LA County to pay nearly $5 million to Chester family for Kobe Bryant crash scene photos
In a unanimous decision, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors agreed to pay nearly $5 million to the Chester family for the photos taken by first responders following the tragic helicopter crash that killed nine people, including Laker legend Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna.
The board approved the measure in a closed-session meeting and awarded Chris Chester and his family $4.95 million, in addition to the $15 million awarded on Aug. 24.
In total, Chris Chester, whose wife Sarah and his 13-year-old daughter Payton died in the crash, will receive a total of $19.95 million.
Mira Hashmall, an outside attorney representing the county in this case, said the additional payment "resolves all outstanding issues relating to the pending state claims, future claims by the Chester children, attorneys' fees and costs."
"We hope this settlement will help Mr. Chester and his children move forward with their lives," she added.
She also said the county believes the nearly $20 million awarded to the Chester family was "fair and reasonable to all concerned.
The agreement only applies to the Chester family. It is unclear if Vanessa Bryant still intends to pursue her state claims of invasion of privacy stemming from the photos taken at the crash scene.
In August 2022, a federal jury awarded Chester and Bryant's wife Vanessa $15 million, each, for the photos depicting the human remains at the crash site.
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department deputies and county firefighters reportedly took the pictures. The photos were later shown to a bartender and attendees of an awards ceremony, according to attorneys for Chester and Bryant. Additionally, a sheriff's deputy shared the photos with a colleague while they were playing a video game and were reportedly distributed to a small number of deputies and firefighters.
Defense attorneys said that all images were destroyed and no longer exist. The county added that the photos never appeared on the internet nor entered the public domain.
The crash also killed:
- 14-year-old Alyssa Altobelli
- 46-year-old Keri Altobelli
- 56-year-old John Altobelli
- 38-year-old Christina Mauser
- 50-year-old pilot Ara Zobayan
