The disappearance of 30-year-old Hannah Kobayashi has left her family and authorities scrambling for answers after she missed her connecting flight from Los Angeles to New York on November 8, reported by KHON. While the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) suggests her absence was intentional, her family strongly disagrees.
Hannah’s phone last pinged at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on November 11, three days after she landed. This was also the last day her family heard from her, receiving what they described as “alarming” text messages. Speaking at a Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners meeting on November 26, LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said, “The investigation determined [missing the flight] was intentional.” He added that detectives are actively reviewing surveillance footage and employing various investigative techniques to locate her.
Hannah’s family, however, pushed back against these claims. In a statement shared on Facebook, her sister argued, “It does not appear that Hannah intentionally missed her flight,” adding that they were unaware of the findings shared at the police commission meeting until multiple citizens forwarded videos of it. They also highlighted inaccuracies in the LAPD’s report, such as her age being incorrectly stated as 23 and the date her disappearance was reported.
The lack of communication from the authorities has left Hannah’s mother and sister feeling excluded from critical developments. “We remain hopeful and optimistic that the LAPD is doing everything in their power to assist us in locating Hannah,” they wrote.
Tragically, the family faced another devastating blow when Hannah’s father, Ryan Kobayashi, who had traveled to Los Angeles to search for her, died by suicide on November 24. The L.A. County Medical Examiner confirmed his cause of death as multiple blunt force traumatic injuries.
The family emphasized that Hannah’s disappearance is “completely out of character” and expressed deep concern for her safety and state of mind. “Hannah, if you happen to see this, know that we are not going to give up or stop searching until we find you,” they wrote. “We know this is something you would never do on your own accord unless you felt some type of threat or were unwell.”
The LAPD continues its investigation, while Hannah’s family remains committed to finding her, urging anyone with information to come forward.