Crime

President Trump says the feds are getting closer to cracking the kidnapping case of Savannah Guthrie's mom Nancy ... and the FBI may even have a suspect!

Trump shared the bombshell news with reporters on Air Force One Friday night, saying investigators have made real progress in the investigation. And 47 says he's not talking about search results ... he's talking about "solutions" in the case.

And get this ... When a journalist asked if someone had been identified as a suspect, Trump responded, "Yeah. Could be definitive."

The stepbrother of Anna Kepner -- who was found asphyxiated during a family cruise vacation -- was arrested this week and appeared in a Florida courthouse Friday to face a judge, TMZ has confirmed.

According to a law enforcement source ... the 16-year-old stepbrother was led by U.S. Marshals into a Miami federal courtroom for an appearance ... but since he's a juvenile, the case was sealed. It's unclear if he has been charged in a federal complaint or indictment.

After his court appearance, the stepbrother was released to the custody of a guardian, according to ABC News.

On November 7, Kepner's body was reportedly discovered inside the cabin she shared with her stepbrother on the Carnival Horizon. She was allegedly asphyxiated after someone put her in a chokehold.

More legal trouble for Stefon Diggs ... he's getting slapped with a lawsuit a couple days before his New England Patriots play in Super Bowl LX.

The Patriots star wide receiver is being sued for defamation and more ... according to a new lawsuit obtained by TMZ.

In the docs, a man who claims he used to work for Stefon says in July 2024, Stefon requested he arrange for Stefon's Ferrari to be transported from Miami to New York and then to Houston ... but he says the Ferrari was stolen in Houston.

The guy claims law enforcement concluded the Ferrari was stolen by third parties in a sophisticated theft ... but he says Stefon started telling people in their circles that the guy stole the car.

The California man facing federal charges for allegedly texting Nancy Guthrie's family about the bitcoin ransom payment has been granted bond by a judge -- and may be outta federal custody in no time.

Derrick Callella, a 42-year-old man from Hawthorne, made his first court appearance Friday afternoon in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen E. Scott ordered Callella to be released on $20,000 bond ... and he's been ordered to not to contact the alleged victims or witnesses.

Federal prosecutors claim Callella texted Nancy's daughter Annie and her son-in-law Tommaso Cioni, "Did you get the bitcoin were [sic] waiting on our end for the transaction."

4:20 PM PT -- Mary Coleman, anchor for Arizona-based KOLD 13 News, told CNN Friday ... it seems the new note was written by the person who sent the initial, which TMZ received. She said the new note is shorter than the alleged ransom note -- and there was no mention of a deadline.

As you know, the initial note had two deadlines, one which passed yesterday -- and the second is Monday. The new note appears to be a response to the videos made by the Guthries saying they needed proof of life ... and wanted to communicate directly with their mother's captor(s).

A new communication regarding Nancy Guthrie's abduction was sent to a media outlet in the Tucson area ... though the outlet hasn't said yet what it entails.

KOLD-TV reported they received a new message "regarding the Nancy Guthrie disappearance."

The outlet does not say if it is another ransom letter or what kind of communication it is ... but, they immediately alerted the Pima County Sheriff's Department.

Former Los Angeles Dodger Yasiel Puig was found guilty of obstructing justice and lying to federal officials in a Los Angeles courtroom on Friday ... in connection to an investigation into an illegal gambling operation.

The 35-year-old now faces up to 10 years in federal prison on the obstruction of justice charge and up to five years in prison for the false statement charges.

He remains free on his own personal recognizance.

Savannah Guthrie was heavy on her colleagues’ minds this week ... with the NBC team covering the 2026 Winter Olympics taking time on-air to honor her as her family faces a nightmare back home.

As expected, "Today" show host Savannah pulled out of the Milan-Cortina coverage, with Terry Gannon and Mary Carillo stepping in Monday and making it clear their "important, beloved" teammate was deeply missed at the Opening Ceremony.

Carillo got emotional while speaking about Savannah’s love for covering Olympic opening ceremonies, adding, "Right now, of course, Savannah and her family are in unspeakable, unfathomable pain. We know in the U.S. that her extended family is legion. Savannah, my friend, it’s the same way here."

The alleged ransom letter in the Nancy Guthrie kidnapping has a few details offering possible clues about how far away she may have been taken from the Arizona home where she was abducted ... which could indicate the search radius law enforcement is focusing on.

If the letter is legit -- the FBI and Savannah Guthrie have already talked about it publicly -- it offers some clues into where Nancy may be.

There's a demand of millions in bitcoin for Nancy's safe return ... and there's a timeframe for how long it would take Nancy to be returned to Tucson after getting the money.

It seems Nancy would be driven back to Tucson -- getting on a plane would require Real ID, and the jig would be up -- and if you look at a timeframe, you can draw a radius around Tucson and get a feel for where she may be held captive ... a transporting driver wouldn't be speeding, and that helps create the search radius, too.

Former NFL star Eddie Lacy pleaded guilty to misdemeanor extreme DUI after he was busted by cops last year with a BAC more than four times the legal limit ... and TMZ Sports has learned the details of his sentencing.

Lacy entered his plea over a year after he was initially booked on seven charges. He entered a guilty plea to the extreme DUI charge with a BAC greater than or equal to .20, which is a misdemeanor. The city attorney, in turn, agreed to dismiss the six other charges in the case.

He was sentenced to 180 days of confinement, a screening at the Youth and Family Services Behavioral Health and 30 hours of community restitution at an approved agency in his home state.

"Home Alone" star Daniel Stern is off the hook after getting hooked by police for allegedly trying to hire a hooker ... 'cause the criminal case against him has been legally terminated.

According to court officials, Daniel's attorneys appeared in court Friday for the first time since prosecutors in California charged the actor with soliciting prostitution ... he wasn't there himself, but his case was heard and dismissed.

A rep for the Ventura County District Attorney tells TMZ ... "The defendant did what he was supposed to do. He completed his education class and earned a dismissal. This is our standard disposition for first-time prostitution offenses."

Actor Timothy Busfield has formally been indicted on child sex abuse charges in New Mexico.

Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman announced the charges against Busfield, which include four counts of Criminal Sexual Contact of a Child.

The development comes weeks after the 68-year-old filmmaker was arrested on charges of child abuse and criminal sexual contact of a minor. We told you all about it ... Busfield was accused of touching young brothers -- ages 7 and 8 -- on the set of "The Cleaning Lady" several times between November 2022 and spring 2024.

10:17 AM PT -- A spokesperson for the U.S. Marshals Service tells TMZ ... the incident was "unfortunate," but there was no malice involved, and the marshal reacted appropriately.

We're told ... the dog in question was being aggressive with a working K-9, and the owner of the dog was told repeatedly to control their dog. The agent finally reacted to keep the dog away from the K-9 ... the spokesperson adding, "An uncontrolled, aggressive animal can hinder official duties and threaten safety."

A U.S. Marshal has sparked outrage after he apparently kicked a small dog hard -- twice --while his counterparts made an arrest ... allegedly breaking one of the pup's ribs with the punts.

WREG-TV -- a local outlet in Memphis, Tennessee -- shared the sickening clip ... the vid shows the marshal, clad in tactical gear and blue jeans, turning toward the yapping dog rushing at officers.

Watch the video ... the little dog appears to be nipping at a leashed law enforcement K-9 at the scene ... the marshal boots the dog back toward the parking lot ... the same marshal delivers another swift kick in the courtyard as other officers wrestle with an individual in the foreground ... and the pooch yelps and rushes away before the clip ends.

Luigi Mangione piped up for the first time in court ... claiming his case is clearly one of "double jeopardy" since he's being charged at both the state and federal level -- though it appears he's mistaken.

The alleged murderer appeared in court Friday while his legal team and federal prosecutors argued over a whole host of issues ... including whether state or federal prosecutors should get the first crack at him.

After the judge adjourned the court, officers led Luigi away ... and, he said, "One plus one is two, common sense tells you this is double jeopardy."

Authorities are taking the lid off the alleged Nancy Guthrie ransom demand we received earlier this week ... confirming they're looking into a note that carries two deadlines.

Several law enforcement officials spoke at a press conference Thursday morning ... and, while they'd previously been cagey with the public about what the note says, they're now divulging certain details -- including the first deadline, which lapses at 5 PM local time today.

The second deadline, as confirmed by authorities, is set for Monday, February 9.

They wouldn't say what exactly changes after the deadlines hit ... but -- as Harvey and Charles said on "TMZ Live" -- we know if the first is missed, that changes the demand ... while missing the second has a more serious consequence.

Authorities in Tucson have revealed the timeline of the disappearance of Savannah Guthrie's mother, Nancy ... as a deadline looms in an alleged ransom plot.

According to authorities -- including Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos -- Nancy left her own house at approximately 5:30 PM Saturday. After several hours of playing games and having dinner with loved ones, Nancy returned to her home.

Nancy got home around 9:48 PM, at which time the garage door opened. The garage door closed at 9:50 PM. The doorbell camera disconnected at approximately 1:47 AM. At 2:12 AM, the software for the camera detected a person ... and Nancy's pacemaker disconnected at 2:28 AM. No cameras around the property were smashed or destroyed.

Savannah Guthrie's video response to an alleged ransom note for her abducted mother Nancy is fascinating on a number of levels ... including timing.

TMZ received an alleged ransom note Tuesday, demanding millions of dollars in bitcoin in exchange for Nancy's safe return ... and Savannah uploaded a video Wednesday where she told the alleged captors she was ready to talk and needed proof of life on Nancy.

Thing is ... the ransom note we forwarded to law enforcement made it clear there wouldn't be any "talk" and it gave some tight deadlines with an element of "or else."

There are also references to 2 items in and around Nancy's house ... we're told by sources connected to the investigation the descriptions are accurate.