Kidnapped family found dead

Ed Winter , the Deputy L.A. County Coroner who handled the death cases/investigations into some of the biggest celebrities in Hollywood has died ... TMZ has learned. Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Winter passed away at his L.A. area home Friday of natural causes. Winter was right there in front of the cameras in cases that include Michael Jackson , Whitney Houston , Brittany Murphy , Paul Walker , Tom Petty and Corey Haim . Perhaps the most notable case involved Michael Jackson's death . Winter had immediate concerns when he saw a shocking number of injection points in Jackson's body. He was at UCLA Medical Center, where Jackson was taken, and immediately after he was pronounced dead he noticed Dr. Conrad Murray had left the facility. Winter said, "He fled."  Murray would have been the one to sign Jackson's death certificate, but Winter ended up doing it. Winter later said Jackson had enough Propofol in him "to put down a … [Read more...] about Ed Winter Coroner to the Stars Dead at 73

Gallery Launch Gallery Getty Xavier Lopez -- aka, ' Chabelo ,' who'd been on Mexican and Latin American families' TV screens for decades, providing laughs and entertainment -- has died. The legendary comic and actor, famous for dressing up as a little kid and starring in a number of sketch and comedy shows, passed away Saturday ... which was first announced by the President of Mexico, no less -- Andrés Manuel López Obrador -- on Twitter. Abrazo a familiares y amigos por el fallecimiento de Xavier López "Chabelo". Cómo olvidar que mi hijo mayor se despertaba temprano para verlo hace más de 40 años. — Andrés Manuel (@lopezobrador_) March 25, 2023 @lopezobrador_ He wrote (in Spanish), "Hugs to family and friends for the death of Xavier López "Chabelo". How can I forget that my eldest son woke up early to see him over 40 years ago." Chabelo's Facebook page went into more detail about how exactly he died with a message from his family, noting … [Read more...] about Mexican Comedian Xavier ‘Chabelo’ Lopez Dead at 88

Gallery Launch Gallery Getty Knicks legend Willis Reed , arguably the greatest player in the history of the organization, has died at the age of 80, the team confirmed on Tuesday. No cause of death was reaveled ... but Reed had been ill, battling congestive heart failure, longtime NYC columnist Peter Vescey reported. "The Knicks organization is deeply saddened to announce the passing of our beloved Captain, Willis Reed," the Knicks said in a statement. "As we mourn, we will always strive to uphold the standards he left behind -- the unmatched leadership, sacrifice and work ethic that personified him as a champion among champions." Our Captain. pic.twitter.com/AbtA7FhLvW — NY_KnicksPR (@NY_KnicksPR) March 21, 2023 @NY_KnicksPR "His is a legacy that will live forever. We ask everyone to please respect the family’s privacy during this difficult time." Simply put, Willis was one of the best hoopers to ever step foot on the hardwood. … [Read more...] about Knicks Legend Willis Reed, Hall of Famer, Dead At 80

Getty Wayne Swinny , founding member and guitarist of the band Saliva, is dead after suffering a brain hemorrhage. A rep for the band tells us, "It is with great sadness that we report the passing of Wayne Swinny, the guitarist of Saliva. Wayne passed away this afternoon from a spontaneous brain hemorrhage while on tour." The tragic news comes only hours after the band revealed Wayne was in the ICU after having the medical emergency. Getty Bobby Amaru , Saliva's lead singer, says, "I’m not even sure what to think or how to feel right now. My heart aches for Wayne’s family, his friends, and anyone who had the joy of being around him. My heart aches for his daughter Nikki. He loved that little girl so much ... He would go out of his way to make sure you had a good time. I’m grateful that I got to share almost 12 years of my life with Wayne on the stage and most importantly off the stage." Amaru continues, "He was the older brother I never … [Read more...] about Saliva Guitarist Wayne Swinny Dead at 59 After Brain Hemorrhage

A 25-year-old professional snowmobiler has died from injuries he sustained during a horrific crash during the Aspen X Games last week. Caleb Moore passed away this morning in Colorado, a family spokesperson said. Moore's family declined to release further details about the death, but stated on Sunday that he had suffered a "brain complication" stemming from the accident ... on top of a severe concussion and bleeding of the heart. Moore was competing at the snowmobile freestyle final last Thursday when his 450-pound snowmobile flipped over and landed on top of him. ESPN released a statement Tuesday, saying, "We've worked closely on safety issues with athletes, course designers and other experts for each of the 18 years of X Games. Still, when the world's best compete at the highest level in any sport, risks remain." Caleb -- once an avid all-terrain vehicle rider -- was a 4-time X Games medalist who first began competing in 2010, after just one month of practicing … [Read more...] about Caleb Moore Dead — Snowmobiler Dies After Horrific X Games Crash

EXCLUSIVE : Great news for fans of E. Lockhart’s popular YA books: Julie Plec ’s My So-Called Company and Universal Television has acquired the rights to We Were Liars, Family of Liars and Again Again. We Were Liars is a tragic love story and an amnesia thriller set on a privately owned island off the coast of Massachusetts. It’s been on the NY Times bestseller list for the past 22 months. The recently released Family of Liars , the prequel to We Were Liars, takes readers back to the story of another summer, another generation, and the secrets that will haunt them for decades to come. Again Again follows Adelaide Buchwald who, after a near-fatal family catastrophe and an unexpected romantic upheaval, finds herself catapulted into a summer of wild possibility, during which she will fall in and out of love a thousand times while confronting the secrets she keeps, her ideas about love, and the weird grandiosity of the human mind. Carina Adly MacKenzie … [Read more...] about Julie Plec & Universal TV Option YA Books ‘We Were Liars,’ ‘Family of Liars’ & ‘Again Again’ By E. Lockhart

8:48 AM 5/18/12 -- Donna's memorial is scheduled for next Wednesday in Nashville . TMZ has learned ... Donna died from lung cancer . Several sources are telling us Donna believed she contracted it by inhaling toxic particles after the 9/11 attack in New York City. Donna's family just released a statement, claiming, they "are at peace celebrating her extraordinary life and her continued legacy." Donna Summer -- the Queen of Disco -- died this morning after a battle with cancer ... TMZ has learned. We're told Summer was in Florida at the time of her death. She was 63 years old. Sources close to Summer tell us ... the singer was trying to keep the extent of her illness under wraps. We spoke to someone who was with Summer a couple of weeks ago ... who says she didn't seem too bad. In fact, we're told she was focused on trying to finish up an album she had been working on. Summer was a 5-time Grammy winner who shot to superstardom in the … [Read more...] about Donna Summer Dead — Disco Legend Died After Battle with Lung Cancer

Comedian Greg Giraldo died today at the age of 44 -- five days after he was hospitalized for an overdose. Greg had been hospitalized in New Brunswick, NJ after he overdosed on prescription pills last weekend. A source said the overdose was not a suicide attempt. TMZ has obtained what is believed to be one of the last photos of Giraldo -- taken at the Stress Factory comedy club in New Brunswick, NJ on Friday September 24 ... the night before he OD'd. Giraldo was best known for his celebrity roast appearances. He had also been a judge on "Last Comic Standing." A source close to Greg tells us, "Greg passed away today at the hospital in New Brunswick as a result of an accidental overdose. His family was by his side." We're told plans are being made for a public memorial service. More Greg Giraldo Greg Giraldo -- OD'd, But No Suicide Attempt More Today in TMZ History Sharon Stone Scores Restraining … [Read more...] about Greg Giraldo Is Dead

Freestyle skiing legend Sarah Burke -- a 4-time X Games gold medal winner -- died today from injuries sustained during a recent skiing accident. The 29-year-old Canadian crashed hard during a training session at the Park City Mountain Resort superpipe in Utah on January 10. According to reports, Burke went into cardiac arrest shortly after the accident -- but was resuscitated and airlifted to a nearby hospital ... where she underwent major surgery to repair a tear in a major artery. But Sarah's injuries proved to be too severe and she was placed on life support. Sarah's publicist confirms she died today, surrounded by her family and loved ones. She is survived by her husband, fellow freestyle skier Rory Bushfield. … [Read more...] about Sarah Burke Dies — X Games Champ Dead After Skiing Accident

Former " Saturday Night Live " staff writer Joe Bodolai -- who co-wrote the first draft of the movie " Wayne's World " -- has died ... and cops believe the death was a suicide. TMZ has learned ... Bodolai's body was discovered yesterday by a cleaning crew at an L.A. hotel. Law enforcement sources tell us ... Bodolai -- who also co-wrote several " Wayne's World " sketches for SNL ( below ) -- had been staying at the hotel for more than a week. We're told cops recovered a bottle of antifreeze and Gatorade in the hotel room ... and it's likely his death was due to consumption of the toxic chemical. Bodolai had posted what appears to be a suicide note on his blog on December 23 titled, "If This Was Your Last Day Alive What Would You Do?" In the note, Bodolai writes about "Stuff I Would Like to Have Seen In My Life" -- including the Browns winning the Super Bowl and the "truth" about the JFK murder. He also lists "Things I Regret" ... which begins with, "My … [Read more...] about Former ‘SNL’ Writer Joe Bodolai Found Dead — Cops Suspect Suicide