RIP

The death of Alonzo Brooks is still a mystery, but his mom believes the cold case is heating up and they're close to getting some real answers ... thanks in large part to the national attention it just received.

Maria Ramirez tells TMZ ... as bittersweet as it may be, the timing of the pandemic, along with the story of her son's murder featured on the rebooted "Unsolved Mysteries" series on Netflix, has been beneficial to the investigation.

Alonzo's mother says it got so many viewers -- along with so much interest and support -- because of the current situation in the country ... and she has faith it's going to lead to cracking the case and providing her with some closure.

As we reported ... there have already been some major developments this week in the murder case. Brooks' body was exhumed in Topeka, KS as tips have continued to pour in.

Alonzo was found dead in a creek in May 2004, about a month after he went missing, after attending a party in La Cygne, KS, at which he was one of only a few Black people.

Law enforcement had no suspects or solid answers for the family and the case went cold until the FBI reopened it this month. It's now calling Alonzo's death a hate crime ... offering a $100k reward for info leading to an arrest.

"Today is Opening Day, which means it's a great day to arrest the killers of Breonna Taylor."

That's a tweet from the official Tampa Bay Rays Twitter account ... using the biggest day of the season to bring justice for Breonna Taylor, who was killed by 3 police officers in her Louisville home.

The Rays made the impactful statement early Friday morning ... hours before kicking off their season against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Not only did the team make waves with the tweet ... the Rays are also committing $100,000 to local groups fighting systemic racism.

"Systemic racism is real," the team said. "Let’s unite for positive change."

The MLB as a whole has shown solidarity with Black Lives Matter at the start of the season ... with kneeling demonstrations, video messages and jersey patches.

Players -- including Dodgers star Mookie Betts and several S.F. Giants -- took a knee during the national anthem before their game Thursday to symbolize a need for change in the country.

Marlon Wayans is remembering his late mother on what would have been her 82nd birthday, and revealing the Wayans family matriarch, Elvira, has died.

We're told Elvira passed away a couple weeks ago, but Marlon waited until her birthday to share the somber news. He posted a touching tribute to his mother Thursday, on what is usually a very special day for them ... they share a birthday, and Marlon says it's hard to celebrate another year knowing his mom is gone forever.

The comedian wrote ... "Losing you shattered me into 1000 pieces. I'm putting my life back together piece by piece. You will always be my glue. Miss you. Today I celebrate for the both of. In the midst of this hurt... i just love you ma."

Marlon adds ... "i accomplished so much, made you so proud... but now i got angel to lift me. #loveofmylife #bdaygotl s*** ma, i gave you all my bdays... wth do i do now 😂 millions of weetahs sugtas and homies #myfirstmylastmyeverything rest well."

Damien Wayans also commented on his uncle's post ... "1,000,000 weetahs Indeed!"

Let's face it, Hollywood owes Elvira a debt of gratitude ... the woman brought 10 Wayans children into the world, giving birth to one of the biggest and most successful families in show biz.

Elvira's kids -- Keenan, Damon, Shawn, Marlon, Dwayne, Kim, Nadia, Elvira, Diedre and Vonnie -- have written, directed, produced and starred in countless movies and TV series, including "The Wayans Bros.," often working together on their content.

Elvira was 81.

Former "Bad Girls Club" star Demitra "Mimi" Roche has died.

Demitra's death was announced Wednesday in a touching Twitter tribute from record producer Vince Valholla, the founder of Valholla Entertainment where Roche also formerly worked as Vice President of A&R.

Vince remembered Demitra as a "big dreamer" and said, "I'm at a loss for words. Don't know what to say. Mimi was kind to everyone she came across."

Demitra's former boss added ... "I'm heartbroken by the news of her passing. I'm thankful I got to know & work w/ her. My thoughts are with her family & loved ones."

Valholla did not reveal Mimi's cause of death.

Roche was named VP of artists and repertoire at Valholla Entertainment back in 2011, but she's best known for her role in "Bad Girls Club" season 8 in 2012. Her nickname on the show was "The Miami Maverick."

One of Mimi's friends also paid tribute to the late reality TV star on Facebook, saying ... "I just wished you a happy birthday then the next day this is what I see. Some of you may know her from bad girls club but I knew the real her. Such a sweet soul and with radiant energy so full of life. Gone to soon."

Demitra was only 34.

Priscilla Presley is speaking out about losing her grandson, Benjamin Keough, to suicide earlier this month, and she says the tragedy's left the family broken.

Elvis' widow broke her silence Wednesday saying, "These are some of the darkest days of my family’s life. The shock of losing Ben has been devastating."

Priscilla continued in a Facebook post ... "Trying to put all the pieces together of all the possible whys has penetrated my soul. Each day I wake up I pray it will get better. Then, I think of my daughter [Lisa Marie Presley] and the pain she is going through as she was a doting mother. Ben’s father, Danny [Keough], who is completely lost, as Ben was his only son."

Other than a statement through Lisa Marie's attorney shortly after news broke of Ben's death, neither of his parents have spoken publicly about his passing. Clearly, as Priscilla explains, they're shattered over this ... the entire brood is -- uncles, nieces, nephews and all.

Priscilla ended her thoughts with Ben's only full-blooded sibling, Riley Keough. She says, "Riley, so loving and so close to him; Harper and Finley, who absolutely adored Ben. Navarone, who struggles deeply with loss and death. Rest In Peace Ben, you were loved. ❤️"

Orlando Bloom has ended his search for his beloved dog, Mighty, after finding his collar.

Orlando posted a heartfelt message to all the folks who were concerned or who helped in the search ... "Mighty’s on the other side now. After 7 days of searching from sunrise to sunset and into the wee hours, today, the 7th day ~the number of completion~ we found his collar."

He went on ... "I have wept more this week than I thought possible, which has been very cathartic and healing... I left no stone unturned, crawled thru all the man holes, under the roads, searched every back yard and creek bed. Had two separate sniffer dogs do their best as well. I feel so grateful to have learned from my little Mighty man that love is eternal and the true meaning of devotion."

Orlando, who got a tattoo to pay homage to Mighty, thanked everyone in the Santa Barbara area who helped in the search. He thanked them for allowing him in their yards as he searched.

The dog was truly Orlando's best friend, and you could literally feel his pain through his postings. Orlando ended this way ... "I feel sure he was looking down on me whistling in every back yard and knowing that I was doing all I possibly could to respect our bond. He was more than a companion. It was a soul connection for sure. I’m sorry. I love you. Thank you. RIP my MIGHTY HEART my little fellow A ♠️’s."

RIP, Mighty.

NY Knicks player Taj Gibson is stepping up to help finance the funeral of Davell Gardner Jr. ... after the 1-year-old boy was tragically shot and killed in Brooklyn last week.

Gardner was shot around 11:30 PM on July 12 when two gunmen opened fire on a family barbecue at the Bedford-Stuyvesant playground. He was rushed to a nearby hospital where he died a short time after.

Gibson -- who also organized a peace walk against gun violence in Bed-Stuy after Gardner's death -- will pay for the pay the funeral and wake, a rep for the NBAer told the Brooklyn Paper.

The report also says the 35-year-old will work through his Taj Gibson Foundation to provide Gardner's family with additional financial support while dealing with the tragedy.

Gibson has been vocal against gun violence in his home city ... and uses his charity to help provide "resources and inspiration to the youth of New York City to help keep them healthy and to help them reach their full potential in life," according to its website.

The grave of Alonzo Brooks -- who was mysteriously found dead after a 2004 party in Kansas -- has been dug up on the heels of "Unsolved Mysteries" bringing new attention to the cold case.

Alonzo's body was exhumed Tuesday morning in Topeka after the FBI recently reopened the case. The new Netflix series covered Alonzo's disappearance and death -- and his family says tips have been coming in since the new docuseries dropped.

For those who haven't seen it ... 23-year-old Alonzo went to a party in La Cygne, KS in April 2004 with some friends, where he was believed to be one of few black people. Witnesses described the crowd as mostly white, redneck and racist types.

His friend says Alonzo nearly got into a fight with one guy over a girl -- but still stayed at the party, even after his friends left. He never made it back home.

The following day, Brooks' boots and hat were found across the road from the house party property. However, his body wasn't discovered until May 1, 2004 in a nearby creek.

Initial medical reports listed his death as inconclusive due to the advanced decomposition of the body, and authorities were left with little concrete evidence. However, those close to him were certain he did not commit suicide or accidentally drown ... they believed he was murdered.

Teresa Giudice is heartbroken for the New Jersey judge who sent her and her hubby to prison ... after what appears to be a targeted murder at the judge's home.

The 'RHONJ' star's attorney, James Leonard, tells TMZ ... Teresa was "devastated" by the news this weekend -- namely, that a gunman disguised as a FedEx employee made his way into Judge Esther Salas' home and shot and killed her son. Judge Salas' husband was also shot but survived.

Leonard says, "Knowing Teresa the way I do, I think if she were to have an opportunity to see Judge Salas, I think she would hug her and pray with her." He doesn't believe his client will attend the funeral but says Judge Salas and her family are in Teresa's thoughts.

He adds, "This is such a horrific tragedy, I know that the entire legal community is shocked and devastated and praying for Judge Salas and her family."

Judge Salas, who was not injured in the gunman's attack, presided over Teresa and Joe Giudice's criminal cases back in the day -- sentencing her to 15 months in prison, and Joe to 41 months behind bars.

Marilyn Monroe's pearls from her last ever photo shoot could be sitting in your collection -- the historic jewelry is hitting the auction block.

Marilyn wore faux pearl earrings and slipped on a faux pearl necklace for the photo spread -- famously known as the "Last Sitting" -- with legendary fashion photog Bert Stern.

The pics were snapped just 6 weeks before her death, and they're going up for sale through online auction house Gotta Have Rock and Roll, where they're expected to fetch a pretty penny.

The jewelry is cool, but so is the Nikon camera Bert used to take thousands of photos that day, and it's also up for auction. While Vogue Magazine supplied the props, clothes, jewelry and accessories ... the camera was Bert's personal one.

Marilyn even used the camera as a prop, spontaneously grabbing the Nikon while Bert grabbed a spare camera and kept snapping away. The auction house expects the Nikon to fetch $60,000 due to its place in pop culture.

The pearls are expected to bring in $50,000 for the earrings and $8k for the necklace.

Some of Marilyn's extensive wardrobe is also part of the auction ... we're told a gown and shawl is estimated to go for $40k and a pair of black and white checkered pants could fetch $15k. MM owned and wore the clothing.

The auction opens July 22 ... good luck!!!

Nick Cannon seemed to have contemplated suicide ... calling 2020 the most "f***ed up year I've ever witnessed," talking about his friend who he says took his own life, adding, he was in "dark contemplation of continuing my physical existence on this planet," and admiring his friend who "had the balls to do it."

It's an alarming message, but not totally surprising. Nick's been called out from all sides, it seems, this week, after his anti-Semitic comments he made on a podcast, for which he apologized. Although Nick says he's trying to educate himself as he meets with rabbis and others, he's now being attacked for apologizing. On top of that, Viacom fired him from 'Wild 'n Out.'

Nick recounted the story of his friend, Ryan Bowers -- an up-and-coming rapper who Nick signed to his label -- who was shot in his own home last year by a San Diego cop.  Nick says Ryan was in a coma for months and Nick was by his side. Cannon says his friend fought hard, re-learning basic functions like walking.

Nick says on the surface, Ryan seemed to rebound ... returning to perform to sold-out crowds. But, behind the veneer, Ryan was hurting, whispering to Nick, "Everything still hurts."

Nick says, "I can't help but think if I wasn't so engulfed in my own bulls*** I could've been there for you when you finally took your life after several attempts ...F*** this place!! #CantWin #ForLosing🙏".

We have checked and the Medical Examiner tells us a Ryan Bowers died Saturday.

Pop Smoke's alleged murderers were tracked down by LAPD detectives the old-fashioned way ... there were no shortcuts or easy breaks.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the big break in the case leading to the arrests of 4 men allegedly connected to the rapper's death didn't come from a tipster, but instead from LAPD detectives pounding the pavement and knocking on doors.

We broke the story ... Pop Smoke was gunned down back in February by at least 4 masked gunmen after what appeared to be a home invasion robbery at his rental property in the Hollywood Hills.

Detectives went back to the basics because, as we reported, they hit a roadblock back in February when potential witnesses wouldn't cooperate, and combing social media turned out to be a bust.

Our sources say detectives used video from citizens and businesses in the area to help track and ID the suspects, who were slapped with murder charges last week and could face the death penalty.

Sources also tell us cops believe Los Angeles street gang members were involved in Pop's murder, but they say the case doesn't appear to be a gang hit or an East Coast-West Coast beef -- Pop was from NYC.

Instead, police believe the tragedy was a robbery gone wrong after the alleged killers saw Pop's posts on social media in the hours before the fatal shooting. Pop shared his address, and flexed with huge wads of cash.

We're told, even though the arrests have been made, the case remains under active investigation as detectives search for more evidence.

Marco Rubio made a flub in his tribute to Rep. John Lewis -- mistaking him for another African-American congressman who passed away last year ... Elijah Cummings.

The Senator from Florida posted a heartfelt message about his iconic colleague on House side of Capitol Hill, in a since-deleted Twitter post, writing ... "It was an honor to know & be blessed to serve in Congress with JohnLewis a genuine & historic American hero."

He added, "May the Lord grant him eternal peace." Marco attached a photo of himself with ... not John Lewis. It was former U.S. Representative Elijah Cummings, who died in 2019.

It would appear he and/or his staff quickly noticed the error -- because they took it down and replaced it with a post featuring a pic of Marco and the real John Lewis.

MR owned up to the mistake, writing ... "Earlier today I tweeted an incorrect photo. John Lewis was a genuine American hero. I was honored to appear together in Miami 3 years ago at an event captured in video below. My God grant him eternal rest."

Congressman John Lewis, a central and powerful figure in the Civil Rights movement, is dead after a 7-month battle with pancreatic cancer.

Rep. Lewis, who represented Georgia's 5th Congressional District for 17 terms, died Friday. He had been diagnosed as stage 4 in December 2019. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said, "Today, America mourns the loss of one of the greatest heroes of American history."

She referred to him as the "Conscience of the Congress."

Lewis had been in Congress since 1987, but had already had an inspiring impact on American history long before that -- having marched, shoulder-to-shoulder at times, with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the fight for Civil Rights.

In 1961, Mr. Lewis was part of a protest against segregated buses in the South which became know as the Freedom Rides. He spoke at the landmark March on Washington in 1963, where Dr. King delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech, and marched for voting rights in Alabama in 1965.

John was one of the protesters brutalized by cops during the march from Selma to Montgomery, AL. As he led several hundred marchers across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, John was clubbed in the head by a state trooper -- fracturing his skull and leaving a scar he carried for the rest of his life.

His second-to-last tweet, back on July 7, commemorated his release from prison after he'd been arrested during a Freedom Ride in Jackson, Mississippi.

Recently, the Distinguished Gentleman from Georgia had become a nemesis of President Trump. Rep. Lewis did not attend Trump's inauguration, openly called him a "racist," and they would frequently trade barbs in the media.

Former President Obama awarded the Congressman the Medal of Freedom in 2011. During the ceremony he said, "Generations from now, when parents teach their children what is meant by courage, the story of John Lewis will come to mind -- an American who knew that change could not wait for some other person or some other time; whose life is a lesson in the fierce urgency of now."

Rep. Lewis was 80.

RIP

Naya Rivera's ex-fiance, Big Sean, has been silent about her tragic death ... until now.

Sean posted a tribute to his ex, saying, "Rest in Peace Naya, God Bless your Soul! Thank you for blessing us all with your talent and presence. You are a hero!  Not just because of how you saved your son, also because of the barriers you knocked down for so many people to make them feel confident in themselves and to stand tall and be proud when they couldn't achieve that on their own."

He goes on ... "I appreciate and cherish everything that ever happened between us for making me wiser and a better person. I'm still grieving and in shock, I can't believe this is real."

As you probably know, Naya and Sean were engaged in 2013 after dating for only 6 months. They had a bad breakup 5 months later. Naya says the end of the relationship was hurtful ... "We'd been fighting for five straight days while he was traveling, and then on the one day he was back in LA, he said he didn't want to see me."

George Floyd's set to be honored in an historic way, and the City of Minneapolis just got some funding to move the process along.

The city was recently awarded the "Vision Grant" by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, through its African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, to help preserve the memorials that have sprung up for George since his death.

The fund was created in 2017 to preserve sites and stories of Black history, and clearly ... Minneapolis has been a significant spot lately.

So, along with preserving the murals and other tributes already created for Floyd ... we're told the city is discussing plans to honor him permanently.

A Minneapolis city official tells TMZ ... they've held more than 40 listening sessions, inviting community members and local government workers to share thoughts on how to best memorialize George.

We're told the city is specifically designating 38th St. and Chicago Ave. -- the location where Floyd took his last breath -- as a location for a special tribute. A makeshift memorial popped up there shortly after he died at the hands of police.

So far ... street names, memorial plaques or statues and a community center are all being discussed as official ways to honor George with the new grant money, but nothing's set in stone yet.

BTW, $1.6 million was awarded to 27 different sites and organizations by the AACHAF ... Minneapolis got $50k.

The National Trust's Brenda Jones tells us the planning grant could potentially lead to "other opportunities to invest in the preservation and protection of African American history in Minneapolis, including the murals commemorating the sacrifice of George Floyd."