Sahara Ray's body released to family after model's tragic overdose at age 34

Sahara Ray's body has been released to her family following her shock death at age 34 earlier this month.

Ray, who was previously linked to pop star Justin Bieber, was placed on life support at a Los Angeles area hospital following a fentanyl overdose on October 16, a source told the Daily Mail.

Two days later, rhe model's relatives - who 'surrounded' her at the time of her passing - ultimately made the decision to remove her from life support.

In a new development in the tragic story, TMZ reported on Tuesday that an autopsy on Ray has since been completed - allowing her body to finally to be released.

However, officials with the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office have yet to state an official cause of death as they await toxicology results, the outlet claimed.

The Daily Mail has reached out to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office for further comment on the story. 

Ray's mother Gretchen Bach, a real estate agent, told The Daily Mail that the late model 'was an incredibly passionate and kind young woman who loved her family, fashion, her daughter Snow, and surfing.'

Bach added, 'We're feeling the love that is pouring in from her cherished friends, fans and the many communities that she was part of around the world.'

Sahara Ray's ex Mod Sun called the late model 'pure magic' in a poignant October 21 memorial on his Instagram page.

'She was my inspiration before, during, + long after we dated,' Mod Sun said on the social media platform. 'She was a true love of mine. She just saw life differently. I really do think she was just too special for this world.'

He added, 'No amount of words could ever do justice to how pure you were. Life will never be the same without your energy.'

Ray, the daughter of surfer Tony Ray, was initially linked to Bieber in 2016, and established herself as a model and social media star with more than 905,000 followers on her Instagram.

The model, who had studied at The Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM), also had presided over a swimwear brand called Sahara Ray Swim.

Ray more than two years ago spoke publicly about how she'd been diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome after she had been involved in an April 2024 auto accident in which a drunk driver had struck her.

'My whole life changed in an instant,' she said on social media, adding that she had suffered partial paralysis at the time from her thighs to her feet, leaving her to use a wheelchair and walker.

She said that the aftereffects of the accident sent her body 'into shock,' which resulted in 'this crazy sickness.'

Ray added, 'I got really really sick for like a week-and-a-half to two weeks. During that time I barely ate any food because I couldn't keep it down and my body got really weak.'

Ray said she had to be transported to an emergency room after dealing with tingling and numbness in her feet and legs.

'This has been really hard to deal with,' she said, 'and I've been trying to keep a good attitude and be hopeful that my feeling comes back.'