Distraught father Ryan Kobayashis told how his missing daughter Hannah brought joy to so many just two days before he killed himself
The distraught father of missing Hannah Kobayashi said his daughter brought joy to so many just two days before he took his life.
The distraught father of missing Hannah Kobayashi said his daughter brought joy to so many just two days before he took his life.
Ryan Kobayashi, 58, was found dead after jumping from a parking garage in Los Angeles following his daughters disappearance after she missed a connecting flight from her native Maui in Hawaii en-route to New York City on November 8.
Kobayashi had traveled to California to assist in the search for his aspiring photographer daughter, 31, where he handed out missing person flyers to passers-by over a course of 13 days.
Speaking to DailyMail.com on Thursday, he said: ‘We will do everything we can until we have found her. We just need to get the word out there about her.
‘She’s a wonderful person who brings joy to so many people.’
His efforts to locate missing Hannah continued as he helped authorities in their investigations, but in a heart-wrenching tragedy for the Kobayashi family, he was found dead at the bottom of a parking structure in LAX airport at around 4am on Sunday.
Hannah disappeared after sending a series of chilling texts to her loved ones, claiming she had recently undergone a spiritual awakening after she had planned to meet family in New York.
She had taken a flight from Hawaii to LAX on the same plane as her ex-boyfriend, who had booked the tickets for each of them before the broke up. But the duo did not sit together or speak on the flight, according to reports.
Hannah Kobayashi (pictured) went missing after she missed her connecting flight to New York
Her father, Ryan, was tragically found dead in Los Angeles on November 8, after he flew out to assist in the search
The last known image of Hannah shows her outside of a Nike event in Los Angeles
The boyfriend continued the journey to New York and is reportedly cooperating with police following the bizarre final text sent from Hannahs phone about the spiritual awakening.
The family has filed a missing persons report with the Los Angeles Police Department, but have since revealed their frustrations with the investigation.
As of today the police have reached out to family members who last spoke with Hannah, her aunt Larie Pidgeon also told DailyMail.com on Thursday.
We want them to take it a bit more seriously.
We think they realize were not going away and were going to be really loud. Were going to do something until they do something.
I think now they are beginning the process of what we began six days ago.
The entire world is looking for you (Hannah) because thats how special you are.
We are not going to stop until we find you. We love you.
The 31-year-old was spotted in security camera footage disembarking the plane just before 10pm on November 8, and was later seen wearing a black hoodie and multicolored tracksuit pants as she walked through LAX in headphones.
Hannahs original plan was to board a connecting flight to New York at 11pm, but she never made it.
She was instead seen at The Grove shopping mall between midday and 3pm the following day, on November 9.
The missing woman spent some at Taschen Books where she charged her phone before sending an image to her aunt at 2:43pm.
Please help her, if you can. If you know where shes at, or you have the chance to just help her, please. We just want to bring her home, Hannahs mother said
Her family received strange texts from her phone number, leading them to believe they had not been sent by Hannah
This is the last known image of Hannah leaving LAX, after she missed her connecting flight to New York to visit family
Her final post was shared on November 11. It is understood she was attending an event in Los Angeles at the time
Hannah is then believed to have spent the night at the airport where she called her aunt to tell her she was still trying to reach New York.
But in a separate YouTube video taken outside a Nike event featuring LeBron James in Los Angeles on November 10, Hannah can be seen in the same clothing and headphones.
She also shared a post on her Instagram from the event with an eye emoji as the caption.
The next time Hannah was seen was at around 5pm the same day, talking to a ticketing agent at LAX.
Her family then filed a missing persons report during what they described as uncharacteristic correspondence from Kobayashi.
One of her text messages read: Deep Hackers wiped my identity, stole all of my funds, & have had me on a mind f**k since Friday.
Her mother, Brandi Yee, also sent her a text message asking if she made it to New York.
She responded simply: Not yet. Another early-morning text mentioned how she was in the midst of a spiritual awakening.
On a missing-persons poster sent out immediately after, police 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 hasnt been heard from since.
The next day, November 11, Kobayashi was spotted boarding an LAX Metro C line at Aviation/Century Station.
She got on board at 9:02pm, before transferring to a different train at the Rosa Parks Station.
Hannah was finally seen leaving the Metro Pico Station with the unidentified person at 10:03pm.
While Yee and Hannahs sister Sydni Kobayashi believe Hannah left the airport to attend the event based on a series of texts suggesting she had a spiritual awakening and was heading back to the airport, a friend believes otherwise.
The anonymous pal revealed she received strange texts from Hannahs phone that indicated she may be in trouble.
I got tricked pretty much into giving away all my funds. For someone I thought I loved, the messages read.
The family also noted that the young artists phone has been off since November 11 and her last pinned location was at the Los Angeles Airport.
She heard from Hannah. She was at LAX, and she said that she was scared, Yee said.
Sydni further added: She texted her that she was scared and that she couldnt come back home or something. It was just really weird texts.
Both Hannahs mother and sister also believe that the messages did not sound like her and wonder if it was Hannah who sent them.
Yee remarked, Yeah, we share location to which Sydni added: And we know her phones off because it goes straight to voicemail.
Weve been trying to call and call and call, text.
One of Hannahs friends received strange texts from Kobayashis phone - indicating that she may be in trouble
Missing Hawaii woman Hannah Kobayashis sister has shared details of every last known sighting as her family continue their agonizing search
Hannah Kobayashi (pictured) went missing after missing her connecting flight to New York from LAX on November 8
None of the texts are getting delivered. We cant locate her phone.
It remains unclear why she left LAs LAX airport and ventured out into the city 15 miles away but she sent a text to a friend saying she had had a spiritual awakening, and was later seen in the company of a mystery man.
Her father, Ryan Kobayashi, said prior to his death that her former partner had boarded the connecting flight and reached New York.
He also assured that her ex-boyfriend has been extremely responsive and cooperative with the investigation.
A lot of worrying, a lot of confusion. Everything is just a blur it seems because I havent slept well since Ive heard the news, and I really dont know … its just really concerning.
Were just trying to get us as much information as we can, he said.
As the search for Hannah continues following the tragic death of her father, the Kobayashi family said in a statement: The Kobayashi family endured a devastating tragedy today.
After tirelessly searching throughout Los Angeles for 13 days, Hannahs father, Ryan Kobayashi, tragically took his own life. This loss has compounded the familys 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 familys pillar and navigating next steps.
