Current Events

An Arkansas dad accused of killing a man charged with sexually abusing his teenage daughter has scored a massive courtroom victory ... because he's off the hook in his murder case.

A judge on Thursday tossed the second-degree murder charge against Aaron Spencer, the Arkansas father who became a national headline after launching a campaign for county sheriff while awaiting trial.

The ruling stems from a lengthy fight over missing evidence. Spencer's attorneys argued investigators lost key materials during the case ... and the judge ultimately decided misconduct by law enforcement "was so egregious that dismissal of this case is warranted."

Karmelo Anthony fought Austin Metcalf for four minutes under a tent at a Texas high school track meet before fatally stabbing him ... at least that's what prosecutors say the surveillance video shows.

Jurors were shown footage that appears to show one person shoving another person under the tent at the 2025 track meet where Austin was stabbed.

Prosecutors say it's Karmelo and Austin in the video ... even though you can't see their faces. They say this goes on for four minutes before a person -- who they claim is Karmelo -- is seen running from the tent, toward the exit.

Prosecutors say surveillance video will show Karmelo Anthony wasn't trying to avoid trouble at a Texas high school track meet that turned deadly ... he was looking for it.

That's the message jurors heard Thursday as opening statements got underway in Anthony's murder trial over the fatal stabbing of fellow teen Austin Metcalf.

Collin County prosecutor Bill Wirskye told the jury the case boils down to what they will see on surveillance footage from the scene, saying the "video tells the story." According to prosecutors, witnesses heard Anthony tell Metcalf, "Touch me, see what happens," after a dispute erupted inside a team tent.

2:25PM PT -- Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office Homicide Bureau detectives have posted a second update, saying they've "determined that Mr. Whiten is the biological father of Ms. Savannah Whiten and Ms. Sienna Whiten, and co-parent to Ms. Hyer."  

The statement adds ... "The investigation revealed that Mr. Whiten committed these heinous acts and then took his own life. The investigation continues."

A Florida realtor, her ex-husband, and their two young daughters are all dead ... in what police are calling a murder-suicide.

Law enforcement responded Tuesday to a welfare check at a Doral home and found Melanie Hyer, Ryan Whiten and their daughters Savannah and Sienna dead, according to the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office.

MDSO says all four had stab wounds and they believe the tragic incident is a murder-suicide ... but no word yet on who did the stabbing.

Alarming footage shows the moment a Boeing 787's nose gear collapses while the Lufthansa plane is parked at its gate ... and the incident caused several injuries.

The travel nightmare went down Thursday at Frankfurt Airport in Germany ... crew members and ground staff were on ​board the jetliner when the "nose landing gear unexpectedly retracted" ... according to the airline.

Lufthansa says several employees were injured and are receiving medical treatment, adding ... "We are currently investigating the exact circumstances in cooperation with the relevant authorities."

The biggest battle in Karmelo Anthony's murder trial so far isn't over evidence ... it's over whether jurors can put their personal feelings aside.

During jury selection this week in Collin County, Texas, several potential jurors admitted they would struggle to convict Anthony -- or send him to prison -- because of his age, with one person reportedly telling the court, "He looks like a child."

According to WFAA in Dallas, prosecutors questioned prospective jurors about whether Anthony's race, age, or resemblance to their own children could influence how they view the case. Anthony, now 18, is charged with first-degree murder in the fatal stabbing of fellow teen Austin Metcalf at a Frisco track meet in April 2025.

Missing government worker Melissa Casias has been found dead ... with her body "skeletonized" and a gunshot wound to her skull, a report says.

According to New Mexico State Police, a hiker found "human remains" at McGaffey Ridge area of the Carson National Forest ... who authorities have ID'ed as Melissa. They also said a gun was found "alongside the remains."

NMSP hasn't announced cause or manner of death, but investigator Thomas McNally -- who'd been looking into the case for Melissa's parents -- told DailyMail that her body was "skeletonized," sitting against a tree with a gunshot wound in her skull.

A South Carolina convenience store owner has been cleared in the shooting death of a Black 14-year-old boy back in 2023, after a jury found him not guilty of murder.

ICYMI, Asian business owner Chikei Rick Chow shot and killed Cyrus Carmack-Belton in June 2023 after he allegedly stole from his store. Prosecutors alleged Chow chased the teen 130 yards from his store and sent a bullet through his back in an act of rage after he wrongly assumed he had taken four bottles of water, according to reports.

Chow's defense lawyer said he fired at the teen because he allegedly pointed a gun at his son. Carmack-Belton was confirmed to have a semiautomatic pistol at the time of the incident, but it fell to the ground during the chase, according to prosecutors. He allegedly never threatened anyone with it.

A North Carolina police officer is out of a job after shocking doorbell camera video captured a violent arrest that sparked outrage in his community.

The footage -- recorded outside a home in Shelby, NC -- shows an officer struggling with a woman before taking her to the ground and repeatedly striking her during a confrontation. The video has since spread across social media ... fueling protests and calls for accountability.

The woman in the video can be heard questioning why she's being detained and insisting there's no warrant. Moments later, the situation turns physical ... with the officer appearing to throw multiple punches.

Rebecca Haro is headed to prison for her role in the death of her infant son, Emmanuel ... admitting she failed to protect the 7-month-old and helped cover up the circumstances surrounding his death.

Rebecca pleaded guilty Friday to child abuse causing great bodily injury to a child under 5, involuntary manslaughter, and accessory after the fact, according to the Riverside County District Attorney's Office. As part of a plea agreement, she was immediately sentenced to 12 years and 8 months in state prison.

TMZ previously reported Rebecca and her husband, Jake Haro, were arrested after claiming Emmanuel had been abducted in a parking lot. Investigators later determined the kidnapping never happened and alleged the story had been fabricated.

E. Jean Carroll can perhaps breathe a sigh of relief ... after a U.S. Attorney denied reports his office is investigating her in connection with her lawsuit alleging President Donald Trump sexually abused her ... but we're told she is connected to a related investigation.

Andrew Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, posted a message on X Thursday, saying he had not opened a criminal investigation into Carroll despite numerous media reports saying otherwise. Boutros noted, "Any claim to the contrary is categorically false.”

However, law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Boutros' office is looking into a Chicago-based entity tied to billionaire Reid Hoffman, who allegedly provided some funding to Carroll for legal expenses she incurred during the Trump lawsuit.

Mackenzie Shirilla's taking her conviction to the highest court in Ohio ... asking the state's supreme court to take another look at her double murder rap.

Shirilla's lawyers filed the appeal paperwork back in April, according to reports ... “there is medical evidence” that Shirilla “suffered from a pre-existing medical condition that could have caused her to black out while driving.”

The appeal claims her attorney didn't properly investigate this possibility initially.

Anna Kepner’s stepbrother allegedly choked her “for minutes” as his final “barbaric” act in her murder … according to prosecutors.

In a newly unsealed transcript from a February hearing obtained by TMZ, prosecutors described how they say Timothy Hudson -- Anna’s 16-year-old stepbrother -- killed her … claiming he put her in a chokehold until she suffocated to death.

Prosecutor Alejandra Lopez described it as “a barbaric, intentional, thoughtful act,” saying "[w]hile she struggled to breathe for minutes, he continued to hold her neck in that manner so that she would die from lack of oxygen.”

Dominic Russo's sister Christine is ripping her brother's murderer, Mackenzie Shirilla ... and she's taking issue with the fame, notoriety, and money flowing Mackenzie's way on the heels of a popular Netflix documentary.

Christine joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday, and we asked her about "The Crash" ... a Netflix production about Mackenzie's double murder case following the fatal car crash that killed Dominic and his friend, Davion Flanagan.

Dominic's sister says she's "furious" her brother's "cold-blooded evil killer" is getting a bunch of attention and, in some instances, support ... Christine says Mackenzie is a narcissist, and this is exactly what she craves.

The stepbrother charged with raping and murdering 18-year-old Anna Kepner on a Carnival cruise ship got some more good news as his murder case moves forward ... a judge is allowing him to remain free on bond.

Anna's 16-year-old stepbrother, Timothy Hudson, was spotted going in and out of court Wednesday in Florida ... and was greeted by a throng of reporters as he exited court with his father and swept into a waiting SUV before driving off.

The alleged rapist killer didn't say anything and kept moving.