Hawaii
Missing Hawaii woman Hannah Kobayashi’s sister remembers their dad after he kills himself, ‘You’re with the angels’
The sister of missing Hawaii woman Hannah Kobayashi has shared a touching tribute for their father after his shocking suicide. 58-year-old Ryan Kobayashi jumped to his death during the ongoing search for Hannah, who mysteriously vanished while heading to New York City.
“You’re with the angels, dad,” Sydni Kobayashi wrote on Facebook alongside a photo of Ryan. “I love you and miss you so much. I’m going to continue to stay strong for you. We’re going to find Hannah.”
Ryan was found dead on Sunday, November 24, after he jumped off a parking structure near the Los Angeles International Airport. This was where his missing daughter, Hannah, missed a connecting flight to New York over two weeks ago, according to police, New York Post reported.
Sydni shared the news of her father’s tragic passing on Facebook, writing, “We are heartbroken to share that my father, Ryan Kobayashi, has tragically passed during the search for Hannah. As we continue searching for Hannah, we also face the unexpected costs of Ryan’s funeral. Donations will now support both the search for Hannah and honoring Ryan’s memory. My mom, Brandi, will handle donations and help me coordinate the search and my dad’s funeral.”
Ryan’s family and police do not know what prompted Ryan to kill himself. He spent13 days looking for Hannah.
The disappearance of Hannah Kobayashi
On November 8, Hannah flew from Maui to Los Angeles, where she was supposed to board a connecting flight to New York for a “bucket list” trip and to visit her aunt. However, she missed the flight, although surveillance footage suggested that she landed at LAX.
More surveillance videos have emerged, one of which shows Hannah at the Grove shopping center in the Fairfax District of LA on November 9 and November 10. One video also shows her returning to LAX but not getting on a flight on November 11 before she was spotted near the metro station, as reported by USA Today.
Hannah’s family reportedly received strange texts from her before she disappeared. One message claimed she “got tricked into pretty much giving away all my funds.” “Deep Hackers wiped my identity, stole all of my funds, & have had me on a mind f—k since Friday,” one of the final messages said.
Hannah’s family believes the messages they got from Hannah were unlike her. They filed a police report with the LAPD, LAX authorities and the FBI. Hannah is reportedly 5 feet 10 inches tall and about 140 pounds, and has brown hair and brown eyes. She is fair-skinned with freckles.
Discussing suicides can be triggering for some. However, suicides are preventable. If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).