Missing Hannah Kobayashi’s dad Ryan, 58, found dead in parking lot as search for daughter takes tragic turn
THE dad of missing traveler Hannah Kobayashi has died, according to cops.
Officers in Los Angeles revealed Ryan Kobayashi’s body was found in a parking lot early on Sunday morning.
Police told the ABC affiliate KTLA that his remains were discovered near Los Angeles airport.
Ryan’s death comes weeks after Hannah left Hawaii to embark upon a bucket-list trip to New York.
A family statement, seen by The U.S. Sun, has been shared on a Facebook group set up in a bid to find Hannah.
“The Kobayashi family endured a devastating tragedy today,” it said.
“This loss has compounded the family’s suffering immeasurably.”
Cops have not released an official cause of death, but the family statement said Ryan “took his own life.”
Ryan’s body was found two weeks after Hannah left Hawaii.
Surveillance footage showed Hannah arriving at LAX on the night of November 8, but it appears she missed her connecting flight.
She was supposed to land on the morning of November 9 but failed to show up in the Empire State.
This was despite Hannah planning a schedule outlining the activities she wanted to do while on the trip.
While in New York, Hannah wanted to go to gigs and see family, according to her schedule.
Family members and friends grew concerned when they received a string of cryptic texts from her phone.
She was seen at an event in Los Angeles when she was supposed to be in New York.
Hannah’s mom, Brandi Yee, had messaged the traveler to see if she had landed in New York and received a two-word message that said, “Not yet.”
One message sent from Hannah’s cell phone said she was tricked into giving away money, apparently to someone who she loved.
Other messages appeared to suggest that Hannah was scared.
The disappearance of Hannah Kobayashi
HANNAH Kobayashi, 31, has been missing since she missed her connecting flight to New York.
Friday, November 8: Kobayashi leaves her home in Maui and arrives in Los Angeles for her connecting flight to New York City. She has 42 minutes to make the flight at 11 pm.
Saturday, November 9: Kobayashi is meant to land at JFK airport in New York City at 7am but never arrives.
Sunday, November 10: Kobayashi sends a message saying she’s scared and worried about someone trying to steal her money and identity alongside a number of other cryptic texts.
She’s later seen at an event at The Grove in Los Angeles, about an hour away from LAX.
Monday, November 11: Kobayashi’s phone puts her back at LAX. She posts a picture on her Instagram account. She turns her phone off.
Wednesday, November 13: Family files missing person’s report.
Thursday, November 14: YouTube video of the Nike event at The Grove is posted, placing Kobayashi in Los Angeles
Sunday, November 24: Hannah’s dad Ryan found dead in a Los Angeles parking lot
Hannah’s sister Sydni admitted she was starting to feel uneasy in light of the text messages.
Sydni said the text messages didn’t sound like Hannah.
“I don’t know if it’s her or if someone else was texting,” she told the CBS affiliate KGMB.
“It was just really weird texts.”
Her aunt Larie Pidgeon said the messages sent from Hannah’s phone didn’t sound like her niece.
“Strange, cryptic messages – things about the matrix, it was so unlike her,” she said.
Hannah’s dad, Ryan, had flown to Los Angeles as the search to find his daughter ramped up.
Hannah’s family revealed they saw her in surveillance footage from November 11 and said she didn’t look well.
The traveler was spotted near the city’s Pico metro station and was reportedly seen with another in person in the footage.
Hannah has not been heard from since a ping on her cell phone on November 11.
The traveler’s last-known location seemed like she was at Los Angeles airport.
Her family fears she may have been abducted or trafficked.
“We’re trying to keep hope alive, but it has now been basically a week and a day since Nov. 11 when she was last spotted with this unknown person and didn’t seem to be okay, so our mind is now going to abduction, and, I hate to say the word but, trafficked,” Pidgeon told the NBC affiliate KHNL.
A missing person’s report was filed two days later after family members couldn’t get through to Hannah.
Days before his death, Ryan begged her to reach out.
“I miss her,” he told KTLA.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text Crisis Text Line at 741741.