Vanessa Bryant shares new pic of daughter Capri and book dedication from Kobe a day after release of autopsy reports
Vanessa Bryant, late NBA legend Kobe Bryant's wife, has shared three heartwarming photos on Instagram just one day after the release of autopsy reports of victims of the chopper crash that claimed the life of her husband and daughter Gianna.
One of the photos shows the couple's 10-month-old daughter Capri with Vanessa. See the beautiful photo here.
Vanessa also shared how Bryant dedicated his 2019 book 'Epoca the Tree of Ecrof: Island of the Gods' to her. "For Vanessa. Thank you for always being the Realist to my Dreamer - Kobe Bryant," the loving inscription read. See the photo here. Vanessa dedicated the caption to her husband. "Always learning from the best. ❤️My Boo-Boo, my Dreamer.... [BOOK EMOJI]," she wrote.
And under the picture of Capri, Vanessa wrote the child's nickname. "I love you Koko Bean," she wrote.
Reports released by the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office, obtained by ESPN, put into light how brutal the crash was and described broken bones, dismembered body parts, and a stench of fuel on what remains of clothing that burned.
The identity of Bryant, 41, one of the most iconic sports figures in Los Angeles, had to be verified by his fingerprints after his body was found in the dirt outside the wreckage of the chopper. Meanwhile, his 13-year-old daughter was found in a ravine on the opposite side, per the autopsy. The disturbing report made it clear that Bryant and the other passengers had almost certainly suffered an instant death due to blunt trauma. "These injuries are rapidly if not instantly fatal," senior deputy medical examiner Juan Carrillo wrote in Bryant's report.
Although he was unrecognizable, a forensic examination of Kobe's body noted a tattoo of a crown on his right shoulder, above his wife's name. Autopsy also noted tattoos of names of three of his four daughters, Bianka Bella, Natalie Diamante, and Gianna Maria-Onore, on his lower right arm, and he was wearing his trademark "multicolored court shoes." Examiners found methylphenidate in the basketballer's system. Sold under the brand name Ritalin, it is used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and narcolepsy.
MEA WorldWide (MEAWW) had previously reported how the autopsy found pilot Ara Zobayan had no alcohol or drugs in his system. Toxicology reports had screened and tested for cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, marijuana, and alcohol, reports from the LA County coroner revealed. The pilot had reportedly been told that he was flying too low only moments before the chopper crashed into a hillside due to dense fog and low visibility. In audio footage obtained by The Sun, the controller can be heard saying, "Two echo x-ray you are still too low for flight following at this time." An investigation was launched to see why the chopper had decided to fly in unfavorable conditions when most air traffic had been grounded over the same.
Ultimately, the crash that killed all nine was considered accidental, but the National Transportation Safety Board has not yet concluded what caused it. They said there was no sign of mechanical failure in the helicopter, a Sikorsky S-76. The agency, however, did highlight that it did not have a terrain awareness and warning system, which signals when an aircraft is in danger of hitting the ground. The NTSB has recommended that the system be mandatory for helicopters, but the Federal Aviation Administration mandates it only for Air Ambulances.
Kobe Bryant is the only NBA player whose death caused his team to retire two numbers in his honor. Last month, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. A ceremony to officiate the same was originally scheduled for late August, although that might be postponed until later owing to the coronavirus pandemic.