This award almost went to us here at Crime Rant, in a tie for running “The Cynthia Sommer’s Fan Club” story and anything about Melanie McGuire. This brought out the ugly in people, as we received more e-mail from Sommer supporters than any other story we ever covered. The other story that drew almost as much e-mail—most of which claiming she is innocent—was “Melanie McGuire Guilty” and Matt’s initial interest in doing a book about the case (he’s not!).

But then, just when you think you’ve heard it all, and people come up with all sorts of reasons to believe in someone who is obviously guilty, guilty, guilty, in comes an e-mail that makes it all worthwhile: She did it and that is all there is to it. I watched the entire trial. She forged a prescription to knock out her husband and was untruthful about the affair. And of all lawyers, she gets Joe Tacopina, who is very magnetic. Give us a break!

We love this. Direct. Focused. Right to the point.

But the real winner here in this category has to go to the senior producer of NBC’s “Saturday Early Show” who wrote a letter to Broward Circuit Judge Larry Seidlin, who presided over Anna Nicole’s probate case in February, and asked if the Judge Judy wannabe was interested in hosting a new segment on the program called “Morning Justice,” in which he would tackle viewers’ legal problems.

A perfect fit.

Judge Seidlin presided over the Anna Nicole probate case like he was auditioning for his own show –Shameless Larry. The media sucked up his antics with a straw.

TV’s Rita Cosby’s making the rounds today pushing her trashy take on Anna Nicole Smith’s life and death. Her book BLONDE AMBITION was released yesterday. And if you heard some explosions off in the distance, it was the bombshells dropping.

Like, you know, droppings.

Here’s a snimp from a press account by Mike Thomas of the Sun Times:

Among the book’s most shocking allegations, Cosby writes (based in part on an account by Smith’s friend Jackie Hatten) that Smith’s partner-lawyer Howard K. Stern and her baby daddy Larry Birkhead were seen — shirts off, pants down — engaged in sex. The book also alleges that after Stern threatened to reveal their gay relationship, the two men reached a deal that would benefit them both following Smith’s death.

In a nutshell, Cosby claims, Stern got control of Smith’s estate while Birkhead got custody of their now 1-year-old daughter Dannielynn — who’s in line to inherit buckets of Benjamins from Smith’s former husband, the late and loaded oilman Howard Marshall.

Not surprisingly, Stern and Birkhead have vigorously disavowed Cosby’s claims. “None of it is true,” Birkhead told the New York Daily News, which claimed Sunday to have obtained an advance copy of the book. “I’m gonna sue Rita Cosby for it.”

Stern’s litigiousness flared, too. Wrote his lawyer in a statement posted on TMZ.com, “If Ms. Cosby’s book contains the statements being reported in the media and on the Internet, she has taken the coverage to a disgusting new low for which she will be held legally accountable.”

Cosby seemed to take it all in stride. “These guys would sue anyone,” she told the TV tabloid show “Inside Edition.” “I felt like I needed to tell the truth.”

But even the media’s getting squirmy. Threatened with legal action if Cosby made any untrue statements on the air, NBC’s “Today” reportedly canceled a interview with her. And OK! magazine nixed the last part of Birkhead’s lucrative arrangement that compensated him handsomely for exclusive coverage. “It’s unfortunate,” OK! editor Sarah Ivens said in a statement that appeared on E! Online, “but at the moment, my biggest fear is that Larry and Howard may have tricked us all.”

Cosby did manage to find one outlet to sound off Tuesday: She appeared with Bill O’Reilly on her old employer, Fox News Channel.

Lower than low.

That’s what Crime Rant says.

As Cosby’s old buddy on Fox says, what say you?

Like we didn’t know this. But the news came out just now that Larry Birkhead is Anna’s Baby Daddy.

Howard K. Stern, you are NOT the father.

But if you think that it is over, think again. Now, comes the custody fight.

Conspiracy theorists move aside.

Just for a minute.

Anna Nicole Smith died from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs, Florida officials announced.

Broward County Medical Examiner Joshua Perper (what’s wrong with his head, anyway?) and Seminole Police Chief Charlie Tiger released their findings today.

“This case is an accidental overdose with no other criminal elements present,” Tiger said. “There was no evidence of illegal drugs,” Tiger said. “We found nothing to indicate any foul play,” Perper said.

Interesting. She was so doped up half the time, who fed her the stuff? But, like I said, conspiracy theorists move aside.

After all, everyone — especially attorney/vulture Howard K. Stern loved her.

Here’s a good background snip from the AP:

Initially, officials said that Smith’s body showed no serious injuries. Nor, were there any immediate evidence of abuse, either from prescription or illegal drugs found during the autopsy, Perper said last month. He also ordered more sophisticated toxicology reports.

Despite those early findings, rumors continued to swirl around Smith. The medical examiner’s office delayed its findings about the cause of death after methadone and other prescription drugs were found in Smith’s room and there were questions about material on two computers.

Smith’s death became the another thread in the continuing fabric of criminal conspiracy woven around the reality television star.

Her mother, Virgie Arthur, pointedly noted that Smith’s last companion, Howard K. Stern, was present during her daughter’s death and the death of Daniel Smith, Anna’s son. The implication was that Stern was responsible.

Daniel Smith, 20, died September 10 in the Bahamas of an apparent drug overdose. An inquest into his death is pending in the Bahamas.

Arthur sought to bury her daughter in her native Texas, and brought her case to the Florida courts. After almost two weeks of testimony about Smith’s complicated personal life and her frequent use of prescription drugs, a Florida judge rejected Arthur’s efforts and to control the burial.

Technically, the body was awarded to the infant daughter and a court-appointed advocate arranged to bury Smith in the Bahamas. After a flurry of last-minute litigation, Smith was finally buried on March 2 in the Bahamas next to her son.

Next up is the multi-million dollar question: Who is Dannielynn’s daddy? Stern is listed as the father on the birth certificate. Larry Birkhead says he’s the real dad. DNA samples were taken from the child last week. Material was also harvested for DNA testing from Smith’s body.

The answer could come as early as next week:

As Maury Povich would say: “Howard K. Stern, you are NOT the father.”