RIP

Cops now think wide receiver Demarius Reed -- who played for Eastern Michigan University -- was shot and killed in his apartment during a robbery gone wrong, TMZ has learned.

A rep for the Ypsilanti Police Department tells us, personal items were removed from Reed's apartment -- leading cops to believe that robbery was the motive behind the killing.

Police claim Reed -- who was found dead this morning -- suffered multiple gunshot wounds.

An autopsy is complete but the results won't be available for some time. So far, no suspects have been arrested.

Actor Ed Lauter ... who you've definitely referred to as "that guy in the thing" -- because he had one of the most recognizable faces in Hollywood -- has died from a rare cancer.

Lauter appeared in more than 200 movies and TV shows over the past 4 decades ... including "Seabiscuit" ... "Mulholland Falls" ... "Leaving Las Vegas" -- and may be best known for his role of the brutal prison guard in "The Longest Yard" with Burt Reynolds. He also appeared in Adam Sandler's 2005 remake of 'Yard.'

In 2011, he also appeared in the Oscar-winning film, "The Artist" ... playing the butler opposite Berenice Bejo.

According to his rep ... Lauter died on Wednesday after battling mesothelioma -- a rare form of cancer often caused by exposure to asbestos.

The man who raised Adrian Peterson's 2-year-old son says he's sick and tired of people feeling sorry for the NFL star, claiming AP didn't care about the boy because he never got the chance to meet him.

We broke the story, AP only learned he was the biological dad a few months ago. Before the revelation, the child's mother was under the impression that the father was a man named Bobby Ruffin.

After the child passed away on Friday, Bobby went to his Facebook page and unloaded ... writing, "So tired of this poor Adrian Peterson sh*t. Let me blow all your minds. The boy who died was my son."

"Yes A.P. he was the biological father but I raised him and he carried my name. Tyrese Robert Ruffin. I don’t blame AP for not really caring cuz him and I both found out recently who the biological father was."

“AP met my son for the first time yest when my son was already in coma. I was here today when we pulled the plug, not him. He was happily practicing and has no problem playing on Sunday."

When Adrian Peterson was told that he might be the father of a love child in South Dakota, he suspected it was true ... but he took a DNA test just to be sure, TMZ has learned.

Sources very familiar with the situation tell us ... when AP was notified about the situation roughly 2 to 3 months ago, he immediately offered to step up and help out in any way he could.

Adrian didn't suspect he was being targeted in any sort of cash grab -- but we're told that he realized it would be smart to get definitive proof that he was the child's biological dad before he made any big moves.

We're told ... once the test came back positive, AP supercharged his efforts to be a part of the kid's life -- and also offered to help out financially.

As we first reported, Adrian had initially planned to meet the child in the next couple of weeks -- but instead, he rushed to the hospital last week after learning the boy was on life support stemming from injuries allegedly caused by the mother's boyfriend. The boy died shortly after Adrian visited him.

Our sources say ... Adrian plans to fly back to South Dakota to attend his son's funeral later this week. We're also told he will continue to communicate with the mother in the future.

"MasterChef" star Josh Marks was diagnosed with schizophrenia 24 hours before committing suicide ... so says his mother, who claims the thought of dealing with more mental issues put him over the edge.

Marks' mom Paulette Mitchell is saying the reality star completed an out-patient treatment program Thursday -- where he was diagnosed with schizophrenia ... according to a family rep.

Mitchell first told the Chicago Tribune the chef had finally come to terms with his bipolar disorder ... but "couldn't bear the thought of another diagnosis."

Paulette claims Marks was upset about the doctors assessment ... so she spent the night with him and left the next afternoon to pick her daughter up from school.

A few hours later ... she received a phone call from a family member saying people had called saying Josh was walking through a nearby alley clutching a gun.

Mitchell says she rushed over to the alleyway to find him -- but instead discovered her son dead from a gunshot wound ... with a revolver at his side.

His mother also admits ... some of the Marks' delusions centered around Gordon Ramsay, and that's why he told cops back in July that the chef had possessed his body when he got arrested.

Peterson is set to face the Carolina Panthers any moment now -- and judging by the video ... fans inside the arena are gonna go OFF when AP hits the field.

As we previously reported ... Adrian insisted on playing in today's game following the death of his 2-year-old son and earlier today said, "God wants good to come from it."

Gene Simmons disputing Kurt Cobain and Amy Winehouse's icon status is nuts ... so says Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, who tells us it doesn't matter how many albums both made.

In case you missed it, Gene told Team Rock Radio this month that Cobain and Winehouse were only considered icons because they died young ... not because of their music.

But Hawkins -- whose been in Foo with Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl for years -- was fired up about the topic ... telling TMZ Gene's opinion is "nonsense."

Multiple sources connected to the situation tell us ... roughly 2-3 months ago, the mother of the child had a paternity test done with an ex she suspected to be the father, in an effort to collect child support from him.

But the test turned up negative, so the woman went to Adrian ... with whom she had a sexual encounter several years ago.

We're told ... when Adrian was first informed about the matter, he didn't question the possibility he was the dad -- but rather asked how he could help the situation.

Sources tell us ... a few weeks ago, A.P. started to plan a trip to South Dakota to meet the child for the first time and he was supposed to fly out later this month.

But when he heard the news about the attack on the 2-year-old, Peterson dropped everything and jetted over to Sioux Falls as soon as he could.

We're told Adrian met the child for the first time while the boy was on life support.

Multiple sources tell us ... Adrian has been very involved since the tragedy and was the one pushing to have the child's organs donated to other people in need of a transplant.

As for the suspect, Joey Patterson, we're told Adrian has never met the guy.

"MasterChef" finalist Josh Marks has been found dead in a Chicago alleyway -- just a few months after his infamous run-in with University of Chicago police -- and officials believe he committed suicide.

A rep for the Chicago PD says they received a call from a woman screaming for help Friday evening ... and after arriving to the alley found a 26-year old male with a gunshot wound to the head.

Multiple sources involved with the investigation tell us the victim is Josh Marks.

We're told officers also recovered a nearby weapon ... and they're still on-scene investigating.

You'll recall, 26-year-old 7-foot-2 Marks was arrested by U. of Chicago cops in July after allegedly punching an officer and trying to grab his gun. Three officers tried to subdue Marks with batons and pepper spray, but he broke free and took off running.

It eventually took 5 officers to chase him down and handcuff him. Once in custody, cops claim Marks blamed Gordon Ramsay for his outburst, claiming the celeb chef had possessed him and turned him into God. There was no evidence of drug use.

Months before the arrest, Marks released a video for the "Make a Sound Project" -- an organization dedicated to helping people struggling with suicidal thoughts -- revealing he suffered from bipolar disorder.

Police believe Marks was in a manic state during the U. Chicago incident.

We KNOW someone's gonna die on "The Simpsons" next season ... and we KNOW Jennifer Tilly is tight with co-creator Sam Simon ... so when we saw her in NY yesterday, it was the perfect opportunity to pry for some inside info.

Tilly wasn't exactly ready to sell out her poker buddy, but she did tell us that the person rumored to be getting the chop is everyone's favorite Kwik-E-mart employee Apu Nahasapeemapetilon.

Apu is definitely a candidate ... according to Executive Producer Al Jean who teased, "the actor playing the character won an Emmy for playing that character."

3:00 PM PDT: Peterson just sent a series of Tweets: "God Bless everyone and thank u so much. The NFL is a fraternity of brothers and I am thankful for the tweets, phone calls and text messages from my fellow players. Thank you to my family, my fans and fans of other teams for their support."

Adrian Peterson's 2-year-old son has died ... cops have confirmed.

Cops believe Peterson's son was severely beaten by 27-year-old Joseph Patterson, the man who was dating the mother of the NFL star's child.

As we reported, the mother of the child has decided to donate the child's organs to people in need.

The boy was on life support since 5:30 PM Thursday ... but his condition never improved ... so family members made the decision to take the child off the ventilator.

Sources tell TMZ .. Adrian was informed about the situation before the news went public.

We're told Peterson will be planning the funeral with other members of the boy's family.

Patterson was initially arrested in Sioux Falls, South Dakota for assault and battery of an infant -- and now, it's almost certain the charges will be elevated to murder.

Convicted Cleveland kidnapper Ariel Castro may have died by pulling a David Carradine ... hanging himself while masturbating -- an act known as auto-erotic asphyxiation -- according to a new investigative report that was just released by the prison.

Castro was discovered in his cell by prison guards Sept. 3rd ... hanging from a hinge in the window of his cell ... with a bed sheet wrapped around his neck. His death was initially ruled a suicide.

The report reveals Castro died with his pants and underwear pulled down around his ankles ... which raised the possibility of auto-erotic asphyxiation ... according to the report.

And there's more ... prison officials found an open Bible in Castro's cell ... which was opened to John Chapters 2 and 3. They also discovered pictures of his family ... arranged in poster-board fashion.

TMZ has obtained an EXPLOSIVE document in the mystery behind Johnny Lewis' alleged love child -- the birth certificate which shows the "Sons of Anarchy" star was listed as the kid's dad.

We broke the story ... Johnny -- who died following a murderous rampage back in 2012 -- believed he fathered a baby girl in 2010 with Diane Gaeta ... an actress who once appeared on "Sons."

But after he died, Johnny's father filed court documents DISPUTING Johnny's belief -- claiming Johnny had NO offspring and therefore his entire estate should be divided amongst his parents.

Now, TMZ has unearthed the birth certificate, which was filed in California -- and it lists Johnny as the father. The document was also signed by Diane.

The document could play a HUGE role in the division of Johnny's estate -- because, if the judge finds that Johnny is, in fact, the little girl's father ... his entire estate would go to her.

Stay tuned ...

The former CIA Chief tells TMZ ... Jack Ryan -- the make-believe character in Tom Clancy's novels -- was the inspiration for many of his agents.

We spied former CIA Director Michael Hayden on the streets of DC Friday morning ... and he told us how Clancy -- who died Tuesday -- had a profound impact on America's spook department.

SPOILER ALERT ... but if you don't know what happened by now, you probably live in a cave and don't have the Internet. Whatever, you've been warned ...

Walter White's death on "Breaking Bad" is apparently hitting some people harder than others ... 'cause the guy just got a real-life obituary in the newspaper where the show took place.

White would LOVE the obit -- which ran in the Albuquerque Journal -- 'cause it credits him as a co-founder of "Gray Matter" ... and we all know how passionate he was about getting his props for that.

As for how he died, the obit says White had a "long battle with lung cancer, and a gunshot wound."

The local paper says the obit was designed, written and paid for by a group of die-hard "Breaking Bad" fans.

One last thing -- In lieu of flowers, the obit says "donations can be made to a drug abuse prevention charity of your choice."

Nice ... bitch.

"Sons of Anarchy" actor Johnny Lewis believed he may have knocked up an actress who appeared on the show a few years before going on a murderous rampage in 2012 ... this according to court docs obtained by TMZ.

Lewis died last September ... after snapping at the Los Feliz home where he had been living -- killing 81-year-old Catherine Davis and dismembering her cat, before falling off the roof of the home and plummeting to his death.

Now, Lewis' family has filed court docs in L.A. County Superior Court in an effort to divide the actor's estate -- which is valued at $41,000 ... kinda low for someone who played a major character on the show for a full 2 seasons.

According to the docs, 28-year-old Lewis did not have a will at the time of his death -- and Johnny's father believes he and his wife should be the sole beneficiaries of the estate.

However, under a section of the court docs which lists possible beneficiaries ... Lewis' father lists Diane Marshall-Green ... an actress who appeared on an episode of "Sons."

Lewis also lists Diane's 3-year-old daughter.

And why? According to Lewis' attorney ... before Johnny died, he believed he may have been the father of Diane's kid ... and even went so far as to seek visitation rights.

But for some reason ... we're told Johnny's dad believes his kid was wrong and he was NOT the father of Diane's daughter.

If the kid turns out to be Johnny's, the child would be entitled to the entirety of Johnny's estate.

We reached out to Diane for comment -- so far, no word back.