Crime

It sounds like a big break is imminent in the Nancy Guthrie kidnapping case ... a former FBI agent says the feds are closing in on capturing the masked suspect caught on video outside Nancy's front door.

Former FBI Special Agent Maureen O'Connell was on "The Megyn Kelly Show" and she said she is 75% confident the masked suspect will be tracked down.

Check out the clip ... Maureen says the floodgates will really open once law enforcement finds the perp.

Bonnie Rotten's legal troubles with Jesse James aren't staying in the garage ... prosecutors have officially moved forward with criminal charges in her domestic violence case.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Bonnie -- whose real name is Alaina Antoinnette James -- has been formally charged in Texas with assault causing bodily injury-family violence ... a misdemeanor offense that carries a maximum punishment of up to one year in jail, if she's convicted.

The charge stems from a March incident involving her husband ... the famed motorcycle builder and reality TV star. Prosecutors allege Bonnie caused bodily injury to Jesse by punching him, scratching his face and eye area, and/or biting his thumb, hand or finger.

Mackenzie Shirilla isn't getting her day in court ... because her latest appeal was denied, TMZ has learned.

According to new court docs obtained by TMZ, Mackenzie's appeal was not accepted for review.

The papers say the judge dissented and the court declined to accept jurisdiction over the case. Basically ... they declined to hear the case and it was dismissed.

An FBI source contacted TMZ Tuesday morning about the Nancy Guthrie ransom demands, as well as the person claiming to know where her body is buried.

The source contacted us after nearly a month of getting ghosted by the agency. As we have reported, the FBI was in frequent touch with TMZ regarding the first ransom note as well as the emails we received from someone claiming to know the identities of the kidnappers and the location of Nancy's body.

We now have clarity over the sequence of events in the first critical week. Our source -- who is directly involved in the kidnapping investigation -- tells us the reason Savannah Guthrie obliquely pleaded with the kidnappers a week after the kidnapping to return her mother's body -- offering to pay money -- is that the kidnappers appeared to have freaked out that Nancy died shortly after she was kidnapped and seemed to retreat from demanding money. Our source says Savanah offered money to incentivize the kidnappers to lead the family to Nancy.

Savannah Guthrie got emotional on "TODAY" as she once again begged for someone with information about the whereabouts of her mother, Nancy, to come forward.

Check out the heartbreaking clip from Tuesday morning -- Savannah says she and her family are living in "agony" and "cannot be at peace" until she is found ... as tears roll down her cheeks.

She once again pleads for anyone with information to come forward, stating ... "No matter how small -- the reward is there -- you can tell us ... please do the right thing, for us, for our family, for our children."

Austin Metcalf's dad says some TV personalities are making a killing off his son's murder ... and he's not staying quiet about what he feels is an injustice.

Jeff Metcalf is taking aim at commentators who've continued debating the Karmelo Anthony case since his murder conviction ... claiming some media figures are more interested in chasing clicks and attention than getting their facts straight.

The grieving father unloaded during an appearance with Fox News host Will Cain, where he was asked about high-profile voices -- including "The View" cohost Sunny Hostin -- who've questioned aspects of Anthony's conviction and the rejection of his self-defense claim.

Mystikal is still being sued by the woman he pled guilty to raping ... which led to his recent 20-year prison sentence ... and she says he spit on her and forced her to pray before forcing himself on her.

According to the suit, obtained by TMZ, the woman says in July 2022 she visited Mystikal’s home in Prairieville, Louisiana and the visit started off amicably … that is, until she claims the rapper's attitude changed drastically when he came out of the bathroom.

The woman says he accused her of stealing money … which she denied. She claims Mystikal struck her in the face with a closed fist and choked her until she almost lost consciousness. She said she suffered bruises, scrapes, a laceration, missing hair, and a broken fingernail.

The fight for Karmelo Anthony's freedom is heading into the next round ... and a new group of heavyweight attorneys are now leading his effort to overturn his murder conviction.

A team including Texas NAACP President Gary Bledsoe, veteran appellate lawyer Russell Wilson II, and civil rights attorney Brooke Cluse announced Monday it has taken over Anthony's case and will conduct an independent review of the trial record while pursuing all available avenues of appeal.

As TMZ previously reported, Anthony was convicted of murdering Austin Metcalf and sentenced earlier this month to 35 years in prison. He had signaled he wasn't done fighting the case almost immediately ... filing a notice of appeal less than 24 hours after his conviction.

D4vd's brother is making his way back onto social media after months out of the spotlight ... and right as the singer's murder trial approaches.

D4vd's brother -- Caleb Burke -- uploaded a new vlog this week, marking one of his first public posts since May ... when he faced backlash for trying to spark his own music career.

The video's title indicates the footage was actually recorded back in March 2026, giving followers a glimpse into what he's been up to as his older brother remains behind bars on charges he murdered Celeste Rivas Hernandez.

The vlog itself is relatively low-key, showing Caleb spending time with friends and hanging out in a series of casual clips. The soundtrack of the video is his song "Imaginary Love," which plays throughout several scenes.

The Nancy Guthrie ransom note TMZ received was the real deal, according to the FBI, but contrary to new reports, it did not contain an apology or a revelation she was dead.

There is something else ... TMZ received close to a dozen emails from a man claiming he knew both the identity of the kidnappers and the location of Nancy. The initial email he sent -- just days after the kidnapping -- said he would provide information in return for a single bitcoin, but "time is of the essence." He made it clear -- he was not a kidnapper.

The next day, he sent another email saying "time is no longer of the essence." Translation -- Nancy was no longer alive. The man continued to send emails, saying the kidnappers took Nancy to Mexico. He said he needed the money because he would have to go underground for fear of retribution. He was also concerned authorities might try to implicate him in the kidnapping.

An Atlanta man's attempt to get lucky turned out to be rather unlucky ... he claims two women he brought back to his place drugged him and made off with his expensive watches ... and now cops are investigating.

According to multiple reports, the alleged victim says he was at the St. Regis Hotel in Buckhead when he met the women and invited them back to his pad. He told police when they got back to his home, the women drugged him.

The man told cops when he woke up, the women were gone ... along with some of his luxury watches, which he says are worth over $25K.

3:00 PM PT -- Mystikal is still being sued by the woman he pled guilty to raping ... which led to his recent 20-year prison sentence ... and she says he spit on her and forced her to pray before forcing himself on her.

Mystikal's rape conviction has rocked his relationship with his son ... and it doesn't seem like they'll be able to work things out anytime soon.

Mystikal's attorney Roy Maughan tells TMZ ... Million Tyler's relationship with his dad has become strained since his father was sentenced to 20 years in prison for raping a woman.

Maughan tells us ... "Mystikal has reached out to Million to patch things up, but I don't think that's happening yet."

3:00 PM PT -- Mystikal is still being sued by the woman he pled guilty to raping ... which led to his recent 20-year prison sentence ... and she says he spit on her and forced her to pray before forcing himself on her.

Mystikal's son says he's hoping for the best for his father ... even if he's not quite ready to visit him in prison.

TMZ's Charlie Neff spoke with Million Tyler just a few days after his father was sentenced to 20 years behind bars after pleading guilty to raping a woman ... and he said it's been an emotional time for him and his family.

Million says he obviously feels for the unnamed victim in this case ... as well as his father -- adding he feels there are no winners when things like this happen.

Austin Metcalf's friend described Karmelo Anthony to a 911 dispatcher right after the stabbing last year ... while seeming confident the situation was over because some coaches grabbed him.

New 911 audio has been released which came from a friend of Austin's ... who tells the dispatcher his friend has been stabbed in the chest.

She asks if he can see the assailant ... and he says he can -- describing the person who stabbed Austin as Black, wearing an Essentials sweatshirt and a pair of blue sweatpants.

Austin Metcalf was helped by immediate responders right after he was stabbed by Karmelo Anthony ... who can be heard begging him to stay alive and performing CPR until paramedics arrive in shocking 911 audio.

The audio captures the crowd's initial reaction to Metcalf fighting for his life at an April 2025 high school track meet in Frisco, Texas ... with a man calling 911 and informing a dispatcher of the incident.

At first this man tells the dispatcher Austin doesn't appear to be breathing ... though he later changes course and says the teen was able to gather some air -- but that he wasn't conscious.

Karmelo Anthony can be heard wailing to police as he's detained for stabbing Austin Metcalf at their 2025 high school track meet in Frisco, Texas ... and it's all on video in newly released bodycam footage.

Check out the emotional clip -- Karmelo is crying out to police that Austin touched him after he warned him not to ... seemingly trying to justify the stabbing. As you know, Karmelo used a self-defense claim during his murder trial, alleging that he had to protect himself because Austin made physical contact with him first.

The bodycam video goes on to show that Karmelo calmed down and was being compliant with Frisco police officers as they searched his person during his initial detainment. He also confirmed he's not an "alleged suspect" ... straight out admitting, "I did it."