Editor’s note: This article contains discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, you can reach America’s National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988. You can also chat online at 988lifeline.org.
Maui resident Hannah Kobayashi flew from Hawaii to Los Angeles for a short layover on Nov. 8 on her way to visit her aunt in New York City. More than three weeks later, she still hasn’t been seen.
Since then, it has been anything but ordinary, with a massive search and the unexpected death of Hannah’s father in recent weeks.
There have been few new developments in recent days, but what is the status of the case as of Saturday? Let’s take a look at the timeline of events.
Friday, November 8th
Kobayashi, 30, was on his way from Maui to New York City when he boarded a connecting plane at Los Angeles International Airport. According to the Los Angeles Times, she bought the tickets with her ex-girlfriend before they broke up, but since the tickets were non-refundable, she decided to go on the trip anyway.
Hannah Kobayashi seen at LAX on November 8, 2024 (surveillance photo obtained by her family). (viewer image)
According to the newspaper, the two planned to break up after arriving in New York.
However, Kobayashi did not board the connecting flight, which was scheduled to take off at 11 p.m.
Saturday, November 9th, Sunday, November 10th
Kobayashi was found at The Grove on Saturday and Sunday after missing his flight, his family said. Her cell phone was tracked to Los Angeles International Airport after attending a LeBron James event at the shopping center’s Nike Store on Sunday.
That day, she texted her family to say she missed her flight and was scared and frustrated.
Hannah Kobayashi is seen in a Los Angeles surveillance photo obtained by her family. (viewer image)
“She was scared and said someone might be trying to steal her money or her identity,” said her aunt, Larry Pidgeon. “Weird, cryptic messages, things about the Matrix, things that weren’t like her at all. And all of a sudden, we couldn’t get in touch.”
She was last seen with an unknown person at the Pico subway station near the Crypto.com Arena around 10pm on November 11th.
As the search for Kobayashi intensified, police said he was 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighed about 140 pounds, had brown hair, brown eyes, and fair skin with freckles.
Sunday, November 24th
The search for Kobayashi continued, with her family traveling to Los Angeles to help with the search and publicly stating that they believed she may have been harmed by another person.
On November 24th, the story took an even more tragic turn. Hannah’s father, Ryan Kobayashi, was found dead in a parking lot near Los Angeles International Airport, where the search was centered.
Ryan Kobayashi attended a vigil held Nov. 21 for Hannah Kobayashi, the daughter of Hannah Kobayashi, a 30-year-old Maui woman who went missing in Los Angeles in early November. There is. (KTLA)
The Los Angeles Police Department said the man died by suicide.
Ryan spoke with KTLA days before her death in hopes of being able to contact her daughter.
“I miss her,” he said. “I just want her to know about it and reach out to her, whatever.”
A surprising turn of events adds to the family’s tragedy.
Tuesday, November 26th
On Tuesday, Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said the department determined she intentionally missed her flight to New York, USA Today reported.
“My heart goes out to the Kobayashi family at this time of unimaginable sadness,” McDonnell told the Los Angeles Police Commission. “We remain committed to locating Hannah and helping her family overcome this tragedy.”
Saturday, November 30th
Hannah’s sister, Sidoni Kobayashi, and her mother released a statement on Facebook Saturday night claiming that investigators had reported inaccurate information about the case, and that the new developments were a sign of conflict between police and the family. He claimed that there was a lack of communication.
“We are doing everything in our power to find Hannah. Based on intelligence, surveillance footage reviewed, and information shared with us, here are the facts that my mom and I know.
It looks like Hannah didn’t intentionally miss her flight. My mother and I did not learn about the findings that were purportedly presented at a Los Angeles Police Commission meeting until several citizens sent us videos of the meeting. These purported findings have not yet been communicated directly to my mother and me by the Los Angeles Police Department Chief or the detectives involved in Hannah’s case. My mother and I later learned that the police commission was not a law enforcement agency, but rather a five-person commission made up of five civilians who were not directly involved in Hannah’s disappearance. Certain facts contained in that report were inaccurate, such as Hannah’s age. Hannah is 30 years old, not 23. Also, as stated by the Los Angeles Police Department chief, Hanna was reported missing to law enforcement on November 11th, not November 13th.
The lack of communication regarding some important details has left us feeling excluded from potentially important developments. However, we remain hopeful and optimistic that the Los Angeles Police Department will do everything in its power to assist in the search for Hannah.
We are devastated by Hannah’s disappearance and the death of her father, Ryan. It’s completely impossible for Hannah to disappear without a trace. We remain deeply concerned for Hannah’s safety, well-being, and her current mental state.
Hannah, if you see this, please know that we will not give up or stop searching until we find you. We know that we would never do this of our own volition unless we felt some kind of threat or were unwell. We know how much you love us all, and we love you deeply.
We will continue to search extensively for Hannah, with a particular focus on the Southern California area, specifically all of Los Angeles, Long Beach, and all of San Diego.
We would like to express our deepest gratitude to everyone who continues to keep our family in your prayers and to everyone who actively contributed to our search efforts.
KTLA reached out to the Los Angeles Police Department for an update on Saturday, but did not immediately receive a response.
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