible fate she faced if her abductor would have gotten her back to his home across the country.

Real estate records reveal Austin Lee Edwards paid $80,000 for a 2-bedroom, 1-bathroom house in Saltville, VA on November 14 ... just 11 days before killing 3 people in Riverside, CA.

We spoke with neighbors who tell us Edwards almost immediately blacked out the windows of the home with car tint ... we've obtained photos showing it was next to impossible to see inside the home.

One of the neighbors tells us they had a brief conversation with Edwards, who said he chose to move there to get out of Richmond, VA. They also say Edwards wore a trench coat when he went to the water department to turn on his utilities, which they thought was odd.

As for his possessions ... we're told Edwards didn't appear to have much -- barely any furniture. We know cops have been active on the property over the last few days, removing evidence bags as they searched his home.

Cops say Edwards killed the 15-year-old girl's mother and grandparents before setting their house on fire, and then abducted the young girl. He was later caught in a police chase -- after one of the grandparents' neighbors called 911 -- which ended in a shoot-out where Edwards was killed. Cops say Edwards connected with the girl after catfishing her, pretending to be a 17-year-old boy.

Danny Masterson was all smiles after leaving the courtroom, holding hands with his actress wife, Bijou Phillips, who was also grinning.

The actor was peppered with questions about the trial as he walked away from the courthouse, but he just smiled and kept it moving.

Danny and Bijou had a pep in their step ... and he clearly looks happy with the trial result.

His trial attorney Philip Cohen tells TMZ ... "l am so thankful for the incredible care and commitment that the jurors showed in this case. This trial was about nothing other than the credibility of the three accusers and that credibility could only be determined by comparing, contrasting and focusing on the ever evolving statements given by the women."

He adds, "The vote count says it all and it is a true testament to our justice system that the jurors were able to see through all the inflammatory noise and focus solely on what was truly important."

Danny Masterson's rape trial has come to an end ... a judge has declared a mistrial after a hung jury.

Masterson was in a Los Angeles courtroom Wednesday waiting to hear a verdict, when the jury announced it deadlocked. The judge then declared a mistrial.

The jury began deliberations 2 weeks ago after 4 weeks of testimony from alleged victims. They had a break because of Thanksgiving, and two jurors were replaced on Monday with alternates after testing positive for COVID.

It's unclear if prosecutors will decide to try the actor again.

He was facing a maximum sentence of 45 to life behind bars if found guilty of the charges.

As we reported, Masterson was charged back in 2020 with 3 counts of rape, with the alleged victims claiming the incidents occurred between 2001 and 2003 ... right in the middle of the run of his sitcom, "That '70s Show."

Masterson's former attorney, Tom Mesereau, told TMZ at the time ... "Mr. Masterson is innocent, and we’re confident that he will be exonerated when all the evidence finally comes to light and witnesses have the opportunity to testify."

The actor pled not guilty to the charges ... and while he never testified in his own defense, he and his legal team maintained that the incidents either didn't happen or were consensual.

Yasiel Puig will not plead guilty to lying to the feds during their investigation of an illegal gambling ring after all.

The former MLB star announced on Wednesday he's now pleading not guilty in the case -- saying in a statement, "I want to clear my name."

"I never should have agreed to plead guilty to a crime I did not commit," he added.

As we reported, Puig had initially agreed to plead guilty to one count of making false statements ... after federal prosecutors accused him of lying about participating in an illegal gambling business during an interview earlier this year.

Puig hoped to avoid jail time with the plea deal ... but now, he's decided to fight the charge and faces up to five years in prison if convicted.

Puig's attorney, Keri Axel of Waymaker LLP, said the course reversal came following the reveal of "significant new evidence" ... explaining that during Puig's interview with the feds, he was in essentially no condition to properly answer their questions.

"At the time of his January 2022 interview, Mr. Puig, who has a third-grade education, had untreated mental-health issues, and did not have his own interpreter or criminal legal counsel with him,'' Axel said.

"We have reviewed the evidence, including significant new information, and have serious concerns about the allegations made against Yasiel.''

Hot Boys rapper B.G. was centered in an internet hoax this week, and Gucci Mane took the bait -- but in doing so, he revealed the cards he's playing for the incarcerated Cash Money Records OG.

Gucci excitedly tweeted Tuesday ... posting a pic of B.G. with a $1 million offer to sign with his 1017 Records, highlighting the respect he had for the Louisiana-born rapper.

Once the purported video of B.G. was debunked -- it wasn't really him -- Gucci deleted the tweet ... seemingly crushing his hopes to boost his So Icy Boyz roster.

Gucci does have some open slots -- he recently dropped an up-and-coming rapper from the label in a 24-hour timespan -- but many signs point to B.G. returning to Cash Money if he stays in the rap game.

Cash Money boss Birdman has been teasing B.G.’s early release from his 14-year prison sentence for months … despite his 2021 conditional release being denied.

The Chopper City rapper is currently holed up in California’s FCI Herlong Detention Center with a current release date of April 7, 2024. He’s been incarcerated on a federal gun charge since 2012.

Casey Anthony, who was once accused of killing her daughter, seems to be dancing through all the drama without a care in the world ... ahead of her controversial documentary, as evidenced in a newly surfaced video.

The formerly accused and acquitted killer was spotted letting her hair down, and dancing onstage with the band Steel Panther back in March ... and that video is just now making rounds on social media.

The caption of the vid says ... "When you see Casey Anthony at a concert in Fort Lauderdale in March, then her documentary comes out in November" and she looked as carefree as can be.

As noted, the timing is interesting considering she recently opened up about her side of things during her first on-cam sit-down, since being acquitted, for a new Peacock documentary, "Casey Anthony: Where the Truth Lies."

The project's gotten a lot of backlash from people who still believe she bears some blame for her daughter, Caylee's murder.

You'll recall, Casey stood trial in 2011 for killing her 2-year-old daughter. A jury acquitted her of murder, manslaughter and child abuse, and she was only found guilty of lying to cops.

The prosecutor in charge of the Idaho quadruple-murder case says there's been a misunderstanding when cops said this crime was targeted -- apparently, they meant the house itself was in somebody's crosshairs ... not necessarily any individuals themselves.

Bill Thompson -- who's overseeing the investigation in Moscow -- told NewsNation using the word "targeted" to characterize this was probably wrong ... conceding it could've been interpreted to suggest one or more of the four victims were in the killer's crosshairs. But, Thompson now says that's not necessarily the case.

Instead, he said this home was actually what the murderer was laser-focused on, but he never explained what he means ... or why cops might think that.

Thompson does say they're still looking into whether any of the victims may have been the target, but for now ... it doesn't sound like they've uncovered anything to connect that dot. He also says nothing strange - like symbols are markings -- were left behind.

He goes on to say he's not aware whether the doors to their rooms were locked, and also can't say for sure whether they were all sleeping at the time of the killings. BT also says law enforcement has no reason to believe this was drug-related ... so not much clarity.

Cops have stumbled a lot since the murders, making statements, then taking them back, creating confusion in the community and anger among families of the victims.

Another update ... all 5 cars parked at the house at the time of the murders have now been towed. Cops say they're storing them somewhere long-term for evidence gathering.

It's been more than 2 weeks since Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Ethan Chapin were stabbed to death in the middle of the night ... and the suspect/suspects are still at large. Several theories have been floated as to what may have led up to the crime, but so far ... nothing seems to be panning out into anything concrete.

Naturally, the public has grown increasingly frustrated with the lack of answers.

Cops investigating the murder of a 15-year-old girl's grandparents and mother don't believe the teen was complicit in their killings in a stunning catfishing case ... and are urging other possible victims of the man responsible to come forward.

Riverside PD Officer Ryan Railsback tells TMZ his department has no reason to believe the publicly unidentified teen who came into contact with Austin Lee Edwards last week is anything other than a victim at this time given her age and the evidence they've gathered.

RPD won't yet say whether the teen was abducted or went voluntarily with Edwards, as they don't have enough information.

As for Edwards -- a cop from Virginia who's said to have driven cross-country to meet the girl -- Railsback doesn't believe it was his first time committing a catfishing-type crime.

We're told the cops think there could be some pattern of behavior from his past that could help explain things ... so they're investigating any digital fingerprints that he may have left on his phone, computer, or any social media sites he used.

At the moment, we're told cops don't know how Edwards first connected with the teen, or what may have caused him to kill her family and set their home on fire.

Edwards was involved in a shootout with cops Friday after a 911 call came in about a distressed teen in his car ... he was killed in the gunfire, and the teen was uninjured.

Autopsy results have not yet been released regarding the girl's mother's and grandparents' cause of death.

Tommy Lee's dealing with a new break-in at his crib ... no sex tape was taken this time, but the suspects did make off with some strange items and left his home looking like a hotel room after a Mötley Crüe party.

Cops alerted the Crüe drummer there had been a break-in at his Calabasas area home last week ... according to our L.A. Sheriff's Dept. sources. Tommy hasn't been living in this house, he's actually selling it, but he rushed over to check out the damage once he got wind of the burglary.

We're told, someone got in through a back glass door, and absolutely trashed the inside of the home.

LASD says the thief, or thieves, broke glass, lamps and even one of Tommy's side gates. As for what they stole -- just a bathroom mirror and some cabinet handles.

Remember, way back in 1995 ... a contractor infamously stole a sex tape -- yes, that one -- from Tommy and his ex-wife Pamela Anderson's home.

So far, there's been no arrest in last week's burglary, but the total damage/loss is estimated to cost the rock star drummer around $5K.

As we've reported, the rock star drummer listed the beautiful home back in September for a second time ... after having no luck with a sale in May of 2020.

Unfortunately for Tommy ... he's in good company when it comes to recent celeb burglary victims. TMZ broke the stories of Megan Thee Stallion and Nas' homes being hit while they were out of town, and Arsenio Hall's pad was hit twice while he was home.

The Big Ten has fined Michigan State University $100,000 and suspended a Spartans cornerback for eight games in 2023 ... after concluding its investigation into the wild tunnel brawl at Michigan in October.

The conference handed down the punishment on Monday ... saying officials found that seven MSU players did indeed kick, hit or use a helmet to strike Wolverines players during the Oct. 29 incident.

In addition to the fine, the conference revealed MSU corner Khary Crump will have to sit out the first eight contests of next season due to his role in the brawl.

The other six players involved in the fracas were all hit with four-game bans, though they've all since served that punishment, the conference announced.

Big Ten officials also issued a public reprimand to the University of Michigan for not providing "adequate protection for personnel of both home and visiting teams when entering and leaving playing arenas."

As we reported, Crump, linebacker Tank Brown, defensive end Zion Young, safety Angelo Grose, defensive back Justin White, defensive end Brandon Wright, and pass rusher Jacoby Windmon were all hit with criminal charges from the Washtenaw County Prosecutor's Office for their roles in the brawl.

A 26-year-old man is the new Anna Delvey Sorokin ... because he assumed the role of an oil baron heir and chartered a slew of private jets, rented homes that went for $30k a night and a lot more ... until he was nailed by authorities.

Nicholas Bryant defrauded 50 people and maybe more, stealing around $1.5 million in his criminal scheme.

It was humming along nicely for Nick, until he stiffed one of the jet charter companies to the tune of $76k. The company called authorities and Nick was nailed. He pled guilty earlier this month to wire fraud, which carries a maximum of 20 years behind bars.

Bryant says he feels remorse for what he did, and admitted he never intended to pay his victims.

Bryant told The Daily Beast the allegations "are pretty much true."  He went on to say, "I took private jets and stayed at the most expensive AirBnbs and hotels. Went deep sea fishing and toured everything that was possible. I bought and drove five different high-end cars. By far my most favorite trip was to [Turks] and Caicos. I spent two weeks on the island from fishing to sailing yachts. I stayed in a $30,000-a-night house. It was amazing."

And he makes a pretty stunning confession ... "The serious consequences had zero impression on me."

Idaho detectives say they are piecing together a story of what happened inside the house where 4 students were slaughtered, and they say video could be key, and not just what the videos show ... but what they DON'T show.

Aaron Snell from the Idaho State Police tells TMZ, his department is combing through videos which he suggests could provide clues, but then goes on to say, "What we need people to recognize is that often times what's not in the video might help us just as much as what is."

He goes on to say, "We can really create that whole picture based on what is there, what isn't there and be able to follow that through."

Snell would not get specific, but it raises the question ... is there an absence of third parties coming in and out of the murder house? As you know, police say the 2 surviving roommates are not suspects.

Police are looking at video the night before the murders, the night of the killings and what followed.

Snell says their hunt for evidence has been "very successful" ... video tips have been pouring in.

As we reported ... the 4 University of Idaho students were stabbed to death as they "likely" slept inside an off-campus residence. The assailant or assailants were armed with a combat knife similar to the one used by Sylvester Stallone's "Rambo" character in the '80's film, "First Blood."

Keyla McNeely says she's proud of her work in the Jeffrey Dahmer series even though some folks are upset over it ... because she thinks there are important lessons to learn.

We got Keyla, who plays Dorothy Straughter in the Dahmer docuseries, at LAX, and she pointed out what she believes are some useful takeaways.

Keyla says she knows lots of folks who didn't know a thing about Dahmer, his crimes or his victims before the docuseries exploded on Netflix ... and says the show shines a light on racial and homophobic bias from cops, which she believes is still present.

As folks who had the stomach to watch "Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story" know, there's a narrative about police ignoring obvious clues when it involved gay and/or Black people.

As we reported ... some of the families of Jeffrey's victims think Netflix painted a sympathetic image of the serial killer, and some of the survivors are calling BS on Dahmer's father Lionel telling Dr. Phil he missed the warning signs with his son.

The Walmart manager who fatally shot six people inside the Virginia department store kept a manifesto on his phone -- complaining about his job and other coworkers.

Andre Bing reportedly wrote in his manifesto that he was upset about a recent, unspecified change in his employment status. He also claimed he was being harassed about the change by his fellow employees ... according to NBC News affiliate WAVY.

The report, which cites a law enforcement source, stated cops found the manifesto in Bing's phone after he killed himself following Tuesday's massacre. First responders also discovered an apparent "hit list" near Bing's body with the names of employees the killer presumably wanted to eradicate.

One of Bing's colleagues told WAVY she believes he planned the shooting, claiming he had issues with other workers.

Other colleagues told CNN Bing allegedly said he would retaliate and be remembered if he ever got fired. They described Bing as "condescending" and "quite mean" to other employees. They also said Bing was paranoid the government was watching him.

As we reported ... Bing was armed with a pistol when he entered the employee break room of the Walmart in Chesapeake, VA. He opened fire at the other workers before turning the gun on himself.

The person who committed mass murder at an LGBTQ+ bar in Colorado Springs has not told authorities what motivated them, but if it's what lots of people suspect -- homophobia -- then the apple might not fall far from the tree.

Aaron Brink's first reaction when he learned his son had slaughtered 5 patrons at Club Q ... "I was scared. I was like, 'Oh my god, s***, is he gay? And he's not gay,'" Brink told a reporter sighing with relief.

He wasn't done ... Brink said, "I'm a Mormon. I'm a conservative Republican and I don't do gay. I don't do gay. We don't do gay."

Anderson Lee Aldrich says they're nonbinary, but not everyone believes them. Several friends have come out and said they never even hinted they were prior to the murders. Some believe they're saying this to avoid being hit with hate crimes in addition to murder and other charges.

Brink, who is a porn star who goes by the name Dick Delaware, did express remorse for what his son did ... "There's no excuse for going and killing people. If you're killing people, there's something wrong. It's not the answer." he went on to say, "I'm so sorry for your loss."

It's unclear when the 2 became estranged, but Brink says Aldrich got a name change after he became involved in porn. He also said he was falsely informed by his ex-wife Aldrich committed suicide in 2016.