A daughter missing… a father dead

From a missing daughter to a dead father and back again, this unfolding case has remained largely under the radar, raising far more questions than answers with each new development.

On Friday, November 8, 2024, 30-year-old Hannah Kobayashi left Hawaii on a trip to NYC — a trip she had planned with her then-boyfriend, now ex. Despite their breakup, the two decided to use the flights they had already booked, agreeing to go their separate ways once they arrived in New York.

Her travel plans included a layover at LAX in California before boarding a connecting flight to JFK in New York. From there, she intended to travel upstate to visit her aunt. However, upon arriving in California, she never boarded the connecting flight to New York.

Over the next three days, Kobayashi was spotted on surveillance cameras at several locations across Los Angeles. In addition, she also made two Venmo payments to individuals her family does not recognize.

During this time, Kobayashi remained in contact with her family and friends. However, many of them suspect the messages weren’t truly from her, as she used language that seemed uncharacteristic, including terms like “hun,” “baby,” and “love.”

Her friends also received unsettling texts, one stating, “Deep hackers wiped my identity, stole all of my funds, & have had me on a mind f**k since Friday,” and another reading, “I got tricked pretty much into giving away all my funds for someone I thought I loved.”

Prior to leaving, her family also recalled her desire to disconnect and stop using social media — but they never imagined it would happen like this.

Kobayashi was last heard from on Monday, November 11. After two days of silence — no calls, texts or social media activity — her mother, father, aunt, and sister traveled to California to search for her. Upon arrival, they filed a missing persons report, which gained attention from local authorities and began circulating in the media.

On Thursday, November 12, Hannah’s family organized a rally in downtown Los Angeles outside the Crypto.com Arena, just before a Lakers game. The event aimed to raise awareness about her disappearance and share their belief that Hannah would never willingly cut off contact or disappear without explanation.

The family tirelessly distributed flyers with Hannah’s face throughout LA, but despite their efforts, no new information about her whereabouts emerged.

However, on November 24, a sudden new development — but not about Hannah. Hannah’s father, 58-year-old Ryan Kobayashi, was found dead at 4 a.m. in a parking lot near LAX.

After further investigation, the death was ruled a suicide, though the exact cause has not been disclosed.

The mystery only deepened. Recent reports reveal that on the day she was last heard from, there is video footage of Kobayashi returning to the airport to request that her luggage, which had originally been sent to New York due to her missed connecting flight, be retrieved. After receiving the luggage, it is believed she then used her passport and cash to purchase a bus ticket at Union Station, heading toward the Mexican border. Surveillance footage later captured her entering Mexico alone on foot “through a tunnel” at 12:13 p.m. on Tuesday, November 12.

Following this development, the LAPD issued a statement confirming that the case is no longer under their jurisdiction, as Kobayashi is no longer in the U.S. They also stated that they would not be contacting Mexican authorities, noting that surveillance footage shows she was traveling alone and of her own free will.

The LAPD has encouraged Kobayashi to reach out to her family and the U.S. embassy to ensure her safety, and they have officially classified her as a voluntary missing person, halting further action on the case for now.

While the case appears to be closed, many questions remain unanswered, including why Hannah left so suddenly without informing anyone, why her father would take his life before learning the truth, whether authorities investigated the individuals she transferred money to, how much was transferred, and what it was for—among many others.

Despite the lack of support from the LAPD, Hannah’s family has continued their own investigation, which has recently uncovered a new lead. Her mother discovered immigration documents at Hannah’s home in Hawaii, including information about an immigration attorney, suggesting that she may have been involved in a green card marriage scam.

While the lead is promising, the family’s attorney has emphasized that “the family has not publicly announced any information regarding an alleged marriage because we do not have the facts or the necessary documents to verify the legitimacy of this information.”

Hannah has not been seen or heard from since she was last captured on surveillance crossing the border on November 12.

Open questions:

She was traveling with her ex boyfriend? Did cops question him?

Why did she go to Mexico?

Her mother found immigration papers— did she marry someone to get them a green card?

Update!

Hannah Kobayashi has been found alive in Mexico. But the details remain murky, at best… more to come once the details of this bizarre case become clear.