Missing woman ‘disappeared voluntarily’, police say – after dad took own life when he failed to find her

A missing woman, whose dad took his own life after failing to find her, disappeared voluntarily, police have said.

Hannah Kobayashi, 30, missed a connecting flight from Hawaii to New York in Los Angeles on 8 November and vanished days later after sending “alarming” texts to her family.

Her father Ryan retraced her footsteps with relatives and volunteers, but was found dead in a car park near a Los Angeles airport on 24 November.

Overnight, police said Hannah wanted to “step away from modern connectivity” and was last seen crossing into Mexico with her luggage.

Los Angeles police chief Jim McDonnell said there was no evidence Hannah was trafficked or a victim of a crime and classified her disappearance as a “voluntary missing person”.

“We’ve basically done everything we can do at this point. She’s left the country and is in another nation now,” he said, adding she has a right to privacy but should contact her family.

“A simple message could reassure those who care about her.”

The case will remain active until her safety is confirmed and they will be notified if she returns to the US, he said.

Hannah had been seen around Los Angeles, police said, and had asked or her luggage to be sent back to her from New York – picking it up from the airport on 11 November and leaving without her phone.

Investigators found she “expressed the desire to step away from modern connectivity”.

Officers have questioned a man Hannah was seen with on a train, describing him as “cooperative”.

Last week, detectives determined Hannah missed her connecting flight intentionally, though her sister, Sydni, disputed his statement in a social media post.

CCTV images reviewed by police showed her walking alone and unharmed through a tunnel in San Ysidro, 125 miles southwest of Los Angeles, at midday on 12 November.

It comes after Hannah’s family said they started to receive “strange and cryptic, just alarming” texts from her before she disappeared.

These messages referenced her being “intercepted” as she got on a train and being scared someone was trying to steal her identity.

Her aunt Larie Pidgeon said “she went dark” once the family “started pressing”.

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Sky News US partner network NBC News reported one of the texts received by Hannah’s family read: “I got tricked pretty much into giving away all my funds for someone I thought I loved.”

Shortly after the message was sent, her father flew out to Los Angeles from Hawaii to search for her for 13 days.

The family said his loss ” compounded the family’s suffering immeasurably”.

Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK.