Kobe & Gianna Bryant’s Bodies Released to Their Family

A week after their sudden passing, Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna's bodies have been released to their family.

Us Weekly reports that the bodies were released by the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office on Saturday.

Funeral arrangements could come together very soon. Los Angeles Mayer Eric Garcetti recently said, “We don't have that date finalized, but we've been talking every day to the Lakers, and most importantly, to (Bryant's widow, Vanessa) as well.”

TMZ reported that a memorial could take place at the Coliseum in downtown Los Angeles to accommodate a large number of people.

Last week, the Los Angeles Coroner's Office identified four of the crash's nine victims —Kobe Bryant, John Altobelli, Sarah Chester and Ara Zobayan — from their fingerprints.

The other five victims — Gianna Bryant, Payton Chester, Keri Altobelli, Alyssa Altobelli and Christina Mauser — were identified through “round-the-clock testing and analysis of DNA.”

After body examinations were performed on Tuesday, the cause of death for all nine victims was deemed to be “blunt trauma.” It is believed that all nine died instantly. The manner of death was ruled an “accident.”

A week ago Sunday, Kobe, Gianna, and the rest of the victims were en route to the Mamba Academy when their helicopter crashed in Calabasas, California.

NTSB spokeswoman Jennifer Homendy told reporters that the chopper was descending at a rate of 2,000 feet per minute, causing a “high-energy impact.”

She also noted that the Sikorsky S-76B helicopter did not have a “terrain awareness and warning system,” or TAWS, which alerts pilots when they are too close to the ground. As of right now, the FAA only requires the system in air ambulances.