Missing Hawaii woman, Hannah Kobayashi, has been found safe more than a month after she disappeared, according to the family’s attorney. Her family said in a statement they were “incredibly relieved and grateful that Hannah has been found safe.” Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell told reporters on Wednesday that Kobayashi was unharmed and there was no evidence she was the victim of trafficking. Kobayashi had been declared a “voluntary missing person” after authorities reviewed surveillance video of her appearing to miss her connecting flight from Hawaii to New York in Los Angeles on November 8. She told family members she would sleep at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) after missing the flight. The next day, however, she texted that she was sightseeing in LA, with plans to visit The Grove shopping destination and other places.On November 11, her family reported receiving “alarming” text messages from her phone. Kobayashi’s father, Ryan Kobayashi, traveled from Hawaii to Los Angeles to assist in the search. However, he was found dead on November 24, two weeks after Hannah’s disappearance. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner ruled his death as a suicide caused by multiple blunt-force injuries, leaving his family devastated.
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What happened to Hannah Kobayashi? A timeline
November 8, 2024: Hannah Kobayashi misses her connecting flight in Los Angeles, from Maui to New York. Police said they believe she tried to rebook her flight but the price was too high.
November 9, 2024: Kobayashi is seen at The Grove shopping mall in Los Angeles. She later returned to LAX and called her aunt, who she was due to visit in New York City, to tell her she was trying to book another flight.
November 10, 2024: Kobayashi returns to The Grove and is seen in footage of the LeBron XXII Trial Experience, at the Nike store.
November 11, 2024: Kobayashi returns to LAX. This is the last time her family hear from her. She spent the day with an unidentified man and was later seen leaving the airport with him and boarding the Metro. Police were able to track down the man who they ruled out as a danger. He told officers that he’d had dinner with Kobayashi and they’d discussed their lives. He described Kobayashi as a free spirit but did not appear to be in mental distress.
November 12, 2024: Kobayashi is seen in surveillance footage taking a bus to Mexico. She arrived at the border and crossed into Tijuana on foot around 12 p.m. local time. Her phone had been left in LAX.
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November 24, 2024: Kobayashi’s father Ryan dies by suicide. His body was found in a parking lot near LAX after he flew to help the search for his daughter.
December 2, 2024: Kobayashi is declared a voluntary missing person after police reviewed footage of her crossing into Mexico.
December 11, 2024: Kobayashi is found. Her family confirmed in a statement that she was safe and well and asked for privacy to “take time to heal.”
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GoFundMe for Kobayashi family has raised nearly $50,000
A GoFundMe, set up to assist with the search for Hannah Kobayashi, raised almost $50,000 before her family confirmed she had been found safe today.
The purpose of the GoFundMe was later extended to cover the costs of a funeral for Hannah’s father Ryan Kobayashi who died by suicide during her search.
The GoFundMe, which remains active today, raised $47,472 – 95% of it’s $50,000 goal.
In an update on December 3, after Hannah Kobayashi’s disappearance was ruled “voluntary” by police, her sister Sydni said the family were still “extremely concerned” and were hiring an attorney and a private investigator to locate her.
However, she did offer any donor who wanted a refund, to submit a claim by December 18th which “will be promptly honored.”
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Father of Hannah Kobayashi died by suicide while she was missing
Ryan Kobayashi, center, is surrounded by friends and family while talking about his missing daughter Hannah Kobayashi outside Crypto.com Arena, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024 in Los Angeles. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner confirmed her… Ryan Kobayashi, center, is surrounded by friends and family while talking about his missing daughter Hannah Kobayashi outside Crypto.com Arena, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024 in Los Angeles. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner confirmed her father’s death near LAX Airport as suicide caused by blunt-force injuries.
AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes
Hannah Kobayashi’s father died by suicide during his daughter’s disappearance.
Ryan Kobayashi, 58, was found dead in a car park near Los Angeles International Airport in the early hours of Sunday, November 24, a Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson told Newsweek
He had been in L.A. looking for his missing daughter after she missed her connecting flight from L.A. airport to New York on November 8.
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Los Angeles County Medical Examiner listed his cause of death as multiple blunt force traumatic injuries and ruled the manner of death was suicide.
Kobayashi’s family called his death “a devastating tragedy” in a statement issued via missing persons support organization The Rad Movement.
“After tirelessly searching throughout Los Angeles for 13 days, Hannah’s father, Ryan Kobayashi, tragically took his own life,” the statement said. “This loss has compounded the family’s suffering immeasurably.”
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Kobayashi family received death threats while she was missing
Ryan Kobayashi, center, holds a picture of his missing daughter Hannah Kobayashi outside Crypto.com Arena, Thursday, November 21, 2024 in Los Angeles. Ryan Kobayashi, center, holds a picture of his missing daughter Hannah Kobayashi outside Crypto.com Arena, Thursday, November 21, 2024 in Los Angeles. Damian Dovarganes/AP Photo
Missing persons support organization The Rad Movement said the Kobayashi family had made a formal report to the FBI after receiving threats and made a decision to remove a Facebook page dedicated to locating Kobayashi.
“While Sydni and her mother believe the greater majority of the individuals on this page genuinely care, and are interested in helping find Hannah, the negativity and attacks on their family have become more than they can bear,” the organization said in a post on the page.
“As recent as yesterday, there were threats against their lives and the lives of their small children,” they said in the statement on December 2.
“This has prompted them to make formal reports to the FBI and make the difficult decision to remove this page.”
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Why Hannah Kobayashi’s still listed as ‘missing’ after family confirmed she’s found safe
A missing person is officially stopped being listed as missing when police confirm their safety through a welfare check – typically an in-person contact to verify they are not in danger.
The L.A. Police Department’s missing persons unit said they had not yet seen Hannah Kobayashi, after her family said today she had been found safe.
Kobayashi will still show as a missing person until that safe and well check could be performed, but in this case, the Customs and Border Protection agency may be able to perform it when Kobayashi reenters the U.S. from Mexico.
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‘We don’t have her side of the story,’ say police
A flyer with information on Hannah Kobayashi, currently missing, is displayed Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024 in Los Angeles. Her family received alarming messages from her phone before her disappearance, mentioning fears of identity theft and… A flyer with information on Hannah Kobayashi, currently missing, is displayed Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024 in Los Angeles. Her family received alarming messages from her phone before her disappearance, mentioning fears of identity theft and being “intercepted” on a Metro train.
AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes
L.A. police have said that while Hannah Kobayashi has no legal obligation to speak to them, they are urging her to get in touch.
“Everyone else is very invested in this now, and just what her thought process through all this was and what her end game or goal was,” Detective Franco told People.
Lt. Doug Oldfield, from the department’s missing persons unit, added, “We don’t have her side of the story.”
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Where was Kobayashi found?
The family of Hannah Kobayashi have not confirmed exactly where she was found, police say.
But it is believed she is still in Mexico.
During the investigation into her disappearance, police discovered that she had crossed the border into Tijuana, Mexico on foot, on November 12.
She does not appear to have returned into the United States but she was able to get in touch with her family to confirm she was safe.
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Police ‘haven’t seen Hannah Kobayashi themselves but won’t compel her to see them’
The L.A. Police Department say that haven’t seen Hannah Kobayashi but they “have no reason to compel her to see us.”
Lt. Doug Oldfield, from the department’s missing persons unit, told People that they discovered Kobayashi had been found from her family’s attorney.
“We have not seen her and at this point we have no reason to compel her to see us,” he told the outlet.
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“It’s a big news story so she may decide to come with a lawyer, but she is not obligated to speak to us.”
He added that police do not have many further details about her disappearance.
Who is Hannah Kobayashi?
Hannah Kobayashi has been missing in Los Angeles since earlier in November. Her father died by suicide on Sunday. Hannah Kobayashi has been missing in Los Angeles since earlier in November. Her father died by suicide on Sunday. Instagram
Hannah Kobayashi, 30, is a budding photographer from Maui, Hawaii, whose disappearance last month triggered prompted a massive search.
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She was heading to New York City, from Hawaii, on November 8 for a new job and to visit relatives when she missed the connecting flight in LA International.
Her “alarming” messages over the next few days panicked her family.
When she stopped responding entirely, they reported her missing.
Her father, Ryan Kobayashi, had flown to LA to help with her search but has since been found dead in a car park near the airport.
The LA county coroner’s office gave the cause of death as suicide.
At UH Hilo, ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi is not simply a subject taught in classrooms, it is a living language that connects us to this place, to one another, and to the generations who came before us.
This column is by Pelehonuamea Harman, director of Native Hawaiian engagement at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. In her columns, Pele shares Native Hawaiian protocols on the use of ōlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language), cultural traditions, traditional ways of Indigenous learning, and more. This column is on Mahina ʻOlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian Language Month), celebrated every February to honor the Hawaiian language.Pelehonuamea Harman
Each year, the month of Pepeluali marks Mahina ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, a time dedicated to celebrating and uplifting the Hawaiian language. At the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi is not simply a subject taught in classrooms, it is a living language that connects us to this place, to one another, and to the generations who came before us.
While Pepeluali gives us a focused moment of celebration, the Hawaiian language should not live only within a single month. ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi thrives when it is used every day.
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One of the simplest and most meaningful ways to begin is by pronouncing the words we already encounter daily with accuracy and care. Hawaiian is an oral language carried through voice and relationship. When we take the time to say words correctly, we demonstrate respect for the language and for the poʻe (people) who have worked tirelessly to ensure its survival.
Across our own campus, we have opportunities to do this every day.
Let us honor the names of our places by using them fully:
An attendee at celebrations on May 6, 2023, takes a photo of the new Edith Kanakaʻole mural by artist Kamea Hadar. The mural is located at Edith Kanakaʻole Hall, named after beloved educator Aunty Edith, on the campus of UH Hilo. (Photo: UH System News)
Kanakaʻole Hall, not “K-Hall.” (Formally Edith Kanakaʻole Hall, named after our beloved kumu.)
Waiʻōlino, not “CoBE,” for our College of Business and Economics. (Formally Hānau ʻO Waiʻōlino; waiʻōlino literally means sparkling waters, alluding here to bringing forth waters of wellbeing and prosperity.)
These names are not merely labels for buildings. They carry ʻike (knowledge), history, and meaning. Speaking them in their entirety acknowledges the stories and values embedded within them.
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Using ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi does not require fluency. It simply requires willingness. Each of us already knows words we can begin using more intentionally.
Greet one another with aloha.
Express gratitude with mahalo whenever possible.
Small choices like these help normalize Hawaiian language in our daily interactions and strengthen UH Hilo’s identity as a place grounded in Hawaiʻi.
One of the most common questions I am asked is: How do you respond in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi when someone says “mahalo” to you?
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Here are three simple and appropriate responses:
ʻAʻole pilikia — It’s no problem.
He mea iki — It is just a little thing.
Noʻu ka hauʻoli — The pleasure is mine.
There is no single correct answer. What matters most is participating in the exchange and allowing the language to live through conversation.
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Aerial view of the UH Hilo campus with Hilo Bay in the distance. UH Hilo’s commitment to Native Hawaiian success and place-based education calls on all of us to help create an environment where ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi is visible, audible, and welcomed. (Archive photo)
UH Hilo holds a unique and important role as Hawaiʻi Island’s university. Our commitment to Native Hawaiian success and place-based education calls on all of us to help create an environment where ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi is visible, audible, and welcomed.
You do not need to wait until you feel ready. You do not need to know many words. The language grows stronger each time it is spoken.
So during Mahina ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi and throughout the entire year I encourage the UH Hilo ʻohana to:
Use the Hawaiian words you already know.
Pronounce names and places with intention and care.
Greet others with aloha.
Share mahalo often.
Because when we use ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, we are doing more than speaking words, we are helping to perpetuate and uplift the native language of our home.
E ola ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi. Let the Hawaiian language live.
Hawaii Rainbow Warriors Tread Rosenthal, Trevell Jordan and Louis Sakanoko put up a triple block against BYU Cougars Trevor Herget during Wednesday’s NCAA men’s volleyball match at the Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.
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Kainoa Wade came on strong to lead another balanced Hawaii attack with 16 kills and the third-ranked Rainbow Warriors responded to a rare set loss in a big way to defeat No. 6 Brigham Young 27-25, 23-25, 25-17, 25-18 tonight.
A Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center crowd of 4,800, who showed up for a match scheduled just three weeks ago as a late addition to the schedule, saw Hawaii (13-1) drop the second set despite hitting .538.
UH had full command of the rest of the match and finished the night hitting .460 as a team. Louis Sakanoko added 15 kills, six digs and three aces and Adrien Roure had 14 kills in 24 swings.
Middle Travell Jordan posted a season-high seven kills in 11 swings with four blocks and Ofeck Hazan, who came into the match to start the third set, had four kills and two blocks.
Trent Moser had 18 kills to lead the Cougars (13-3), whose previous two losses came in five sets against No. 4 UC Irvine.
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UH’s loss in the second set was just its sixth of the season and third in its 13 wins. Hawaii has won 10 matches in a row.
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The two teams will play again on Friday night at 7.
