RIP

The Arizona man who pled guilty to murdering his 2-year-old daughter while watching porn died from carbon monoxide toxicity -- hours before he was to turn himself in to authorities ahead of his sentencing, TMZ has learned.

The Maricopa County Medical Examiner ruled this week Christopher Scholtes took his own life using the highly poisonous, colorless gas. Last month, TMZ exclusively reported authorities were eyeing carbon monoxide as a possible cause of death and now it's official.

Scholtes made national headlines in July 2024 after he left his baby daughter, Parker, asleep in his car and went into his house in Marana, a suburb of Tucson, to reportedly play video games and watch porn.

Sophie Kinsella -- the powerhouse author behind the hit 'Shopaholic' book series -- has died at 55, three years after being diagnosed with brain cancer.

The British writer’s family broke the heartbreaking news on her IG Wednesday ... saying even though she battled her illness with unbelievable courage, she ultimately passed away peacefully ... spending her final days wrapped in "family and music and warmth and Christmas and joy."

Sophie first shared her cancer diagnosis just last April ... revealing she had glioblastoma -- the most aggressive form of brain cancer -- but told fans she’d undergone a successful surgery and was pushing through radiotherapy and chemo.

Mitt Romney's sister-in-law's cause of death has been released -- she died by suicide, TMZ has learned.

The L.A. County Medical Examiner determined 64-year-old Carrie Elizabeth Romney died from blunt traumatic injuries after falling from the rooftop of a parking structure in Valencia, California, north of Los Angeles, back in October.

Carrie was in the midst of a divorce when she tragically died -- her husband, Scott, had filed back in June, citing "irreconcilable differences."

Jubilant Sykes -- a Grammy-nominated opera singer -- was stabbed to death inside his L.A. home Monday -- and his son was arrested in connection with the murder, according to police.

Cops said they responded to an "assault in progress" Monday night at Sykes' Santa Monica home after receiving a 911 call from an unidentified person.

When officers arrived, the 911 caller directed them inside the residence, where they found Sykes with "critical injuries consistent with a stabbing," police said. Sykes later died at the scene.

Police said his 31-year-old son, Micah, was present inside the home and arrested in connection with the murder, then booked into the L.A. County jail for suspicion of murder. He's being held on $2 million bail.

Influencer Jeri Wirtz has tragically died at 74 ... following a long battle with breast cancer.

The news was confirmed on the joint IG account she shared with her husband, Mike -- "Jeri & Mike" -- where it was revealed she passed away on Dec. 6, peacefully at home, surrounded by her loving family.

Jeri had been fighting stage 4 breast cancer for nine years ... the post says her health took a major downturn recently. After a hospital stay didn’t help, she entered in-home hospice care last week.

9:24 AM PT -- TMZ has obtained 911 audio that reveals Chad Spodick hanged himself in a backyard. During the call, a dispatcher says Chad's mother found his body and contacted police.

Chad Spodick -- the former "Finding Prince Charming" contestant who died last week -- passed away from suicide, police tell TMZ.

Boca Raton PD in Florida confirmed the manner of death, but declined to give further details.

News of the reality star's death shook friends and family, who set up a GoFundMe to help pay for his funeral and expenses related to his five pets.

Erika Kirk got understandably emotional opening up about how much she feels the absence of her late husband, Charlie Kirk, around the house.

Speaking on "Fox & Friends" Tuesday while promoting Charlie’s new book, "Stop, in the Name of God," Erika said while the world knew him as "Charlie Kirk," to her he was the love of her life ... and to their kids, he was just Daddy walking through the door.

Erika fought tears as she explained she always tried to make coming home special for Charlie -- and she urged spouses watching not to sweat the small stuff or get mad at their partners, 'cause TBH ... you never know what could happen.

Sad news in the wrestling world ... Steve Regal -- better known as "Mr. Electricity" -- passed away in July. He was 73.

The news broke on Monday and was confirmed by the National Wrestling Alliance ... which expressed its sadness over the death of its former champion.

"Defeating Denny Brown for the title, this flashy and charismatic grappler reigned atop pro wrestling’s junior heavyweight in 1986, paving a path for generations to come," NWA said.

Rapper POORSTACY took his own life in a Florida motel room in front of his baby mama and toddler last month ... and TMZ has now obtained new photos of the eerie scene.

The pics were taken by a source who was staying in a room adjacent to POORSTACY at the Boca By the Sea Hotel on the day the rapper killed himself.

In the photos, you can see the outside of the building cordoned off with yellow tape. Children's plush toys lie strewn on the lawn outside the door as an officer stands nearby, appearing to take notes.

10:16 AM PT -- A Royal Caribbean Group spokesperson tells TMZ … “We were saddened by the passing of one of our guests, worked with authorities on their investigation, and will refrain from commenting any further on pending litigation.”

The family of Michael Virgil -- the man who died on a Royal Caribbean Cruise last year after trying to beat down a door onboard -- are suing the company they believe is responsible ... in part, for giving him too much alcohol.

In court papers, obtained by TMZ ... Michael's fiancée, Connie Aguilar, is going after one of the world's largest cruise line companies for allegedly serving him "at least 33 alcoholic beverages" before his untimely death.

According to the lawsuit, when Michael and Connie boarded the ship with their 7-year-old son, they found out their room wasn't ready. The suit claims they were then directed to a bar area while they waited, but after a long period of time, their son -- who has autism -- grew impatient. To calm their young child, Connie took him to check on the cabin's status, leaving Michael at the bar.

Alessandro Antonicelli, a famous fitness influencer from Italy, is dead after a two-year battle with cancer.

The fitness influencer's official Instagram page, where he had more than 193K followers, announced his death over the weekend ... "Today, the world feels a little emptier: Ale has flown away, free from pain, finding the peace he deserved."

The statement continues ... "We know how much you loved and supported him, but now we ask you to protect his family, girlfriend, and friends during this painful time."

Former Memphis Tigers football player La'Andre Thomas died in an officer-involved shooting in Georgia last week after allegedly pulling a gun on cops ... an incident that is under investigation. He was 27.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation says the Sandy Springs Police Department was dispatched to the Dunwoody Place area around 10:30 AM on December 4th ... after a 911 caller claimed a man was assaulting her while she was walking her dog.

The GBI says Sandy Springs officers identified the man as Thomas after reviewing surveillance and located the 27-year-old at a bus stop near the 8000 block of Dunwoody Place.

Former NASCAR driver Michael Annett has reportedly died.

Annett's death was announced by his former team, JR Motorsports, on Friday. He drove for them between 2017 and 2021, when he retired. NASCAR.com also confirmed the sad news.

It is not clear how he died, but his fellow former NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski said on X he's "glad he is no longer suffering."

Longtime Mexican comedian and actor Eduardo Manzano died on Thursday, according to his son Lalo.

Lalo revealed the news about his father on Instagram on Friday, and he wrote, translated from Spanish, that "the curtain has fallen on the stage of life."

The comedian's son added the world would be giving his father "a standing ovation one last time."

Chad Spodick -- a contestant on "Finding Prince Charming" who progressed pretty far during the show's one and only season -- has died.

A close friend to Chad tells TMZ ... the reality star died Wednesday. The cause of death was not shared.

Chad's family friend Kate Werbowski set up a GoFundMe to help out Chad's mother with funeral expenses and expenses related to his five pets ... and, on the page, she calls his death "sudden and heartbreaking" in the post.

Frank O. Gehry, the legendary architect behind countless iconic landmarks, has reportedly died.

According to the New York Times, Gehry passed away at his Santa Monica, California, home Friday after a brief respiratory illness.

As perhaps the most recognizable name in architecture since Frank Lloyd Wright, he was responsible for the Walt Disney Concert Hall, Fondation Louis Vuitton and Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, among other notable structures.