Crime

Elizabeth Smart has gone from kidnap victim to child safety advocate — and now to professional bodybuilder with the mother of 3 looking absolutely stunning!

Smart posted an Instagram message Tuesday with a photo of herself wearing a bikini while showing off her perfectly sculpted body during a bodybuilding competition last weekend.

In her message, Smart said it would shock many of us to learn that she has now competed in a total of 4 bodybuilding competitions. She said she was frightened at first to post her muscle pics, thinking she would not be taken seriously or perceived as someone unworthy to continue helping survivors like herself. 

Joe Exotic is back in lockdown and this time it's over social media posts ... TMZ has learned.

The "Tiger King" star's attorney, Peter Ticktin, tells TMZ ... Joe has been placed in the Special Housing Unit at his federal prison in Texas since last week. According to Ticktin, Joe was disciplined after social media posts were shared online on his behalf ... though it's unclear if one specific message triggered the move or if it was a buildup.

As Ticktin puts it ... "The prison decided not to like his posts."

Joe is currently being held in isolation, and while his legal team hopes he'll be released within 15 days, there are no guarantees, and inmates aren't always told when they're getting out. Ticktin says he hasn't been able to speak with Joe since he was moved to SHU.

Celeste Rivas' family was devastated and exhausted after D4vd's first court appearance in his murder case ... which is why they scrapped plans to address the media for the first time since he was charged with killing her.

The family was supposed to hold court Monday outside the Hall of Justice in Downtown Los Angeles and give a statement through their lawyer ... but it never happened ... and now we know why.

Patrick Steinfeld, who is representing the family, tells TMZ ... "The Rivas Hernandez family are very private individuals who were overwhelmed by the day’s events. They were concerned for their safety when they heard about the bomb threat. They were intimidated by the onslaught of reporters and the aggressiveness of some camera people."

D4vd was heavily focused on promoting his new album around the time prosecutors say 14-year-old Celeste Rivas was last seen at his home.

TMZ has combed through D4vd's social media pages around the date of April 23, 2025 ... the same day prosecutors alleged D4vd invited Celeste to his rental home in the Hollywood Hills.

D4vd's TikTok page features a few posts on April 23 and in the following days ... and they're all focused solely on the release of his debut studio album, "Withered."

There have been several deaths and disappearances of scientists and government workers in the past few years ... and now the FBI is looking into whether or not these cases are linked, NBC News reports.

The House Oversight Committee announced Monday they're wondering if there's a possible connection between at least 10 people who have died or gone missing since 2023.

The Committee says two of them are linked to Los Alamos National Laboratory, and two of them are affiliated with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

And multiple disappearances involve the person in question leaving their phones behind.

These high-profile cases have even reached President Donald Trump, who told reporters Thursday it's "pretty serious stuff … hopefully a coincidence, or whatever you want to call it."

The president said we'll know in the next week and a half whether or not it's random.

But for now, we're breaking down each mysterious case.

Air Force Major General William "Neil" McCasland was reported missing by his wife, Susan McCasland Wilkerson, after he vanished from his home in Albuquerque, NM on February 27, 2026.

Neil spent his final two years in the USAF as a commander at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, which many people believe contains evidence of aliens from a mysterious 1947 crash in Roswell, NM.

In the 911 call reporting his disappearance, Susan told the dispatcher she had "some indication that he planned not to be found."

Police say he left his phone and glasses at home, and the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office reported a .38-caliber revolver was missing ... along with his hiking boots and wallet.

Steven Garcia was reported missing on August 28, 2025, last seen in Albuquerque, NM, wearing a green camo shirt and glasses.

According to a flier posted to the ALERT NEW MEXICO Facebook Group, he left his home with a handgun and "may be a danger to himself."

The Hill reports Steven was a property custodian with top security clearance at Kansas City National Security Campus, which manufactures "80 percent of non-nuclear components that go into the nuclear stockpile," according to the KCNSC website.

Monica Jacinto Reza went missing on June 22, 2025 while hiking in the Mount Waterman area of the San Gabriel Mountains in California, according to the Crescenta Valley Sheriff's Station.

According to SpaceNews, Monica is a scientist who, in the '90s, helped invent a "nickel-based superalloy" called Mondaloy to be used in rocket engines. The article notes she was working at Aerojet Rocketdyne at the time.

The press release from the House Oversight Committee on Monday said she worked as the director of NASA Lab's Materials Processing Group, and had previously worked at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

The New York Post reports the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department searched for months, but never found her.

Melissa Casias went missing on June 26, 2025. Her husband, Mark, told Dateline she dropped him off at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, where they both worked.

Their daughter, Sierra, told "Dateline" she heard her mom return home a little after 7:30 AM. When Sierra asked what she was doing back, Melissa said she had forgotten her badge, but ultimately told her daughter she was going to "either work from home or call out for the day."

Sierra then went to work at a cafe -- noting her mom brought her a sandwich a little before 1 PM ... and police confirmed they spoke then. She said her mom's behavior "wasn't out of the ordinary" ... but that was the last time she saw her.

Meanwhile, Mark told "Dateline" he got a concerned call from Melissa's boss ... who said she wasn't at work. When he was reportedly unable to reach his wife, Mark asked Sierra to contact her ... since they'd spoken recently.

Sierra says she texted her mom and the message was delivered, telling "Dateline" ... "I assumed that she was just gonna call him."

New Mexico State Police PIO Sergeant Ricardo Breceda told "Dateline" Melissa was last seen around 2:18 PM, when an acquaintance saw her walking along the NM 518 state highway ... which was also captured on nearby surveillance cameras.

According to "Dateline" ... Mark started frantically calling Sierra around that time because he still hadn't heard from Melissa. Sierra told "Dateline" when she texted her mom again, the message didn't deliver.

When she got home later that afternoon, Sierra told "Dateline" Melissa had left her keys and work phone on the kitchen table.

According to her LinkedIn ... Melissa had been an administrative assistant at LANL since March 2023. The lab "addresses national security challenges by advancing breakthroughs in science and technology" ... according to its website.

Mark told "Dateline" he "can’t grasp" Melissa's disappearance, saying ... "I don’t know. I can’t figure it out."

Anthony Chavez also worked at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico -- multiple outlets report -- and vanished just a month before Casias did.

According to the Los Alamos County Police Department, Anthony was reported missing on May 8, 2025.

In a Facebook post ... the LACPD said he is "not believed to be endangered," but his friends and family say his disappearance is "out of character."

It's unclear what Anthony's job at LANL entailed.

Frank Maiwald -- a scientist with experience in space research -- died on July 4, 2024 at the age of 61, according to his obituary.

The memorial says Frank spent years at JPL managing the development and delivery of several NASA instruments -- the SBG-VSWIR instrument and instruments for the AMR-C program.

According to the obit ... Frank worked on a bunch of other projects and has won multiple JPL and NASA awards.

There's no mention of his cause of death.

MIT professor Nuno Loureiro was shot in his home in Brookline, MA on December 17, 2025, and died at the hospital the following morning ... according to CBS News.

In an obituary, MIT confirmed Nuno was a professor of nuclear science and engineering, as well as a professor of physics.

MIT says Nuno was a "lauded theoretical physicist and fusion scientist," and his research "addressed complex problems lurking at the center of fusion vacuum chambers and at the edges of the universe."

According to CBS News, the suspect in Nuno's murder was identified as Claudio Manuel Neves Valente ... who had opened fire at Brown University just days before.

CBS News reports Valente was found dead in New Hampshire later that week ... and had died after shooting himself in the head, according to his autopsy.

No word on what his motive was.

Scientist Carl Grillmair was shot and killed on February 16, 2026 on his porch in Llano, CA in Antelope Valley ... according to Pasadena Now.

In an obituary, CalTech confirmed Carl was an astronomer for their Infrared Processing & Analysis Center. According to its website ... IPAC works closely with NASA and JPL to "advance exploration of our Universe."

Pasadena Now reports 29-year-old Freddy Snyder was charged with the murder and is set to be arraigned April 29.

No motive has been published.

The body of Jason Thomas -- who worked for the Novartis biomedical research institute -- was found in a Massachusetts lake on March 17, 2026 ... three months after he had been reported missing.

According to a news release from the Middlesex County District Attorney's Office, Jason's wife reported him missing to Wakefield Police on December 13, 2025 ... because he didn't come home the night before.

Jason was a senior investigator with Novartis, according to his Linkedin profile.

The D.A.'s office says in the release that the medical examiner hasn't determined cause of death yet ... but authorities are ruling out foul play.

Scientist Michael David Hicks died on July 30, 2023 ... according to an obituary written by the American Astronomical Society.

The memorial says Michael was 59 years old and living in Sunland, in L.A., at the time. It says Michael worked as a research scientist with JPL, where he worked on projects about asteroids and deep space.

Anna Kepner’s accused killer isn’t showing up in court -- but he is showing his legal strategy ... pleading not guilty while staying out of sight.

The 16-year-old stepbrother -- identified in court docs only as T.H. -- waived his personal appearance at the arraignment Tuesday and entered a not guilty plea. He was originally expected to be in a Miami courtroom Wednesday morning.

The teen, who is now being prosecuted as an adult, is facing first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse charges tied to the death of his 18-year-old stepsister aboard a Carnival Cruise Line ship back in November 2025.

Mark Geragos is sticking to his guns ... telling us Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman is full of it when he says the D.A.'s office and the LAPD worked in lockstep to arrest and charge D4vd with Celeste Rivas' murder.

The famed defense attorney joined us on "TMZ Live" Tuesday and called BS on some of Hochman's claims from Monday's news conference, where Hochman refuted what Geragos told us -- that LAPD went rogue in arresting D4vd -- on the "2 Angry Men" podcast.

Geragos says Hochman is just trying to put on a united front when, in reality, cops were fed up with a lack of action from prosecutors and moved to arrest D4vd to force their hand.

Ivanna Lisette Ortiz -- the woman accused of shooting at Rihanna's L.A. home -- is now completely cut off from her kid … and the judge is leaving barely any wiggle room.

A Florida judge has ruled Ortiz will have zero contact with her child until further order of the court ... the only exception is if the child's father personally approves it. The court ordered the child's father to have 100% time-sharing … meaning full custody and control over the child's day-to-day life.

And this didn't start with Rihanna … Ortiz had already been previously placed on an involuntary psychiatric hold in Florida. She claimed it was based on false accusations, but the judge still flagged concerns.

"Unexpected" star Bella Vaughn's mom has been arrested in Arkansas ... and she got popped on a couple of charges.

Law enforcement tells TMZ ... Falen Vaughn was arrested on Monday for disorderly conduct and disrupting governmental operations. Both charges are misdemeanors.

We're still trying to get more about what led to her arrest ... but we do know Falen was booked in the Crawford County Jail yesterday and has since been released.

As fans know ... Falen is the mother of Bella on "Unexpected" and often appears on the reality show about teen pregnancy.

She is due in court June 8.

1:00 PM PST -- Frederick Alfred Jr. has been dropped by the Chainsaw Caucus just weeks after their endorsement. They tell TMZ ... "We take child safety and parental responsibility extremely seriously, and these allegations are inconsistent with the standards we expect from candidates we support. We have no further comment at this time."

A Republican running for a state senate seat in Colorado was arrested in Florida ... after cops say his daughter started drowning in a pool when he left his kids unattended while going to the bar for some booze.

Frederick Alfred Jr. was arrested Monday in Key West on two counts of felony child neglect without great harm.

According to the police report, obtained by TMZ, cops say his 4-year-old daughter began drowning in the pool, became unconscious, started foaming at the mouth, and eventually needed CPR from someone at the pool.

8:35 AM PT -- Burbank Police just announced a suspect was arrested Monday night … 30-year-old Sergio Fraire was taken into custody by a SWAT team serving a search warrant. Police say evidence related to the stabbings was recovered at the residence where he was detained. Fraire had been identified as a person of interest by investigators earlier Monday.

He was booked for murder and attempted murder. Police were working to determine a motive for the crime and the relationship between the suspect and the victims. The residence where Fraire was detained is about 2.5 miles from the scene of the crime.

Meera was listed in stable condition Tuesday morning.

A first-grade teacher in California has been killed and her daughter was critically injured in a stabbing early Monday morning ... and police are still looking for the suspect.

Burbank Police say officers got a call around 6 AM about a stabbing in a single-family home ... and found two women had been attacked at the scene.

Police later identified 59-year-old Arti Varma as the woman who was killed ... neighbors told news outlets her 25-year-old daughter Meera is the other victim.

BPD said they were taken to a nearby hospital, where one woman died from her injuries and the other remains hospitalized.

D4vd is getting cozy in a new jail cell -- he was transferred to the L.A. County Men's Central Jail just before 10 PM Monday, TMZ has learned.

The "Romantic Homicide" singer won't be able to make many friends in the clink -- a rep for the L.A. County Sheriff's Office tells us ... D4vd has been placed in segregation because he's a noteworthy inmate, which means he'll be alone with his thoughts most of the day.

The Men's Central Jail has an inmate bed capacity of 5,640 inmates and houses criminals of all security levels.

Blake Lively believes the “mean girl” label placed on her amid her battle with Justin Baldoni cost her upwards of $40 million in reputational damages ... TMZ has learned.

According to court docs obtained by TMZ, Blake breaks down the money she is seeking in the legal battle.

As TMZ first reported, Blake is seeking around $161 million from Baldoni’s company, including $56 million in past and future earnings, $49 million in losses to her haircare company, $22 million for her Betty Buzz beverage company, and more.

The Hollywood Hills home where D4vd had been living and where Celeste Rivas Hernandez spent time prior to her death is back up for rent ... marketed as a peaceful luxury escape despite its unsettling ties.

TMZ has learned the property, tucked along a quiet Hollywood Hills street, quietly hit the rental market about three weeks ago -- fully furnished with high end finishes, a private pool, and seamless indoor-outdoor living -- and it's going for $23,950 a month.

The 4-bedroom, 4.5-bath home spans about 4,300 square feet. Outside, terraces and lounge areas surround a secluded pool, creating a private, resort-like hillside setting.

This is the same property raided by the LAPD in September 2025 during the investigation, with officers swarming the home after a body was discovered in D4vd's Tesla.

D4vd has just pled not guilty to murder and other charges in connection with the death of Celeste Rivas ... and he is challenging the D.A. to put their cards on the table, or fold.

D4vd went before a judge just hours after being charged with first-degree murder with special circumstances, including lying in wait, committing the crime for financial gain, and murdering a witness to an investigation.

Prosecutors also charged D4vd with lewd and lascivious sexual acts with a person under 14 years old and the mutilation of a human body.

D4vd's lawyers asked the judge for a preliminary hearing within 10 days ... that's something to which a defendant is entitled. There's a clear strategic reason for the move -- given that D4vd was arrested just a few days ago, the defense seems to be banking on the case still being a work in progress.

The police investigating Madonna’s stolen clothes don’t believe the pop star was targeted ... TMZ has learned.

A rep for the Indio Police Department tells TMZ ... “On Saturday, April 18, 2026, at approximately 7:32 p.m., a missing property report was filed” by Madonna’s rep.

The police said the reported missing items included clothing and jewelry, “which were last seen on a golf cart at the Empire Polo Grounds on Saturday, April 18, 2026, shortly after 1:30 a.m., during weekend two of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.”