This archive report was first published on 10 May 2020.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva personally assured Vanessa Bryant that the family's privacy would be protected at the crash site in Calabasas, California, but in reality, no fewer than eight sheriff's deputies were snapping cell-phone photos of the dead children, parents, and coaches, according to a claim filed by Vanessa Bryant.
The claim, which is a precursor to a lawsuit, was filed on Friday, May 8, 2020, after the Los Angeles Times reported that graphic photos of the crash scene were shared by deputies. Villanueva later acknowledged that he ordered the eight people to delete the pictures.
Vanessa Bryant contends that the deputies took photos for their own personal purposes, rather than for any investigative purpose. The claim also states that a trainee deputy was overheard at a bar discussing the pictures, which led to the sheriff department's knowledge of the photos' existence.
Vanessa Bryant was distressed to learn that the department did not initiate a formal investigation until after the L.A. Times broke the story, according to the claim.
On February 24, 2020, a public memorial was held for Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, where Vanessa Bryant spoke during the service.
