RIP

Gabby Petito's cause of death is about to be revealed after weeks of waiting on a coroner's findings -- and TMZ is streaming the highly anticipated results live.

The autopsy report is being discussed Tuesday during a press conference and comes several weeks after investigators found her remains at Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming last month.

As you know by now, the coroner ruled her death a homicide.

Now, the last pieces of the puzzle in this tragedy are finally coming together -- and may very well back up what her family suspected all along ... that she was brutalized, and left out in the wilderness to perish.

Of course, the one answer that remains elusive ... who's responsible, and obviously why? The prime person of interest is Gabby's fiance, Brian Laundrie, who has gone missing and for whom a manhunt has been launched.

Laundrie remains unaccounted for, despite a handful of alleged sightings in different parts of the country.

There was a suspected sighting nearly 500 miles away from where he was living in North Port, FL -- with a man claiming to have spotted somebody on his deer cam who looked like Brian -- but cops have said they have no reason to believe, for now, Brian's in the area.

Most recently a hiker claimed to have seen Brian on the Appalachian Trail ... but nothing concrete there either. Dog the Bounty Hunter also joined the nationwide manhunt.

As we reported ... Dog's hitting the pause button on his search -- this after injuring himself on the job.

As for Laundrie's family ... they say he went hiking sometime in mid-September, but never returned. This follows an already incredibly suspicious return back to Florida without any trace of Gabby. Her family's blasted Brian and his family for clamming up on providing answers.

The feds issued an arrest warrant for Laundrie but NOT for Gabby's death -- it was for Use of Unauthorized Access Devices. Prosecutors claimed Laundrie used a Capital One Bank debit card from August 30 to Sept. 1 to purchase stuff totaling at least $1,000.

The feds haven't said it was Gabby's card, but that doesn't seem like much of a leap.

Just a few days later ... the FBI visited the Laundrie residence to retrieve some personal items in hopes they might have his DNA on them.

One thing we do know about Gabby and Brian's recent past is that they had a confrontation in Utah ... something that was briefly investigated by a police officer, who recorded one of the final images of her alive, and crying.

And, a witness called 911 shortly before Gabby's disappearance, telling the dispatcher he saw Brian slap and hit Gabby during an argument.

Now, we're going to learn what happened to her after that ... once and for all.

Chris Pearson's death was the result of someone losing it on him for being loud and disruptive in his apartment complex in the middle of the night ... sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ.

Our sources say the former "Ex on the Beach" star was down in the pool area with his girlfriend, making a lot of noise around 2 AM Sunday.  We're told Chris was yelling ... it's unclear at who, but it pissed off the other residents who were trying to sleep.

We're told Chris ignored everyone, but then someone on one of the balconies amped things up and was yelling hard at Chris, who in turn started screaming back at the guy. Our sources say Chris went inside the building to confront the guy ... and that's when he was fatally stabbed in the area around his heart.

Our sources say the guy who stabbed him fled before authorities arrived.

As we first told you ... Chris was rushed to a hospital, but died around 3:30 AM from his injuries.

According to our sources ... Chris was not normally a confrontational guy, but that wasn't the case during the incident.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... cops are investigating and looking for witnesses and videos that may help them figure out what went down, but so far no arrests have been made. Our law enforcement sources say cops are confident they'll catch the guy.

Fuquan Johnson may very well be alive today if there was an effective way to screen drugs he took for fentanyl -- and it's something that shouldn't be ignored ... so says his own mom.

The comedian's mother, Paulene Johnson, tells TMZ ... she's 100% in favor of fentanyl strips being used, and firmly believes her son might still be breathing right now if he had access to some on the night he and two others overdosed and perished from fentanyl-laced cocaine.

We should note, Paulene is NOT advocating for recreational drug use -- even telling us she wasn't aware Fuquan partook himself beyond weed -- but she acknowledges the reality ... that people are going to dabble, and if so -- why not be safe about it?

She believes folks who do hard drugs are stuck between a rock and a hard place in an OD sitch ... fearful of incriminating themselves by calling cops. With that said, Paulene says fentanyl strips could be a good alternative for users looking to avoid that entire scene.

Paulene says parties need to be made safer by any means necessary -- and if fentanyl strips are a viable option to prevent deaths, she's all for it.

As she sadly notes to us ... she buried her son last month, and shouldn't have had to.

TMZ broke the story ... Fuquan was one of three comedians who OD'd and died at a party in Venice -- this after cops believe they ingested coke laced with the deadly opioid. Kate Quigley, the 4th comedian who also overdosed, survived the ordeal ... and is on the road to recovery.

Chris Pearson, one of the first contestants on MTV's hit show, "Ex on the Beach," is dead from a stabbing incident ... TMZ has learned.

Chris died over the weekend according to several of his friends and law enforcement. We're told he got into an altercation early Sunday, around 2 AM, in L.A.'s San Fernando Valley, and the other person ended up stabbing him. He was transported to a hospital, but died around 3:30 AM from his injuries.

Friends have started a GoFundMe for his family back in Colorado -- Chris' home state -- and the page describes the circumstances of his death as a "tragic encounter."

Chris, a professional DJ, appeared on the first season of 'EOTB' ... and, although the whole concept of the show is bring together castoffs from other reality shows ... Pearson was one of the few who seemingly had no prior TV experience.

On the show, 2 of his exes were brought on to confront Chris -- which is the whole gimmick of the show -- who came off as a party boy, but also got vulnerable ... crying on camera over one his old GFs.

All-in-all, he appeared in all 11 episodes, and provided some of the show's best drama. Since his time on 'Ex' ... he's gone on to continue his music career with much success.

One of Chris' fellow MTV stars acknowledged his passing -- Taylor Selfridge from 'Teen Mom' commented under his last IG post ... dropping sad face emojis and prayer hands. Others are leaving similar comments.

We're told police are investigating the stabbing, and they have leads. Our law enforcement sources say it's a "solvable case."

Chris was only 25.

Kate Quigley says she's getting back to her old self as her recovery from a near-fatal overdose -- spurred by fentanyl-laced cocaine -- continues ... which begs the question ... why don't more people know about (or use) strips that can detect the lethal poison?

The comedian recently posted an update on her journey back to normal, suggesting she was getting some sort of rehab done down in Mexico ... where she thanked everyone who'd helped her thus far get back to the old Kate everyone knows and loves.

It's an encouraging sign for sure -- but the deaths of Fuquan Johnson, Rico Angeli and Natalie Williamson still linger ... and with the advent of fentanyl strips -- which have been on the market for at least a couple years or so -- it makes one wonder if they could've made a difference here.

If you're unfamiliar ... these strips come exactly as advertised. They're able to be applied to just about any drug and like a litmus test ... can tell you if the narcotics have the opioid or not. While not always 100% effective, they do seem to work more often than not ... and are sometimes distributed to drug users. Although, not nearly as much as they should be.

Whether it's simply a lack of awareness or a taboo issue ... you really don't hear about these strips being talked about. And yet, they're out there ... and can absolutely save lives.

In fact, USC students have recently started to dabble in this ... forming a delivery service specifically for this -- among other drug resources -- to help protect the "naïve drug user." The strips are only a penny a pop, so they're certainly affordable ... and now widely available to students on campus who may be experimenting.

That's California ... but it looks like there are a handful of states across the country that take a different approach to this -- essentially outlawing these strips because they're viewed as "paraphernalia" ... perpetuating the old "Just Say No" D.A.R.E. mentality, which is antiquated.

Granville Adams -- famous for his ongoing role as Zahir Arif in "Oz" -- has died after a battle with cancer.

His costar, Kirk Acevedo, made the announcement Sunday ... writing, "I lost my brotha today after a long battle with cancer. I don’t do well with loss because I'm unfamiliar with it." He adds, "Yo Granny we'll be chopping it up on the other side one day. Until then… Rest easy my friend."

Adams appeared to announce his diagnosis back in December of last year, posting a photo of himself in a hospital bed, looking ill, and captioning it ... "F*** CANCER!"

His "Oz" family started a GoFundMe on his behalf shortly thereafter, explaining that the guy's hospital bills were mounting for both him and his family ... asking the public for help. At the time, they wrote ... "In this quarter alone, the unpaid bills have piled up to $69,550. We want to gather together and show Granville our love by clearing this quarter’s bills, giving Granville concrete support in his fight against this vicious disease."

The GFM also notes that Adams hadn't been able to work over the past year (2020) and that all funds would be donated directly to his loved ones. As of this writing, it's reached nearly $100k in contributions.

Like we said, GA is perhaps best known for appearing on 48 episodes of the hit HBO show, first appearing as a guest and then a recurring supporting role until it went off the air in 2003. Adams played Arif -- a Muslim inmate who served as a lieutenant to Kareem Said.

Adams had a few other acting credits under his belt ... including roles in "Homicide: Life on the Streets," the movie "Empire" and "Magic City Memoirs."

Granville is survived by his wife, Christina. He was 58.

Bodybuilder George Peterson -- AKA "Da Bull" -- unexpectedly passed away this week at only 37, just days before he was scheduled to compete in a top bodybuilding competition.

"It is with great sadness that we report the unexpected passing of George Peterson, a champion on stage and off," officials from the Mr. Olympia competition announced on social media.

Peterson was in Orlando when he died -- preparing for the Olympia competition -- which kicks off Wednesday.

The cause of George's death is not yet clear, but his coach and close friend, Justin Miller -- who found Peterson deceased -- provided additional details on his death.

Miller says Peterson was in incredible spirits the night before he died ... and was pumped for the upcoming competition.

However, the next day, Miller says GP wasn't responding to texts or phone calls ... so he became worried, and went to George's hotel room.

Inside, tragically, Peterson was face down on the floor, cold. Still, Miller, desperate to help his friend, called 911 and was instructed to do CPR.

Unfortunately, Peterson -- who likely passed several hours earlier -- could not be saved.

George was a constant figure on the bodybuilding circuit ... competing at shows across the country, including the Olympia 4 times.

Peterson won the Classic Physique competition at the 2019 Arnold Classic.

Many people from the bodybuilding and fitness world -- from athletes to fans -- have expressed sadness at Peterson's unexpected passing.

Matiss Kivleneiks will be honored when the Columbus Blue Jackets take the ice on opening night ... with the late goalie's family set to attend the tribute.

The 24-year-old tragically died after suffering serious damage to his lungs and heart during a fireworks mishap at a Jackets coaches 4th of July party.

Matiss -- who signed with the Blue Jackets in 2019 -- was deemed a hero by his teammate, Elvis Merzlikins, for his actions during the fatal incident ... saying MK saved his family from the firework.

Kivleneiks' family will make the trip from Latvia to perform the ceremonial puck drop when CBJ takes on the Arizona Coyotes to kick off the season ... including his mother, stepfather, sister and aunt.

The team says a banner featuring MK's #80 will also be unveiled and will hang in the rafters at Nationwide Arena for the remainder of the 2021-22 season.

Blue Jackets players will also wear an "80" sticker on their helmets throughout the season.

After his tragic death, the Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation established the Matiss Kivleneiks Memorial Fund to support youth hockey initiatives in Columbus and his native Latvia.

Sammy Hagar and Eddie Van Halen's widow are paying tribute to the late rock star on the 1-year anniversary of his sad passing.

Sammy posted a black and white picture of EVH strumming his guitar while in mid-air and his long hair flailing away. Sammy, who was part of the "Van Hagar" era from 1985 to 1996, said, "I can't believe it's been a year. The man is gone but the music lives on #forever."

Eddie's widow, Janie, also posted a touching tribute saying she thinks about EVH every single day. She said among the things she misses the most ... his smile, laugh and kindness.

Janie added, "I miss this, I miss us, I miss you, and I try my best to carry on the way you would want me to. But my Peep, some days, that's really hard to do. This will never get easier because there really is no getting over you."

TMZ broke the story ... Eddie died following a long battle with cancer. He died at a Santa Monica hospital with Janie and his son, Wolfgang, by his side. Eddie's ex-wife, Valerie Bertinelli, and Eddie's brother/drummer, Alex, were also by his side.

Speaking of Wolfie ... he also posted a picture on Instagram during a guitar sesh with his dad. Wolf wrote, "You fought so hard for so long, but you were still taken away. It’s just so unfair."

Ndakasi, the orphaned gorilla photographed in an incredible selfie in 2019, has died in the arms of her caretaker ... according to a spokesperson at the national park were she lived.

The Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo broke the sad news of the passing of its beloved orphaned mountain gorilla, saying she died last month after battling a prolonged illness.

According to the park ... Ndakasi "took her final breath in the loving arms of her caretaker and lifelong friend, Andre Bauma."

Bauma had looked after the gorilla ever since she was found clinging her to dead mother's body and taken to the park's Senkwekwe Center, where she lived for more than a decade. Virunga says Ndakasi's mom was killed by armed militia in a series of gorilla slayings.

Bauma says, "It was a privilege to support and care for such a loving creature, especially knowing the trauma Ndakasi suffered at a very young age."

If you don't recall ... Ndakasi went viral in 2019 thanks to an amazing photo of her and another orphaned gorilla in a park ranger's selfie. Virunga National Park responded to all the attention it got at the time, saying ... "Those gorilla gals are always acting cheeky so this was the perfect shot of their true personalities!"

Bauma adds ... "I loved her like a child and her cheerful personality brought a smile to my face every time I interacted with her. She will be missed by all of us at Virunga but we are forever grateful for the richness Ndakasi brought to our lives during her time at Senkwekwe."

The Gabby Petito case could be more complicated than it may appear on the surface -- and part of the reason is figuring out where exactly she was killed.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... investigators are currently trying to figure out if Gabby was, in fact, slain where her body was found a couple weeks ago -- which was in the vicinity of Grand Teton National Park and the Bridger-Teton National Forest Service in Wyoming.

That's all federal land ... and, at the moment, the FBI is running point. However, we're told if it's determined Gabby wasn't actually killed on federal land, then the case would be kicked over to the state authorities in charge. The big question: If it's uncertain, who has jurisdiction to prosecute the killer?

Sources connected with the investigation tell TMZ, if there's no way to determine where Gabby was killed, the default will be where she was found, and since it's on federal land the U.S. Attorney would prosecute the accused killer. If, however, there's ambiguity and state authorities believe her body was moved there, the state and the feds could be at odds.

Cassie Laundrie is sticking to her story -- namely, that the last time she saw Brian was during a family camping trip after he'd returned to Florida (sans Gabby Petito) ... which she says was totally normal.

The guy's sibling spilled what she maintains she's known and currently knows to 'GMA' Tuesday -- saying she last spoke to Brian in person on Sept. 6 ... while he and their parents went camping at Fort De Soto Park in Pinellas County, FL. Cassie says she and her own family dropped in very briefly and then left ... not thinking anything was amiss.

She even shared a couple photos she says she took of Brian that day ... with him hanging out with her kids (his nephews), and sure enough -- he looks cheerful and nonchalant.

Cassie says she was not aware that Gabby had not returned with him at that point, and in hindsight ... wishes her bro would've come to her first, instead of going to his parents. Speaking of them ... Cassie flatly denies knowledge of any involvement on their behalf.

With that said, she does openly wish that IF they do know something or helped him in any way ... that they come forward and tell the truth, as she says that would be true justice for Gabby.

Cassie repeats much of what she said during an interview earlier this week, when somebody grilled her with much of the same questions ... if not more intensely.

There too, she denies knowing his current whereabouts ... and maintained the same camping story, while clarifying she's been cooperative with law enforcement. The one thing everyone has failed to ask (or broadcast) is ... what did Brian say about Gabby during that trip, and where did he say she was while hanging with his fam?

An Idaho man collapsed and died during a marathon on Saturday ... just minutes from reaching the finish line.

He was just 22 years old.

Hayden Holman, from Sugar City, Idaho, was running with family members in the 26-mile St. George Marathon in Utah ... when tragedy suddenly struck near the end of the race.

Holman, according to officials, collapsed and stopped breathing -- but was revived by emergency personnel, who rushed him to a nearby hospital.

Unfortunately, he later died there.

Holman's stepmother, Karin Holman, told the East Idaho News that Hayden had spoken with loved ones just before he went down.

"He called (family members) when he was two minutes from the finish line to make sure someone was there to take a picture," Karin said. "But, he never showed up."

"Hayden was one of the most outgoing and nicest people," Karin added. "He loved everyone and wore his heart on his sleeve. He will be missed for a long time.”

A cause of death has not yet been revealed.

Holman -- who was a student at Brigham Young University-Idaho -- had just gotten married earlier this year. A GoFundme has been set up to help his wife, Charlotte, with funeral costs.

Tragic news ... MMA fighter, Justin Thornton, has died at 38 years old, just weeks after he was violently knocked out in an August fight.

Thornton was seriously hurt after Dillon Cleckler KO'ed him during a Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship event on Aug. 20.

The scene in the ring was very scary ... after taking multiple punches to the face, Thornton crashed headfirst into the mat and didn't move for several minutes.

BKFC officials confirmed Monday that Thornton -- who had reportedly been battling serious injuries from the fight -- has died.

It's unclear, however, if the KO had anything to do with the passing, as a cause of death has yet to be revealed.

"This morning we were very saddened to be notified of the passing of one of our fighters, Justin Thornton, who competed at BKFC 20 on August 20, 2021," BKFC president Dave Feldman said in a statement.

"We join the rest of the combat sports community in sending our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones."

Thornton had been professionally fighting for over a decade ... compiling a 6-18 record.

The damage inflicted on the George Floyd bust in Union Square is already well on its way to being repaired -- and it's all thanks to some community members who stepped up, and who might continue stepping up to prevent this going forward.

Lindsay Eshelman -- co-founder of Confront Art, who teamed up with George's brother, Terrence, and his org We Are Floyd to produce the statues -- tells TMZ ... she and her team showed up shortly after news broke that the bust was vandalized, but were pleasantly surprised to see there were already at least 5 individuals working to clean up the mess.

We're told these folks are simply activists/art lovers -- and included one tourist who just showed up to help. One of the other good Samaritans was Eric Garner's son, Eric Jr., whom we're told formed a close bond with Terrence through this entire ordeal. Lindsay and co. also chipped in ... running out to get supplies to restore the statue's bronze shine.

As for what to expect from here ... Eshelman tells us she and Confront Art are trying organize a watch group to look after the statue, otherwise known as "keepers" -- as there are 30 days left in the installation, and they're worried this might happen again.

The NYPD has apparently told them they're on their own in this regard, 'cause the police force won't step up security or patrols. We're told CA has a 7 AM to midnight shift in mind, to help keep things kosher after the park closes there.

The man who threw paint onto a bust of George Floyd in NYC is now in the crosshairs of a hate crime unit ... and can be seen clear as day on camera doing the deed.

The NYPD's Crime Stoppers division released surveillance video they say depicts the suspect -- a guy with a light complexion, medium build ... and who was wearing a green jacket, shorts and a hat of some sort, and who cruised by nonchalantly before vandalizing the statue.

Just as we told you before ... he's seen clear as day hanging out near the John Lewis statue in Union Square, shuffling about and looking around -- before he busts out what seems to be a small paint can, hopping on his skateboard and heading for the bronze Floyd effigy.

Sure enough, there are some people around who get a good look at him doing it ... but no one really springs into action. It all happens so fast -- the man is gone in a flash.

We're told the NYPD Hate Crime Task Force is investigating this ... for obvious reasons. So far, the alleged perp hasn't been captured -- but cops are asking for tips or any help.

This weekend's paint job actually served as the second act of vandalism since the statue was first unveiled earlier this summer in Brooklyn ... where it was also defaced, with none other than white supremacy logos and signage. And now, at its new, home ... something similar.

Akon doesn't regret saying the rich and famous go through more issues than poor people, a comment for which he got significant pushback ... he says he knows what he's talking about.

We got Akon at LAX and asked if he wanted to walk back the controversial remark he shared with us last month. No dice! Instead, Akon doubled down, and explained he was speaking based on his own rags to riches story.

He says he knows what he said pissed off some people, but adds he's not backing down from his stance, because, personally ... he was actually happier before he had money.

The whole controversy started in the wake of Michael K. Williams' death ... with Akon telling us the actor's drug overdose was the latest example of a "façade of success" that often sends celebs into a tailspin.

Akon says he's just speaking from personal experience ... but there is one thing he's sorry about.