Crime

Casper O'Brien -- the obese 7-year-old who died weighing 255 pounds -- was fed a diet of French fries and chips ... this according to prosecutors who charged his parents with murder.

John Potbury, the Genesee County Chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, tells TMZ ... Casper's parents, Damien and Jessica O'Brien, fed him the same thing every day ... a large bag of potato chips, a large order of French fries, apple juice, and Sparkling Ice carbonated water.

According to Potbury, there's no indication Casper was allowed to exercise to shed weight ... and he says the child had bed sores from staying stationary in bed for great lengths of time.

We're told Casper weighed 104 pounds in February 2024 ... but, less than two years later, he'd gained more than 150 pounds.

A Utah judge is apparently pissed that prosecutors in Tyler Robinson's murder trial blabbed to the press in violation of a gag order ... but the death penalty is still on the table.

Utah Judge Tony Graf found prosecutor Christopher Ballard in civil contempt for talking to the media about evidence in the case ... namely, conflicting information about whether the bullet matched the rifle Robinson allegedly used to shoot and kill Charlie Kirk.

As you know, Robinson's lawyers previously filed docs claiming the ballistics didn't add up … which sparked online theories about whether Robinson's gun fired the fatal shot ... and prompted prosecutors to try to clarify the forensics to the media.

A jury couldn't reach a decision in the federal arson trial against Jonathan Rinderknecht -- the man accused of starting the Palisades fire in L.A. last year -- and the judge declared a mistrial.

It was 10-2 vote in favor of a not guilty verdict, but the 2 outliers weren't budging.

The jury started deliberations on Wednesday after about a 2-week trial, and initially indicated they'd unanimously reached verdicts in Rinderknecht's 3 arson charges before changing course.

A former Arby's employee is in hot water with the law ... after allegedly spitting on a customer's food and giving her herpes ... this according to cops and a new lawsuit.

A rep for the sheriff's office in McCurtain County, Oklahoma tells TMZ ... Amanda Hendricks was arrested last Sunday and booked in jail for felony food poisoning.

As of this morning, we're told Hendricks remains behind bars with her bond set at $25K. The alleged crimes are sickening, and she's now been sued over them by a woman named Jennica Church.

According to the lawsuit ... Church rolled up to the drive-thru at an Arby's restaurant in Broken Bow, OK in late March and placed an order for sandwiches.

She said Hendricks was working that night and was responsible for preparing her food. Church claims "Hendricks intentionally and deliberately spit on the meat or sandwich components."

Church also said Hendricks spit on the food, knowing she had "oral herpes” and was experiencing an active herpes outbreak with visible lesions.

After eating the food, Church claims she started getting flare-ups around her mouth, so she went to a doctor, who gave her an STD test and confirmed she had herpes.

Church says she now lives in constant fear that she'll transmit the disease to other family members and friends. She's suing the restaurant and Hendricks for battery, emotional distress, and more ... and wants unspecified damages, including punitives.

According to the suit, Church believes there is surveillance video from the restaurant showing Hendricks spitting in the sandwiches while preparing Church's order.

Church later told a news outlet during an interview that the two women knew each other and had a history ... but said it was nothing major.

Taylor Parker -- the Texas woman convicted in the shocking "Maternal Instincts" murder case -- is heard claiming to cops she just gave birth to her child, moments before officers realize the darker story.

Parker's chilling encounter with law enforcement is back in the spotlight ... and in the complete, uncut 911 audio obtained by TMZ from Bowie County court, the convicted killer is heard insisting she's going into labor on the side of the road.

Parker told officers and the dispatcher she had delivered a baby in her car, and was desperately trying to get medical help. At the time, cops had no idea they were stepping into one of the most disturbing murder cases in recent memory.

A new book released this week details the scene at the White House when Charlie Kirk was assassinated, and it looks like President Trump first got word about the tragedy from his son, Barron Trump.

In "Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump," New York Times journalists Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan reveal Barron had called the President in a state of distress and broke the news to his father that Kirk had been shot.

They attribute Barron's frantic state to the 19-year-old's fear his father would be next, and he even told the president, "This is what happens when you go out there" ... according to the book.

4:05 PM PT -- Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ there have been no plea bargain negotiations between prosecutors and the defense team.

Luigi Mangione may be mulling over a guilty plea, because a new report states his lawyers have discussed a deal with prosecutors ... but Luigi's team calls the report an intentional attempt to prejudice their client.

According to ABC News ... the alleged murderer's legal team and federal prosecutors have discussed a possible plea ahead of a court hearing scheduled for Monday.

Sources told the outlet it's unclear how close the two sides got to getting a deal done, but they discussed it.

Taylor Parker -- the Texas woman convicted in the shocking "Maternal Instinct" murder case -- appeared to express remorse in a handwritten letter sent to her former boyfriend's father from prison ... TMZ has learned.

In the emotional note, obtained by TMZ from the Bowie County court, Parker directly addresses the father, Jimmy Griffin, of her boyfriend at the time, Wade Griffin, and asked for forgiveness while acknowledging she may not deserve it ... adding "I've asked God for forgiveness and I believe He has showed me it."

Read the letter ... as it offers a glimpse into Parker's state of mind following her arrest in 2020 and prior to her murder conviction in 2022 ... with much of the message focused on faith, family, and her relationship with Jimmy and Wade.

TikTok is cleansing itself of a disturbing social media trend that appears to mock the fatal stabbing of Austin Metcalf, TMZ has learned.

As TMZ previously reported, videos nicknamed "Austin Bloopers" spread across the internet that showed creators seemingly acting out stabbing motions to mimic the horrific April 2025 attack, with other clips taking aim at Austin's family circulating as well.

TMZ has learned TikTok is fast at work scrubbing the app of such distasteful videos. A spokesperson tells us ... "Our Community Guidelines make clear we don’t allow content that harasses or bullies others, including mocking someone's death. Any violative content is being removed."

The amount that Nicki Minaj’s mom is set to receive as a settlement of the wrongful death lawsuit over her late husband’s death was revealed in court.

TMZ obtained court docs in which the rapper’s mom, Carol Maraj, broke down the settlement between her and the man who fatally struck Nicki’s dad, Robert Maraj, in 2021.

Carol says she agreed to $400K ... $300K from Charles Polevich -- the driver who struck Robert -- and another $100K from an insurance company. In her paperwork, Carol said she agreed to pay her legal team around $133K in fees and another $9800 in reimbursements ... leaving his estate with the remaining $234K.

A dead toddler's father says he wishes he were the one who'd died, after being sentenced in the negligent death of his daughter last year.

New York man Matthew Dylewski was sentenced Monday after pleading guilty to the criminally negligent homicide of his young child, Joycelynn, ... who'd been struggling to breathe, covered in lice and living in horrific conditions.

Authorities found she had black, rotted teeth and Clonidine -- a blood pressure medication -- in her system, multiple outlets report ... and the sheriff's office ruled Joycelynn's death a homicide due to "acute and chronic neglect."

Prosecutors have decided not to retry Harvey Weinstein for allegedly raping Jessica Mann ... this after a jury was deadlocked for the second time.

The third-degree rape charge was dropped Thursday because prosecutors say Jessica doesn't want to testify in a fourth trial ... multiple outlets report.

As you know, she accused the producer of raping her in a hotel room in 2013 when she was an aspiring actress.

The prosecution made it clear that they believe Weinstein's accuser and the dismissal is not a question of her credibility ... but they also respect her decision not to want to continue going to court.

Kansas City police think they've found the body of the gunman suspected of killing one person in a series of highway shootings earlier this month.

Jake Becchina, the Kansas City Police Department's Public Information Officer, announced to media Wednesday they are under the assumption they located 22-year-old Oscar Sanchez-Munoz's body inside the burned basement of a family member’s home. The body was found wearing clothes identical to those believed to be worn by Sanchez-Munoz.

Becchina said police originally searched the home after an hours-long stand-off, but it had caught on fire and flooded ... making it difficult to thoroughly search. He explained the family contacted authorities after they searched through the rubble and smelled something decomposing, leading them to the remains.

The suspect in the Planet Fitness Peeping Tom case is still walking the streets ... and it's all because of a technicality in California state law.

Jeremy Burns -- a spokesperson for the Arroyo Grande PD -- tells TMZ ... police haven't been able to arrest Kyle L. Combs yet because his alleged crimes are considered misdemeanors in California.

According to Burns, officers can only make a misdemeanor arrest when they witness the offense firsthand ... the alleged evidence in the case isn't enough.

Bailey Zimmerman is off the hook in his criminal case after prosecutors dropped charges against him for allegedly trashing his New Mexico hotel room.

The country singer's attorney tells TMZ ... Bailey immediately took responsibility for his mistake and, as a result, the Bernalillo County District Attorney quickly resolved the case.

The DA's Office told TMZ that the charges were dropped because Zimmerman paid full restitution to the hotel.   

The suspect in Nancy Guthrie's abduction case is not on the brink of being taken into custody ... despite a former FBI agent's claim to the contrary.

Here's the deal ... former FBI Special Agent Maureen O'Connell appeared on "The Megyn Kelly Show" and said she believes the FBI is close to finding the masked suspect who was captured in footage taken on her doorstep.

O'Connell wouldn't elaborate on why she felt they were getting close ... and we've talked to sources who tell us she's overblowing the situation quite a bit.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... to say the agency is honing in on an individual is not necessarily true.