Kobe Bryant died in 'rapid' manner after crash, was buried at a California cemetery on Feb 7, death certificate shows
A death certificate from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has revealed some new details about the deaths of NBA star Kobe Bryant and his teenage daughter Gianna.
The certificate, obtained by The Blast, states that Kobe Bryant died in a "commercial helicopter crash" and the "time interval between onset and death" cited as "rapid." It also lists the official cause of death as "blunt trauma" and the place of death as "mountainside."
The document states that Kobe Bryant is an "author, producer, and athlete" who has been in the entertainment business for 24 years, and confirms he will be laid to rest at Pacific View Memorial Park in Corona Del Mar, California.
Kobe, 41, Gianna, 13, and seven others, including two of Gianna's teammates at the Mamba Sports Academy and Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli, died after a helicopter carrying them crashed into a mountainside in Calabasas, California, on January 26.
MEA WorldWide (MEAWW) had reported that both Kobe and Gianna were buried following a private ceremony at Pacific View Memorial Park on Friday, February 7, that was attended by family and close friends.
Curiously enough, his death certificate had to be amended to reflect this after it initially said his final resting place would be Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park, where some of the entertainment industry's greatest names, including Marilyn Monroe and Kirk Douglas, are buried.
A death certificate for Gianna lists the 13-year-old as a "coach and student" who had been teaching and playing basketball for three years at the time of her passing. It also confirms her official cause of death as "blunt trauma."
In a previous press release, the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner had said they had identified Kobe Bryant, and three of the other victims, John Altobelli, Sarah Chester, and Ara Zobayan, through their fingerprints. They said the other five victims, Gianna, Alyssa Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, Sarah Chester, and Christina Mauser, required "round-the-clock testing and analysis of DNA."
Body examinations were also performed on all nine victims and their causes of death were certified as blunt trauma. The manner of death was certified as an accident.
Last week, Kobe's widow, Vanessa, confirmed that the public memorial service for the basketball star, Gianna, and the other seven victims would be held at Los Angeles' Staples Center, known lovingly as the 'House that Kobe Built,' on February 24.
The invitation featured 24 butterflies in purple and yellow, which are the colors of the Los Angeles Lakers, and the date, 2/24/20 is similarly significant: the date corresponds with the No. 2 jersey worn by Gianna, the No. 24 jersey worn by Kobe Bryant, and the 20 years he spent with the Lakers.
Tickets for the service are priced anywhere between $780 to $6,534.