Police Report Woman ‘Vanished Voluntarily’ After Father’s Tragic Death in Search Efforts | US News
Authorities have revealed that a woman who went missing, prompting her father’s tragic suicide during the search for her, disappeared of her own accord.
Hannah Kobayashi, aged 30, missed her connecting flight from Hawaii to New York in Los Angeles on November 8 and was reported missing days later after sending “alarming” messages to her family.
Her father, Ryan, along with relatives and volunteers, retraced her steps but was found deceased in a parking lot near a Los Angeles airport on November 24.
Police stated that Hannah chose to “step away from modern connectivity” and was last spotted crossing into Mexico with her belongings.
Los Angeles police chief Jim McDonnell assured that there was no indication that Hannah was trafficked or a victim of a crime, classifying her case as a “voluntary missing person.” He added, “We’ve done everything within our means at this point. She’s left the country and is in another nation now,” urging her to contact her family, stating, “A simple message could reassure those who care about her.”
The investigation will remain open until her safety is confirmed, with authorities set to be notified if she returns to the U.S.
Pic: Missing Persons of America
Police mentioned that Hannah had been sighted in the Los Angeles area and requested her luggage be sent back from New York, which she picked up from the airport on November 11, leaving without her phone.
Investigators discovered that she “expressed a desire to step away from modern connectivity”.
Officers have spoken with a man whom Hannah was seen with on a train, describing him as “cooperative”.
Recently, detectives concluded that Hannah intentionally missed her connecting flight, a claim disputed by her sister, Sydni, in a social media post.
CCTV footage reviewed by the police captured her walking alone and unharmed through a tunnel in San Ysidro, located 125 miles southwest of Los Angeles, around midday on November 12.
Ryan Kobayashi. Pic: PA
This revelation follows reports of Hannah’s family receiving “odd and cryptic, simply alarming” texts from her before her disappearance.
These messages indicated that she felt “intercepted” while boarding a train and that she feared someone was attempting to steal her identity.
Her aunt, Larie Pidgeon, mentioned that “she went quiet” once the family began to inquire more.
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According to NBC News, a text from Hannah to her family stated: “I got tricked pretty much into giving away all my funds for someone I thought I loved.”
Following that message, her father traveled from Hawaii to Los Angeles and searched for her for 13 days.
Her family stated that his death “exacerbated the family’s suffering greatly”.
If you are feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal, please reach out to Samaritans for support at 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the U.S., contact the local Samaritans branch or call 1 (800) 273-TALK.
