Vanessa Bryant testifies about crash photos
Vanessa
Bryant, 40, is final witness for plaintiffs in a federal trial in a consolidated action filed by her and Irvine financial advisor Chris Chester. . She lost her wife and daughter in the same accident. They are suing the county for unspecified millions of dollars, with Los Angeles County first responders taking cell phone photos of human remains at the Calabasas crash site for their own amusement as "souvenirs." , claims to have shared it with other law enforcement officials and the public..
Plaintiff did not see the photos.
An accident on January 26, 2020 killed nine of him, including the former Lakers star. his 13-year-old daughter Gianna; Chester's wife, Sarah. Peyton, the couple's 13-year-old daughter;
Bryant testified that a first responder who took pictures of his daughter Gianna "raped" her, despite her Sheriff Villanueva's assurance that the scene was safe. She was devastated to learn that such an image had been taken.
She said she continues to suffer from grief and anxiety, given that photos of the crash site will one day surface.
"It's like COVID. Once it spreads, it can't be reversed," she said.
County said all images taken by sheriff's deputies and firefighters were removed by order of their superiors is no longer publicly present on his domain or on the Internet, claiming to be no longer there. However, Bryant and Chester claim that they are tormented by the mere thought of the day these photos will be published in the future.
Chester testified Thursday that his reaction was "disbelief that turned to anger" when he learned that first responders had taken and shared pictures from the crash site with their cell phones. said he learned of the photos of the crash site on his 46th birthday and that they were shown and texted to others at bars and awards ceremonies.
"I couldn't construct a scenario where that would happen," Chester said in response to a lawyer's question. Now I thought there would be pictures [on the internet] of the bodies.”
Defense counsel said during the trial that the photos were posted online for two and a half years after the crash. It has repeatedly been pointed out that it is not. Several county fire and sheriff officers testified in a federal civil trial that they deleted photos of the accident scene that were stored on their cell phones. But that didn't reassure Chester, he said.
"I am terrified every day," Chester testified. Chester described the day he learned that his nine-member jury, including nuns, had lost his wife and daughter in an accident. He left the lacrosse game he was supposed to be playing and drove to Calabasas with his friend.
At the Sheriff's Office in Malibu/Lost Hills, Villanueva indicated that she "understood" that the area had to be "locked down" to keep media and fans away, The crash site is a "delicate and professional" fashion.
When hearing about sharing his photo a month later, Chester testified that he immediately advised his sons:
Plaintiffs' attorneys claim that the images have been circulated to at least 10 people, but no evidence has been presented that the photos still exist or have been published. .
A crash killed his 14-year-old Alyssa Altobelli, along with Chester and Bryant's loved ones. Keri Altobelli, 46 years old. John Altobelli, 56 years old. Christina Moser, 38 years old. and pilot Ara Zobayan, 50. 150} Gigi Bryant
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