RIP

It's a Thanksgiving conspiracy -- one of the turkeys pardoned by President Barack Obama last year was euthanized this week ... just days before Turkey Day ... and so far, no one's saying why.

A rep for the Mt. Vernon Estate -- where the pardoned turkeys are SUPPOSED to live out the remainder of their days in pastured leisure -- said the turkey (named Peace) was euthanized Monday following an illness over the weekend.

But the rep didn't know what kind of illness it was, how it was subsequently killed, or what the plans were for the turkey's delicious remains.

The rep says the decision to exterminate the fowl was made by a local veterinarian.

Coincidentally, the Mt. Vernon Estate DOES serve turkey on Thanksgiving.

It was a sad day in Smurf Village earlier this month ... when the woman who voiced Smurfette moved on to that big mushroom patch in the sky ... and now one of her co-stars is honoring her Smurf life with a touching final tribute.

Besides Smurfette, Lucille Bliss did voice work for a ton of animated classics, including the Flintstones, 101 Dalmations and Cinderella. She passed away on Nov. 8 at the age of 96.

TMZ spoke to Michael Bell -- a.k.a. the voice of Grouchy Smurf, Lazy Smurf and Handy Smurf -- who tells us Lucille was so special to him, he penned the following note in her memory:

"Goodbye Lucille. You were the stuff Smurf dreams were made of. I know Lazy Smurf dreamed about you ... Handy Smurf made you lots of things you didn't need ... and Grouchy secretly had your pin-up calendar over his head."

"You had more energy and grit then all of us blue boys put together. You were the original Smurf 'It' girl ... and you will be sorely missed."

R.I.P Smurfette.

It's been 8 years since Ol' Dirty Bastard died at the age of 35 ... but one of his former Wu-Tang Clan members tells TMZ he refuses to mourn, because ODB "wouldn't want me to."

TMZ spoke with both Raekwon and Ghostface Killah -- who tell us they still think about Dirty all the time ... and have spent the anniversary of his death reflecting on his remarkable life.

"Today I just want to have a day of prayer to let my brother know I am thinking about him," Raekwon tells us ... adding, "This still hits me real hard."

"I will mourn over him today and think about how much he taught me."

But GhostFace says he's handling things differently ... "I never dwell on the day we lost him, I just celebrate the times I had with him."

"I pray and thank God on this day because he is my angel ... I spent the day just sitting quietly and praying. Dirt wouldnt want us mourning so I don't."

ODB passed away on Nov. 13, 2004 from an accidental drug overdose ... but Ghostface tells us, "I still hear his voice daily ... whether it's his music or memories of things he taught me."

Former "Real World" star Joey Kovar died from opiate intoxication, a rep for the Cook County Medical Examiner tells TMZ.

TMZ broke the story ... law enforcement sources originally believed a lethal mixture of cocaine, Viagra, and alcohol was to blame for Kovar's sudden death in August in Chicago -- but medical examiner tells us, the official cause of death is listed as "opiate intoxication."

29-year-old Kovar's death has been ruled an accident.

Natina Reed's funeral is being held today in her hometown -- and TMZ has learned that rapper Kurupt, the father of her son, is covering all the expenses.

Reed -- who passed away on October 26 after she was struck by a car -- is being laid to rest at the Abundant Life Church in Lithonia, GA.

According to our sources, Kurupt -- the father of Reed's 10-year-old son Tren -- is footing the bill for the service as well as for the gathering after.

We're told Tren will remain in Kurupt's custody -- like he has for the past four years -- and that Kurupt hopes Tren will maintain a close relationship with Reed's family.

Former Major League Baseball pitcher Pascual Perez was stabbed to death in a home invasion robbery in the Dominican Republic ... this according to multiple local reports.

Perez -- who pitched in the Majors for 11 years -- was reportedly stabbed in the neck during the incident. There is speculation Perez was killed for his MLB pension payment he received before the murder.

Perez played for a slew of MLB teams -- including the Pirates, Braves, Expos and Yankees. He made the All-Star squad back in 1983 -- the same year he had a 3.43 ERA.

Pascual got the nickname "Perimeter Perez" when he got lost on the I-285 while driving himself to a Braves game back in 1982 on a day he was scheduled to start.

So far, it's unclear if anyone has been arrested in connection to the murder.

Natina Reed, a member of the 90s R&B group Blaque, was killed in Georgia last night after being struck by car. She was 32.

According to the Gwinnett Police Department, the driver of the vehicle that hit Reed called 911 at 10:30 PM last night. She was pronounced dead at Gwinnett Medical Center 29 minutes later.

A press release said that Reed "was in the roadway on Lawrenceville Highway near Hamilton Road when struck."

Police say the investigation is ongoing, but say the driver "was determined to be not at fault and there are no charges pending."

In addition to her singing career, Reed appeared in the 2000 film, "Bring It On." She was a protegé of the late Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes.

"Top Gun" director Tony Scott had multiple prescription drugs in his system when he lept off an L.A. bridge to his death ... including a sleeping aid and an anti-depressant.

According to the L.A. County coroner's office ... the toxicology tests showed Scott had therapeutic levels of Lunesta and the anti-depressant Mirtazapine in his system at the time of his death.

Eagles head coach Andy Reid's son died from a self-injected heroin overdose ... according to the Coroner's investigation of Garrett Reid's death.

Garrett was found dead on August 5 in his room at Lehigh University ... where the Eagles were holding training camp.

The Northampton County Coroner and D.A.'s Office announced the results of their investigations -- and revealed they had found 47 syringes, 65 needles, and a number of spoons in Garrett's gym bag.

29-year-old Garrett had battled drug addiction for years.

Gary Collins, a legendary TV actor and host, died early this morning in Biloxi, MS at the age of 74.

Harrison County Deputy Coroner Brian Switzer tells TMZ he passed of natural causes just before 1:00 AM at Biloxi Regional Medical Center.

Collins' resumé is a mile long ... having appeared on episodes of such hit shows as "Fantasy Island," "Charlie's Angels," "Alice," "The Love Boat," "Police Story" ... the list goes on.

Collins was also known for hosting the talk show "Hour Magazine" and from 1980-1988 and hosted the Miss America Pageant from 1985-1989.

He married former Miss America Mary Ann Mobley in 1967 and the couple had one child together. They separated last year.

Collins also had two children from a previous marriage.

Leo O'Brien, one of the stars of "The Last Dragon" ... has died in NYC, TMZ has learned.

Leo played Bruce Leroy's little brother Richie Green in the 1985 cult classic film.

Details surrounding O'Brien's death are unclear ... but law enforcement sources tell us the actor passed away Wednesday morning, and an autopsy is scheduled for today.

Leo's "Dragon" co-star Taimak (Bruce Leroy) says family members believe O'Brien had been in failing health recently.

As TMZ first reported ... O'Brien survived two gunshot wounds just over a year ago in Harlem. Police arrested a suspect who was charged with attempted murder.

O'Brien was 41 years old.

NFL great Alex Karras -- who also played Mongo in "Blazing Saddles" -- died this morning after suffering kidney failure ... this according to a family spokesperson.

Karras had been battling a myriad of illnesses over the past 2 years, including kidney disease, heart disease, stomach cancer and dementia.

Karras was a punishing defensive superstar on the Detroit Lions from 1958 to 1970 ... before breaking out in Hollywood.

Besides "Blazing Saddles," Karras also had a starring role on the '80s sitcom "Webster"

He was 77.

7:08 AM PT -- Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... cops believe Johnny was on drugs-- either PCP or meth -- at the time he allegedly killed a woman and then fell to his death.

Sources tell us ... after allegedly killing the 81-year-old woman, Johnny had fought with two men for 3 to 4 minutes ... hurting at least one of them

We're told Johnny initially used a 2x4 to attack the men ... and then used his bare hands.

Law enforcement sources say the men he fought with say Johnny showed "super-human strength" and was "phenomenally strong."

We're told Johnny tried to break into the house of one of the men ... and it took 3 people to hold him back.

One source tells TMZ ... Johnny had gone to a neighbor's home to introduce himself earlier in the day.

Neighbors tell us Johnny had lived in that house before, moved away, and then came back.

Neighbors who knew Johnny say he was a "nice guy."

Johnny Lewis -- who had big roles on "Sons of Anarchy," and "The O.C." and once dated Katy Perry -- was found dead yesterday ... and his body was discovered at the same L.A. property as an 81-year-old woman he's suspected of murdering ... TMZ has learned.

According to our law enforcement sources, 28-year-old Lewis was found in a driveway Wednesday morning in the Los Feliz neighborhood -- and the elderly woman who owned the home was found dead inside ... the victim of a homicide. Investigators say they believe Lewis beat the woman to death.

According to multiple reports, neighbors heard the 81-year-old woman screaming ... and then saw a young man outside her home attack 2 other people with a piece of wood ... before he climbed onto the roof and fell to his death.

Lewis was renting a room from the 81-year-old victim.

Law enforcement sources tell us Lewis is the sole suspect in the woman's murder, and they are not looking for other possible suspects.

Lewis dated Perry back in 2006 -- and attended numerous Hollywood events together.

Lewis played Kip 'Half-Sack' Epps on "Sons of Anarchy" for 2 seasons, and also had one-off roles on "Criminal Minds" ... "Bones" ... and "CSI."

Legendary singer and TV host Andy Williams has died.

According to his rep, Williams passed away last night at his home in Branson, MO after a year-long battle with bladder cancer. He was 84.

The "Moon River" singer -- who recorded 18 gold and 5 platinum certified albums -- is survived by his wife Debbie and his three children, Robert, Noelle, and Christian.

He hosted "The Andy Williams Show" from 1962-1971. He also hosted the Grammys from 1971-1977.

An investigation has been launched into the shocking death of a crew member on the set of "The Lone Ranger" ... with a government agency vowing to leave no stone unturned until it discovers the truth.

TMZ broke the story ... a welder/water safety expert named Mike Bridger died on the L.A. movie set Friday while working inside a large water tank. Law enforcement sources tell us it appeared Bridger suffered a heart attack.

Now, we've learned Cal/Osha -- a workplace safety enforcement agency -- has launched an investigation to see if there was any negligence or wrongdoing on the part of Bridger's employer ... standard operating procedure following a death on a movie set.

In other words, Cal/Osha will look into how workers responded once they realized Bridger was unresponsive -- Did they follow proper emergency protocol? Was there a proper emergency protocol? etc.

A rep for Cal/Osha tells us the org. is also looking into the equipment and the tank ... and will also review the medical condition of the victim before his death. Cal/Osha will also conduct interviews with everyone who was on the set during the incident.

We're told there have been no official findings yet, and the final report could take up to 6 months to complete.

"The Lone Ranger" crew member who died on set last week worked alongside mega producer Jerry Bruckheimer and Johnny Depp for years, TMZ has learned.

Close friends tell TMZ the victim's name is Mike Bridger -- a welder and water safety guy who had 20 plus years in the biz ... and one of his biggest breaks was working with Bruckheimer on the set of the first "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie.

We're told Bruckheimer respected his work so much ... he hired him for every single "Pirates" sequel and then for "Lone Ranger." Our sources say he also became close with Depp while working on those films.

Close friends of Mike tell TMZ ... the family does not blame the production company for his death, and believes he died of a heart attack.

TMZ broke the story, Mike was working in a large tank on "The Lone Ranger" set when he passed away​. Law enforcement also believe his death was due to a heart attack. He was 48.