Kobe Bryant’s Body Identified by Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office

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As millions of sports fans throughout Los Angeles and the rest of the world struggle to make sense of the tragic death of basketball icon Kobe Bryant, an ongoing investigation into the hows and whys of what transpired is underway.

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To that end, ABC News and Sports Illustrated report that the bodies of all nine victims have been recovered from the crash site and that the five-time NBA champion is among those who have been identified by the Los Angeles Coroner’s Office thus far.

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Per the medical examiner-coroner, fingerprints were used to confirm the identities of Bryant, 41; Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli, 56; Sarah Chester, 45; and the pilot, Ara Zobayan, 50.

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The coroner’s office has yet to officially identify the rest of the bodies recovered from the wreckage, though according to Sports Illustrated, friends and family have identified the remaining victims as such:

Bryant’s 13-year-old daughter, Gianna; Chester’s 13-year-old daughter, Payton; Altobelli’s wife, Keri, and daughter Alyssa; and Christina Mauser, a girls’ basketball coach at a Southern California elementary school.

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During a press conference on Tuesday, federal investigators admitted that it could be months until they’re able to determine the cause of the crash, though early reports point to inclement weather conditions as a contributing factor.

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Prior to departure, Zobayan requested and received permission from air traffic controllers to take flight despite the presence of a dense fog that had grounded other aircraft. In his final radio transmission before the crash, he reported that he was attempting to avoid a cloud layer.

“It was a pretty devastating accident scene,” Jennifer Homendy, a National Transportation Safety Board member, told reporters on Monday during a press conference.

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Our thoughts and prayers are with those affected by this tragedy.