RIP

The man who shot and killed ex-NFL running back Joe McKnight back in December just pled not guilty to 2nd degree murder.

Ronald Gasser appeared in a Louisiana courtroom -- along with his mother and sister -- where he entered the plea.

Gasser has maintained he shot McKnight in self-defense in the middle of a road rage incident. Police have said there is video and witnesses which indicate the two were in a heated exchange before the shooting.

If convicted of 2nd degree murder, Gasser faces life in prison.

Gasser has been locked up in jail ever since he was charged on Dec. 5. Bail is set at $750k but he hasn't posted it.

Zsa Zsa Gabor sold her Bel-Air home long before she died, but her husband and conservator Frederic Prinz Von Anhalt isn't ready to move out, and now will have to pay rent to stay.

Zsa Zsa sold the estate for $11 million in 2013. Under the agreement, she was allowed to stay there until she died, at which point the home would be turned over to the new owner within 4 months.

Zsa Zsa died Dec. 18 of a fatal heart attack, which means The Prince would have to be out by April 17, but he claims in new court docs it's simply not enough time to orchestrate a move.

Since he's the conservator of her estate, he's struck a deal with the new owners for a 6 month extension. The original selling price of the house gets slashed by $300k and The Prince will pay rent ... a much-discounted $1000 a month.

You can't get a studio in WeHo for $1k a month.

WWE legend Tammy Sytch says she has "tremendous guilt feelings" about the death of her good friend, Chyna ... admitting she failed to get her the help she needed when she saw Chyna struggling.

Sytch -- aka Sunny -- was on her way to court-ordered rehab this week when she told us Chyna's death has been on her mind for months. The two were very close and would FaceTime every night.

The Hall of Famer says she recognized Chyna was going down a bad path and tried to convince her to go to rehab -- but she refused, and died while Sytch was seeking treatment for herself.

Obviously, Chyna's death isn't Tammy's fault ... but Sytch says she wishes she could've gotten her friend to see the light. Chyna passed away in April after overdosing on Rx pills and booze.

As for Tammy ... her next stop is another stint in rehab to combat her ongoing alcohol issues -- and she says she's receiving the full support of the WWE.

The man who shot and killed NFL player Joe McKnight has been indicted for 2nd degree murder ... officials in Louisiana announced.

Ronald Gasser, 55, was arrested on December 5 and booked for manslaughter ... following a road rage incident that led to the death of the former USC star.

Now, after further investigation by the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office in collaboration with the D.A., a grand jury has hit Gasser with the more serious charge of 2nd degree murder.

As a result of the indictment, the judge raised Gasser's bond from $500K to $750k.

President Trump bolted from the White House Wednesday afternoon aboard Marine One to make a trip that was unannounced, and shocked the Press Corps -- but turns out it's for a very somber occasion.

The President was with Ivanka Trump when he left, and reporters had no idea where he was going. About 20 minutes after he lifted off in the chopper ... the White House revealed he was flying to Dover Air Force Base to greet the plane bringing back the remains of Chief Special Warfare Operator William "Ryan" Owens.

Owens, reportedly a Navy SEAL, died during a counterterrorism raid in Yemen. He is the first solider killed under the Trump administration.

Allman Brothers drummer Butch Trucks pulled the trigger on a handgun and killed himself while his wife frantically dialed 911.

The recording of the call was just released, and you can hear Melinda Trucks screaming immediately after what sounds like the fatal gunshot. She tells the operator he used a pistol.

Trucks, named one of the 100 greatest drummers by Rolling Stone, died January 24 at home in West Palm Beach. He was pronounced dead on the scene once paramedics arrived.

Butch was 69.

Frank Pellegrino -- best known for his role as the FBI Chief gunning for Tony Soprano on the HBO hit show -- died after losing his battle with cancer.

Frank -- who also co-owned the popular Italian restaurant Rao's in East Harlem -- died in New York Tuesday. The restaurant, founded in 1896, was famous for celebrity drop-ins ... including Martin Scorsese, Woody Allen and Jay Z.

Frank appeared in "Goodfellas" and 'Law & Order' but he burst onto the scene beginning in 1999 when he was tapped as FBI Chief Frank Cubitoso on 'Sopranos.'

He was 72.

Asia frontman John Wetton died Tuesday morning in his sleep after battling cancer ... according to the band.

Wetton was a fixture in the '70s and '80s British rock scene, playing with bands like King Crimson, Roxy Music, and Uriah Heep -- but his biggest popularity came when he formed the supergroup, Asia, in 1981. The group is best known for its huge hits "Heat of the Moment" and "Only Time Will Tell."

Wetton eventually left the group and worked on solo projects, but later returned for some of their final albums. He was 67.

#RIP

Mary Tyler Moore died from cardiopulmonary arrest ... brought on by 3 other serious medical conditions ... this according to the death certificate.

According to the death certificate, obtained by TMZ, the contributing factors to her death last week were aspiration pneumonia, hypoxia (lack of oxygen to her tissues) and diabetes mellitus.

Cardiopulmonary arrest is when the heart stops beating. It technically is not a heart attack.

TMZ broke the story, the 80-year-old actress died in a Connecticut hospital after life support was withdrawn. Family sources say she had been suffering greatly in the weeks before her death.

The death certificate shows Moore was pronounced dead at 2:15 PM on January 25.

There was no autopsy.

The Japanese business giant who helped put Pac-Man on the path to chomping dots and ghosts has gone to the great arcade in the sky.

Masaya Nakamura, founder of Namco, died on January 22 ... according to a release from the company on Monday.

Namco released Pac-Man in 1980 ... and has been inhaling dots at record pace ever since. The game was named the highest-grossing arcade game of all time last year.

The company didn't release any details about how Nakamura passed away. It's worth noting ... his death came 18 months after the release of "Pixels."

Nakamura now has more in common with Inky, Blinky, Pinky and Clyde.

#RIP

Anyone can collect David Bowie's music, but you know you're balling if you have the legend's handwritten lyrics ... 'cause it could cost ya $50k!

A year after his death, Bowie's handwritten lyrics to "The Jean Genie" are hitting the auction block. Check out the letter ... penmanship clearly mattered to him, and online auctioneer Paddle8.com is throwing in more than the lyrics for the 1972 hit.

The lot, called Backstage Pass: David Bowie, includes epic pics from the '70s and '80s -- including one with John Lennon -- and a record from Bowie's "Hunky Dory" recording sessions.

Paddle8's estimate of $50k seems about right, considering a 2Pac lyric page went for about $40k.

The online auction starts Monday.

Mary Tyler Moore will rest alone -- clear of other graves -- because her family paid a small fortune to make that happen.

We're told Mary's family is pulling out all the stops -- buying 12 gravesites at $2k a pop -- to create peace and also to make a statement of her importance.

We're told the site will be bordered by granite and display angel statues valued right around $200k.

Mary's final resting place will be in Fairfield, CT -- the place she called home. Services will be held Sunday.

John Hurt, who starred in a slew of hit movies, has died.

Hurt, who appeared in "Alien," "V for Vendetta," "The Elephant Man," 'Harry Potter,' "Dr. Who" and "1984," died Friday of pancreatic cancer.

The actor was nominated twice for Academy Awards ... for "The Elephant Man" and "Midnight Express."

One of his last movies has been getting lots of buzz ... he played the head of the israeli Mossad alongside Jonathan Rhys Meyers in the Dan Berk film, "Damascus Cover."

Hurt, a UK citizen, was knighted in 2015, the same year he learned he had cancer.

RIP

Alan Thicke made a decision years before his death, in which he chose his brother, Todd, over son Robin to care of his youngest son when he died.

Alan drafted a will -- obtained by TMZ -- back in 2007 that created a guardianship for then 10-year-old Carter. According to the document Carter's mother, Gina Tolleson, would become the sole parent in the event he died first, but if she died before him he wanted his brother to take over after he died.

The will references Alan's trust, which specifically lays out who gets what. The details of the trust are not mentioned in the legal docs.

The reality ... Carter is now 19, an adult so he's on his own.

The will appoints Todd as executor of Alan's will.

Dick Van Dyke knew Mary Tyler Moore was dying, but it still hit him hard, because their collab was the best time of his life.

We got Dick getting groceries in Malibu Friday, where he shared some memories. He's not shy ... he and Mary together were about the best in the biz.

Ex-NBA player Charles Shackleford -- who played for the Nets, 76ers and Timberwolves in the '90s -- was found dead in his hometown of Kinston, North Carolina ... police confirm.

Shackleford was 50.

Cops tell TMZ Sports, "We can confirm Charles Shackleford was found deceased in Kinston this morning."

"The cause of death has not been determined. This incident is still under investigation. More information will be released as it becomes available."

Shackleford was a stud in college at N.C. State in the '80s -- but was more infamous for a post-game quote in which he attempted to describe his shooting talents.

"I can shoot with my left hand, I can shoot with my right hand, I'm amphibious."

Shackleford got into a bunch of legal trouble after his NBA career -- and was arrested in 2010 for selling drugs to an undercover police officer.