Kobe and Gianna Bryant's Bodies Reportedly Released by Coroner

The bodies of Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna have reportedly been released by the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner. The Blast reported on Sunday that the father and daughter's remains have been turned over to their family ahead of funeral and memorial services. The bodies were released due to the fact that their identities and cause of death were determined earlier this week.

The pair were two of nine people who perished in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26. The causes of death for all individuals was listed as "blunt trauma."

"Furthermore, on Tuesday body examinations were performed on all nine decedents," the office said in a Wednesday statement. "Their causes of death were certified as blunt trauma. The manner of death was certified as accident."

The other victims of the accident were: John Altobelli, 56; Keri Altobelli, 46; Alyssa Altobelli, 14; Christina Mauser, 38; Sarah Chester, 45, Payton Chester, 13, and Ara Zobayan, who was the pilot. Vanessa Bryant, the wife of Bryant and Gianna's mother, has set up a donation fund to help pay for expenses for the victims' families, and donation information can be found at MambaOnThree.org.

Vanessa also recently broke her silence on the tragedy in the form of an Instagram post uploaded on Wednesday. She penned an emotional message about the loss alongside a family photo.

"My girls and I want to thank the millions of people who've shown support and love during this horrific time," Vanessa wrote. "Thank you for all the prayers. We definitely need them. We are completely devastated by the sudden loss of my adoring husband, Kobe — the amazing father of our children; and my beautiful, sweet Gianna — a loving, thoughtful, and wonderful daughter, and amazing sister to Natalia, Bianka, and Capri.
We are also devastated for the families who lost their loved ones on Sunday, and we share in their grief intimately.

"There aren't enough words to describe our pain right now. I take comfort in knowing that Kobe and Gigi both knew that they were so deeply loved. We were so incredibly blessed to have them in our lives. I wish they were here with us forever. They were our beautiful blessings taken from us too soon. I'm not sure what our lives hold beyond today, and it's impossible to imagine life without them. But we wake up each day, trying to keep pushing because Kobe, and our baby girl, Gigi, are shining on us to light the way. Our love for them is endless — and that's to say, immeasurable. I just wish I could hug them, kiss them and bless them. Have them here with us, forever.

"Thank you for sharing your joy, your grief and your support with us. We ask that you grant us the respect and privacy we will need to navigate this new reality."

Vanessa closed by writing, "Thank you so much for lifting us up in your prayers, and for loving Kobe, Gigi, Natalia, Bianka, Capri and me. #Mamba #Mambacita #GirlsDad #DaddysGirls #Family."

This is a developing story.