Photo: Getty Images
The father of Hannah Kobayashi, the missing Hawaiian woman who disappeared after missing her connecting flight to New York from Los Angeles, was found dead at Los Angeles International Airport early Sunday (November 24) morning, NBC Los Angeles reports.
Ryan Kobayashi, 58, died by suicide after jumping off a parking structure near the airport at around 4:00 a.m. local time. The Kobayashi family issued a statement through the RAD Movement, a nonprofit organization aiding in the search of Hannah and other active missing person cases, following Ryan's death.
“The Kobayashi family endured a devastating tragedy today,” the statement reads via the New York Post. “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.”
The RAD Movement requested privacy for the family as it grieves for Ryan, urging the public to continue its focus on the ongoing search for Hannah, especially after the death of her father. Ryan spoke to KTLA about his daughter's disappearance while in California searching for his daughter last Monday (November 18).
“I miss her,” he said at the time. “Just want her to know that, and just want her to reach out — anything.”
Hannah, 30, flew from Maui to Los Angeles on November 8 and was scheduled to take a connected flight to New York as part of a "bucket list" trip to visit her aunt, but missed the second flight despite surveillance footage confirming she'd landed at LAX. Relatives initially became worried after she sent strange texts before vanishing, which included messaging a friend that she "got tricked into pretty much giving away all my funds" and another claiming she'd been fooled by "someone I thought I loved."
“Deep Hackers wiped my identity, stole all of my funds, & have had me on a mind f**k since Friday,” another message stated.
Hannah's family said the texts were unlike ones she would send.
“She mentioned feeling scared, and that someone might be trying to steal her money and identity,” said her aunt Larie Pidgeon via the New York Post. “Strange, cryptic messages — things about the matrix, it was so unlike her. And then all of a sudden, no more communication.”
Hannah was reportedly spotted at the Grove shopping mall in Los Angeles on November 10 and at a downtown Metro train station with an unknown person on November 11, which was the last time she was heard from in text messages, according to her family.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or text Crisis Text Line at 741741.