The autopsy report also revealed that while Kobe Bryant was unrecognizable when they had found him, fingerprints were used to identify him.
Editor's Note: This story was originally published on June 1, 2020.
Kobe Bryant's death shocked the world on January 26, 2020, and after almost four months the details of the fateful helicopter crash are known. Along with him, his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna Maria-Onore, also perished. Their family had held a Celebration of Life for them at the Staples Center on February 24, where Vanessa Bryant, Kobe's wife, and Gianna's mother, broke down into tears while speaking about them.
There were seven other victims of the crash that happened at Calabassas hill. The others who died that day included Payton Chester,13, Sarah Chester, 46, Alyssa Altobelli, 14, Keri Altobelli, 46, John Altobelli, 56, Christina Mauser, 38, and the helicopter's pilot Ara Zobayan, 50, reports PEOPLE. The group was headed to a basketball game at the Mamba Sports Academy's Thousand Oaks location.
"On Jan. 28, the cause of death for all nine decedents was certified as blunt trauma. The manner of death was certified as accident," the autopsy reports state. Earlier, the Los Angeles County coroner had that the cause of their deaths was "blunt trauma,” following an examination of all nine victims on January 28. The report also said that the pilot, Zobayan, had been sober and did not have alcohol or drugs in his system. He had flown the helicopter on a cloudy day and no mechanical difficulty has been detected yet. All nine of the victims passed away immediately after the helicopter slammed into a hillside.
Trigger warning: Description of the accident site
The report draws an honest but cruel picture of what had been found at the crash site. At the site, dismembered limbs, broken bones, and a stench of fuel on what remained of clothing were described, according to ESPN. Once a world-famous basketball player, Kobe's legend remains haloed in the halls of the sports, but that day he had to be identified by his fingerprints after his body was found in the dirt outside the wreckage of the chopper. He had been unrecognizable by face. The drug methylphenidate used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and narcolepsy was found in the NBA legend's system.
"These injuries are rapidly if not instantly fatal," wrote Juan Carrillo, senior deputy medical examiner, in Bryant's report. This could have meant that while he died quickly, it's possible that he was aware of what was happening to them even if it was for a few minutes. He had been wearing "multicolored court shoes" that day. The post-mortem report also said that he had multiple tattoos on his body. He had a crown on his right shoulder and his wife's name, Vanessa, was tattooed atop it. On his lower right arm were the names of three of his four daughters: Bianka Bella, Natalia Diamante, and Gianna. He has one more daughter, his youngest, Capri Kobe, who was only seven months old at the time of the accident.
His 13-year-old daughter, who is known as Gigi lovingly, had been wearing her basketball jersey, which she would have worn to her game had they reached, when her body was found. Her body was found in a ravine on the opposite side of her father's.
Her jersey said "Mamba" on the front and had her last name on the back, said ESPN. Her school Harbor Day School in Corona Del Mar, California, wanted to honor her and thus retired the No. 2 jersey she used to wear. Her basketball teammates, Alyssa and Payton, and their parents, as well as coach Mauser of the Mamba Sports Academy, died. Bryant with the help of Mauser had been coaching the Mambas.
The National Transportation Safety Board still hasn't finished its investigation on what led to the crash though they have said there was no sign of mechanical failure in the Sikorsky S-76 helicopter. A final report is awaited.
Vanessa has filed a lawsuit against the deceased pilot and the helicopter company, Island Express. She received a response from Zobayan's brother, Berge Zobayan, whose court filing said that Bryant and other victims knew of the risks of helicopter flying. So, their survivors aren't entitled to damages from the pilot's estate. Meanwhile, Island Express also washed off responsibility by calling the crash, among other things, "an act of God" and "an unavoidable accident" that was beyond their control.
References:
https://www.staplescenter.com/events/detail/kobegiannacelebrationoflife
https://people.com/sports/kobe-bryant-crash-autopsy-reports/
Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by (L) Harry How; (R) Kent C. Horner
