Hannah Kobayashi, 31, is still missing after her father Ryan Kobayashi, 58, who travelled to Los Angeles to look for her, was found dead last Sunday (24 November).
His body was found at the bottom of a car park at LAX airport. Los Angeles County Medical Examiner said the manner of his death was suicide.
Hannah Kobayashi, 31, is still missing (Instagram)
Hannah was reported missing after she failed to get on her connecting flight to New York from Maui, Hawaii, at LAX Airport on 8 November.
The photographer was travelling on the same flight as her ex-boyfriend, who purchased the tickets before they broke up.
He has been cooperating with police after receiving cryptic text messages from her phone about a ‘spiritual awakening’.
Hannah was last seen via CCTV at LAX airport, and her friend, Ariana Ursua, 30 told the New York Post that the text messages she received ‘didn’t sound like her.’
The Hawaii-based freelancer – who met Hannah in 2017 at Whole Foods – said: “I had text messages with her and the ones on those screenshots do not feel like her.
Ariana Ursua has been friends with Kobayashi since 2017 (Instagram/@ariafelisha)
“All the texts I have with her — they have emojis. She has a very distinct way of messaging.”
Ariana noted that Hannah’s texts normally end with heart and star emojis.
“I personally have always felt like I can rely on her — she’s genuinely one of the most caring people I know,” the friend added.
“If it was voluntarily [that she went missing] she would have made it known. She would have made it known that she was texting.
“I don’t feel like it’s her to make people concerned. She wouldn’t just ghost out of nowhere. Usually at parties she’s the one that will make sure she says bye to her friend.
Hannah missed her connecting flight (Missing People In America/Facebook)
“She was literally messaging me about Burning Man 2025 next year. She was literally posting about New York in October when she was going in November. She loved dreaming and making those dreams happen.”
Hannah’s aunt Larie Pidgeon told USA Today: “We started getting texts saying that she didn’t feel safe, that someone was trying to steal her funds, that someone was trying to take her identity.
“Weird things, calling us babe, things that weren’t quite the normal way that she speaks.”
One message read: “I got hacked, stripped of my identity, I can’t fly.”
Another: “I got tricked pretty much into giving away my funds for someone I thought I loved. I’ve been on the streets.”
The family issued a heartbreaking statement on the ‘Help Us Find Hannah’ Facebook page on Monday (25 November), ‘urgently pleading with the public to maintain focus on the search for her’.
Featured Image Credit: Instagram/Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
Topics: US News, World News
More than two weeks after she was reported missing, Hannah Kobayashi has still not been found.
So far, developments in the case have only left her loved ones with more questions than answers, and they were dealt a harrowing double blow when her father suddenly passed away.
Ryan Kobayashi, 58, had spent the last fortnight tirelessly searching Los Angeles for his daughter before he was found dead at approximately 4.00am on Sunday (24 November).
The tragedy has only propelled the unusual missing persons case further into the spotlight, however, there have been no major developments as of yet.
Both amateur sleuths and investigators have been piecing Hannah’s last known movements together in the hopes of finding a lead.
Here are the key sightings of the missing 31-year-old which we know so far:
Los Angeles International Airport
Hannah Kobayashi has been missing for over two weeks (California Attorney General’s Office)
Hannah travels from her home in Maui, Hawaii to Los Angeles on 8 November and is seen on surveillance footage in a black hoodie and vibrant leggings after landing at around 9.53pm local time.
She was supposed to pick up a connecting flight to New York following a 42-minute layover, but never boarded the plane as she missed the flight.
The photographer was sharing the same travel itinerary as her ex-boyfriend, who had purchased their tickets while they were still together.
The pair agreed to continue with their travel arrangements but intended to go their separate ways after arriving in the Big Apple, her sister Sydni told CNN.
According to her relatives, Hannah had planned to visit her aunt while also attending a show in Brooklyn on 13 November which she was set to photograph.
Her mother, Brandi Yee, said the snapper had been very excited to tick off one of her ‘bucket list’ destinations while visiting New York.
Taschen bookstore
On the afternoon of 9 November, Hannah was spotted for the first time since leaving the airport.
The 31-year-old was seen visiting a Taschen bookstore in The Grove shopping centre which is situated in downtown LA.
According to her family, Hannah spent a considerable amount of time in there and asked whether she could charge her phone.
Speaking to Fox News, her aunt Larie Pidgeon explained: “She went to the bookstore and asked employees to charge her phone.
“She charged her phone there for an hour and a half while she got food. She even filled out a mailing list with her Hawaiian address, and it’s in her hand writing.”
It is alleged that Hannah then sent two Venmo payments to recipients who her family do not recognise.
The photographer, 31, was seen in various areas around LA before she completely vanished (Instagram)
LeBron XXII Trial Experience
Two days after missing her connecting flight, Hannah was spotted in video footage of a sports event held at the Nike store in The Grove on 10 November.
She was seen in the background of a clip of the LeBron XXII Trial Experience, while she also shared an Instagram post showing she had attended the event.
Hannah was later spotted talking to a ticketing agent at LAX and her aunt was under the impression that Hannah had rescheduled her flight to New York.
“It’s been confirmed that she was trying to basically get a direct flight,” Larie told Fox News. “She was sick of standby.”
But she then began to send a series of bizarre text messages and a missing-persons report was filed by her family following the ‘uncharacteristic correspondence’ from her.
On 11 November, Hannah told her mother she had not yet made it to New York before complaining that she did not feel safe.
In another message to a friend, Hannah wrote: “Deep Hackers wiped my identity, stole all of my funds, & have had me on a mind f**k since Friday.”
A third concerning text also read: “I got tricked pretty much into giving away all my funds. For someone I thought I loved.”
Hannah’s phone last pinged from LAX airport and has been turned off since, Larie added.
Pico Metro Station
On the same day, CCTV footage picked up Hannah near to the Pico Metro station in downtown LA which is close to the Crypto.com Arena, causing further concern for her family.
Her aunt Larie said the video taken on 11 November showed that her niece did ‘not appear to be in good condition’ and that she was accompanied by an unknown individual.
Hannah is not believed to have any connections in LA, so her loved ones have no idea who she could have possibly been with.
Sydni previously told HawaiiNewsNow: “Our entire family knows no one in LA. We try not to think the worst.
“We’re trying to keep hope alive…but our mind is now going to abduction and, I hate to say the word but, trafficked.
“We’re doing the best that we can, but the family at this point is now, we’re having to come to the reality that those things could be a possibility.”
Where is Hannah Kobayashi?
Following the final sightings of Hannah on 11 November, the trail goes cold and there are few clues pointing towards where she might be.
The missing woman – who is 5ft 10ins and around 140lbs with brown hair, brown eyes, fair skin and freckles – has still not surfaced at the time of writing.
Hannah usually wears glasses and has a tattoo of a knife on her forearm.
While wading through the stress of searching for her and the unimaginable grief following her father’s sudden death, Hannah’s relatives urged people not to give up hope on the hunt.
The Kobayashi family released a statement via non-profit organisation the RAD Movement, saying: “The Kobayashi family endured a devastating tragedy.
“After tirelessly searching throughout Los Angeles for 13 days, Hannah’s father, Ryan Kobayashi, tragically took his own life. This loss has compounded the family’s suffering immeasurably.
“What the family needs most in this difficult time is for all communities to rally around them with support, compassion, and prayers. Please be considerate with your comments and posts.
“The trauma they are enduring is profound, and they now face the additional burden of grieving the loss of their family’s pillar and navigating next steps.”
Featured Image Credit: Instagram/California Attorney General’s Office
Topics: US News, World News, Travel, Weird
The sister of Hannah Kobayashi has claimed that the odd messages sent from her phone before her disappearance were being sent by someone else.
Hawaiian photographer Hannah landed in LAX Airport from her home state on 8 November, taking the same flight as her ex-boyfriend, who bought their tickets before the split.
She was meant to board a connecting flight to New York, but missed her flight and was spotted at a shopping mall and a Nike event over the next couple of days.
The timeline of events that followed was odd, as the 31-year-old displayed some out-of-character behaviour before disappearing, according to her family.
A number of key sightings of the American have been outlined, as the search for Hannah continues, nearly three weeks on.
Her aunt insisted that ‘she wouldn’t hide something’ if something happened to her.
Her phone was last trackable on 11 November before going offline for good, after family and friends received a number of weird texts, including one about a ‘spiritual awakening’.
Hannah’s father, Ryan, flew out to LA from Hawaii to help look for her, but was sadly found dead at the bottom of a parking garage on 24 November, which Los Angeles County medical examiner determined was due to suicide.
She was last seen with an unidentified person in Los Angeles, as new evidence recently emerged revealing that Hannah sent some money to two people on Venmo on 9 November, which are under investigation.
But now, Hannah’s sister has made a fresh claim about her final text messages.
Hannah’s sister thinks someone else sent the peculiar texts from her phone (California Attorney General’s Office)
Sydni Kobayashi believes that someone else got a hold of Hannah’s phone, revealing to NewsNation that it felt ‘like someone was controlling her’, as rumours of the 31-year-old being kidnapped continue to circulate.
She continued: “The text messages that she last sent, in my mind someone was controlling her, they might not have even been her.
“So I want to believe law enforcement are doing their jobs.”
Sydni went on, revealing: “Intuitively knowing her and being so close to her my entire life, I just know this is absolutely not like her.”
She also revealed that her family remain hopeful after receiving thousands of tips, and feels that Hannah wouldn’t have run away.
Describing her sister as ‘an amazing and beautiful person’, she added: “We ask that you just give our family some grace.”
Flyers with Hannah’s face have been handed out in LA, as she was last seen there on 11 November (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Sydni further clarified that the names of the people that she transferred money to were not recognised by the family.
One of them was made at 6:25pm to someone called Veronica Almendarez and was noted with the bow and arrow emoji, while another sum was paid to someone called Jonathan Taylor less than an hour later at 7:19pm, with the transaction having the reference ‘Reading’.
Speaking to the US Sun, Hannah’s aunt Larie Pidgeon said that the family and the police had been made aware of the Venmo transactions and it was now up to law enforcement.
She said: “We have been made aware and so have the LAPD. It’s in their hands.
“We are still focused on Downtown LA. Even though it’s been 15 [days] we still have hope. We are also now encouraging people from across the nation to keep an eye in case she has been taken outside of California.
“We are looking at all possibilities, hotels, metros, bus, train stations,” Pidgeon highlighted.
Featured Image Credit: Facebook / California Attorney General’s Office
Topics: Travel, US News, Weird, World News, True Crime
Warning: This article contains discussion of suicide which some readers may find distressing.
The timeline of events leading up to the death of Ryan Kobayashi, the father of missing person Hannah Kobayashi, has been revealed.
The 58-year-old father flew out to Los Angeles days after her disappearance to help with the search, but was found dead at the bottom of a parking garage on Sunday (24 November), after almost two weeks in California.
Although a coroner has confirmed Ryan Kobayashi’s death, the official cause has not yet been confirmed.
But what exactly happened in the lead up to this tragic event?
Hannah Kobayashi was last seen in Los Angeles (Facebook/Sydni Kobayashi)
Friday, 8 November
Before 10pm
Hannah travels from Hawaii to LAX on the same flight as her ex-boyfriend en route to New York, who’d bought the tickets before they split up.
The 31-year-old photographer can be seen in security camera footage in a black hoodie and colourful sweatpants with headphones, disembarking the aircraft.
11pm
Hannah is supposed to board her connecting flight to New York, but instead misses the flight, with her whereabouts unknown at the time.
Saturday, 9 November
12pm-3pm
Hannah is spotted at The Grove Shopping Mall between midday and 3pm, and was spotted at Taschen Books by staff.
2:43pm
She sends a photo to her aunt, Geordan Montalvo, before returning to the airport, where people believe she’d spent the night, MailOnline reports.
When reaching the airport, she called her aunt again, telling her that she was still trying to get to New York.
Hannah (left) wandered around Los Angeles after missing her flight (Facebook)
Sunday, 10 November
Around 3:30pm
Hannah can be seen in a YouTube video outside an event in Los Angeles held on the 10th, wearing the same clothing.
It was a Nike event featuring basketball player LeBron James, still with the same dark hoodie and headphones.
She also posted on Instagram, sharing a snap of the event with an eye emoji, as per USA Today.
5pm
She was seen talking to a ticketing agent at LAX, but a missing-persons report was filed by her family following ‘uncharacteristic correspondence’ from her.
Hannah sent out a series of odd text messages, with one reading: “Deep Hackers wiped my identity, stole all of my funds, & have had me on a mind f**k since Friday.”
Her mother, Brandi Yee, text her to ask if she made it to New York, to which Hannah replied ‘not yet’, which came after an early-morning text that revealed she was in a ‘spiritual awakening’.
A missing persons poster goes out from the LAPD, who wrote: “Prior to going missing, [Kobayashi] sent a message on November 10, mentioning feeling scared, and that someone might be trying to steal her money and identity. She hasn’t been heard from since.”
Monday, 11 November
Around 9pm
Hannah was seen boarding an LAX Metro C line at Aviation/Century Station at 9:02pm, transferring to a different train when reaching Rosa Parks Station.
10:03pm
Hannah was seen leaving the Metro Pico Station with an unidentified person, while an anonymous companion said that she got weird messages from the 31-year-old, which read: “I got tricked pretty much into giving away all my funds. For someone I thought I loved.”
The family revealed that Hannah’s phone was off from 11 November, with her last pinned location being LAX Airport.
Her father landed in Los Angeles on this day.
Ryan Kobayashi has been found dead after flying out to LA to look for his daughter (ABC 7)
The family filed a missing person’s report, but have been left frustrated with the investigation, according to MailOnline.
Ryan Kobayashi was in California to help with the search for 13 days.
Her ex-boyfriend continued ‘cooperating with police‘ after receiving bizarre text messages from her phone in New York.
Sunday, 24 November
After he flew out himself to help with the search, Ryan Kobayashi, 58, was found dead at the bottom of a car park at LAX airport at approximately 4am on Sunday, according to NBC Los Angeles.
He had been searching for his daughter for almost two weeks, and was reportedly seen on Friday, handing out flyers to Los Angeles residents, asking for any information on his daughter.
Following his death, the Kobayashi family released a statement via non-profit organisation the RAD Movement, saying: “The Kobayashi family endured a devastating tragedy today.
“After tirelessly searching throughout Los Angeles for 13 days, Hannah’s father, Ryan Kobayashi, tragically took his own life. This loss has compounded the family’s suffering immeasurably.
“What the family needs most in this difficult time is for all communities to rally around them with support, compassion, and prayers. Please be considerate with your comments and posts.
“The trauma they are enduring is profound, and they now face the additional burden of grieving the loss of their family’s pillar and navigating next steps.”
Ryan spoke with news outlet KTLA on Monday (18 November) in an attempt to reach his daughter, stating ‘I miss her’, adding: “Just want her to know that, and just want her to reach out — anything.”
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, please don’t suffer alone. Call Samaritans for free on their anonymous 24-hour phone line on 116 123.
Featured Image Credit: Sydni Kobayashi/Facebook / ABC 7
Topics: US News, World News, Travel
The family of a missing woman who vanished en route to a ‘bucket list’ trip said they are ‘extremely’ concerned for her welfare after new footage of her final known movements emerged.
Hannah Kobayashi, 31, disappeared in the middle of her journey to New York from her home on the Hawaiian island of Maui, and has not been heard from since 10 November.
She first flew to Los Angeles on November 8, where she was supposed to pick up a connecting flight to the Big Apple the following day – however, she never boarded the plane.
Hannah’s frantic mother, Brandi Yee, explained that her daughter had planned to meet up with her aunt in the US city while ticking off one of her ‘bucket list’ destinations, but she didn’t turn up.
Her relatives reported her missing on 10 November and have not heard from her since then.
More than a week on, her family said they are becoming increasingly worried about Hannah’s whereabouts, especially now new CCTV footage of her has emerged.
According to Hannah’s aunt, Larie Pidgeon, the 31-year-old was picked up on surveillance cameras in downtown LA near a Metro station on 11 November with an unidentified person.
Larie says she was accompanied by an unknown individual and did ‘not appear to be in good condition’.
Hannah Kobayashi, 31, disappeared after arriving in Los Angeles (Sydni Kobayashi/Facebook)
Speaking to the New York Post, the aunt explained that the footage had caused ‘major alarm’ for Hannah’s loved ones and also ‘kind of solidified the family’s suspicion that something has been awry’.
“It has made us extremely worried,” Larie said.
The relative also told KTLA 5: “She is not safe, and she is not alone.”
The development has only exacerbated the fears of Hannah’s family, as she had also sent a series of concerning texts to people before vanishing.
In one message to a friend, the missing Maui woman said she had ‘got tricked into pretty much giving away all my funds’.
Another saw Hannah explain she had been fooled by ‘someone she thought she loved’, while a third read: “Deep Hackers wiped my identity, stole all of my funds, & have had me on a mind f**k since Friday.”
Her sister, Sydni Kobayashi, claims that the texts are ‘really weird’ and unlike Hannah.
She told HawaiiNewsNow: “I personally don’t think that was my sister. It’s weird to me because it doesn’t sound like her, like there’s just something off about it…I don’t know if it’s her or if someone else was texting.”
Her family are desperately trying to track her down (ABC7)
Larie also explained that the family do not have any connections in LA, adding: “She knows no one in LA. Our entire family knows no one in LA.
“We try not to think the worst. We’re trying to keep hope alive…but our mind is now going to abduction and, I hate to say the word but, trafficked.
“We’re doing the best that we can, but the family at this point is now, we’re having to come to the reality that those things could be a possibility.”
Hannah’s phone has been switched off since 11 November, her family claim.
The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed that an investigation into her disappearance has been launched and that the FBI are assisting with the probe.
But Syndi says authorities have ‘not been much help’ so far, while Larie said that Hannah’s relatives are ‘doing their own investigation on the ground’.
They hope that this might ‘put a little bit more pressure on [the police] to do as much as the family’s doing’, especially in the wake of the emergence of the new CCTV footage.
Hannah is described as being 5ft 10ins and around 140lbs, with brown hair, brown eyes, fair skin and freckles.