It’s been two weeks since Hannah Kobayashi, 30, went missing after landing at Los Angeles International Airport and her devastated family are now grieving a second loss
A huge manhunt to find a missing woman has taken a tragic turn after her father devastatingly took his own life.
Hannah Kobayashi, 30, mysteriously vanished two weeks ago during a layover at Los Angeles International Airport, where she was meant to board a connecting flight to New York. The Maui native has not been seen since November 8 and is said to have sent concerning texts to loved ones.
After tirelessly searching for his daughter across LA for 11 days, Hannah’s father, Ryan Kobayashi, took his own life on Saturday night. The 58-year-old died near one of Hannah’s last known locations, with friends now saying he passed away of a ‘broken heart’ as it was ‘too much to bear’.
Hannah’s devastated aunt, Larie Pidgeon, described Ryan as kind and sensitive, telling Mail Online: “He just broke… he died of a broken heart. There’s no foul play. It’s a tragedy. He had been searching for 11 days, very minimal sleep – going into areas of downtown Los Angeles, seeing the sex workers and Skid Row – and we believe as the days continued to pass, it became too much for him to bear and he took his own life.”
As the Kobayashi family navigates a traumatic second loss, they are even more determined to find Hannah. A heartbreaking statement issued by her loved ones on the Help Us Find Hannah Facebook page today has urged the public to “remain vigilent”. It reads: “The family of Hannah Kobayashi is urgently pleading with the public to maintain focus on the search for her. Hannah IS still actively missing and is believed to be in imminent danger.”
Hannah’s relatives also shared her spine-chilling last message to them. They wrote on Facebook: “Hannah’s last message to us was alarming – she mentioned feeling scared and that someone might be trying to steal her money and identity. She hasn’t been heard from since, and we are gravely concerned for her safety.” The Hawaiian aspiring photographer is also said to have told a friend she discovered a “spiritual awakening”.
Hannah had made plans to visit her aunt in New York and took a flight from Maui to LA on November 8. She was supposed to travel to JKF International Airport that same day, but did not board the connecting flight. Hannah was travelling with her ex-boyfriend but they agreed to go separate ways in NY, her sister Sydni Kobayashi told CNN.
On November 9, Hannah was spotted at a bookstore at The Grove shopping centre in LA. She then sent a payment to two people whose names the family did not recognise. The following day, Hannah attended the LeBron XXII Trial Experience at the Nike store in the same shopping centre.
On November 11, she told her mother by text that she did not make it to NY. She also told a friend she did not feel safe. One message read: “Deep hackers wiped my identity, stole all of my funds, and have had me on a mind f**k since Friday.” Another read: “I got tricked pretty much into giving away all my funds. For someone I thought I loved.”
That day, CCTV footage showed Hannah around the Pico Metro Station with an unidentified person around 10pm. Describing the sighting, her family said, “it is evident that Hannah does not appear to be in good condition and she is not alone”. The next day, the Los Angeles Police Department launched a missing person’s campaign.
If you’re struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively, you can email jo@samaritans.org or visit their site to find your local branch.
