Missing Hannah Kobayashi’s pal says her final texts ‘didn’t sound like her’ as mystery surrounding disappearance deepens
THE final text messages from missing photographer Hannah Kobayashi sparked concern from a pal who says they “didn’t sound like her”.
Close friends of Hannah, 30, say something felt off in the days before her disappearance on November 11 as the mystery deepens around her whereabouts.
Hawaii-based freelancer Ariana Ursua has known Hannah for over seven years and has always seen her as a “genuine, free spirit”.
She says when the pair speak over text the conversations are always free flowing, fun and usually contain lots of emojis and symbols.
But messages shared by Hannah’s friends in the final hours before she vanished appear to be drastically different to normal, Ariana told the New York Post.
She said: “I had text messages with her and the ones on those screenshots do not feel like her.
“All the texts I have with her – they have emojis. She has a very distinct way of messaging.”
A string of cryptic messages were sent from Hannah’s phone on November 10 – two days after she missed a scheduled flight to New York.
These messages instantly worried her family and friends as the Maui woman said she was scared about someone trying to steal her money and identity.
One eerie text said: “I got tricked pretty much into giving away all my funds for someone I thought I loved.”
Others talked about the matrix and a “spiritual awakening”.
Hannah’s sister has already made a disturbing statement around the series of creepy messages – revealing she thinks they may be fake.
Sydni Kobayashi says the messages may have been sent by someone else due to the content and style being vastly different to Hannah’s.
Speaking to NewsNation CUOMO, she said; “[It] feels like someone was controlling her.
“Intuitively knowing her and being so close to her my entire life, I just know this is absolutely not like her.”
Her aunt Larie Pidgeon has also said the messages don’t sound like her niece.
The mysterious case has left officers scrambling for information as they continue to investigate.
The 30-year-old photographer failed to get on her connecting flight at Los Angeles International Airport on November 8.
She was then seen in a bookshop an hour away from LAX the next day before she was caught on camera at a Nike event in the city.
By November 11, her phone placed her back at LAX, and she posted a picture on her Instagram of the Nike event.
Hannah’s phone was then turned off for good.
She was last spotted on November 11 at the Metro Pico station in downtown Los Angeles with an unknown man.
Her family watched the footage and panicked after saying she looked in a bad way.
This created fears that Hannah might have been abducted or trafficked.
The family have flown out to Los Angeles to search for Hannah.
Tragically her father, Ryan Kobayashi, was found dead in a parking lot on November 24 as he desperately tried to find his girl.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner ruled his death as suicide.
He died of a broken heart, the family announced.
Eerie timeline for missing Hannah Kobayashi
HANNAH Kobayashi has been missing since she missed her connecting flight to New York
Friday, November 8: Hannah 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: Hannah is meant to land at JFK airport in New York City at 7 am but never arrives.
She is seen at a bookshop at The Grove, an hour away from LAX.
Sunday, November 10: Hannah sends a message saying she’s scared and worried about someone trying to steal her money and identity, alongside several other cryptic texts.
She’s later seen at an event at The Grove again in Los Angeles, attending a Nike event.
Monday, November 11: Hannah’s phone puts her back at LAX. She posts a picture on her Instagram account from the event. Her phone is then turned off.
Wednesday, November 13: Family files missing person’s report.
They are informed she was last seen at Pico Station in Downtown Los Angeles with an unidentified male.
Sunday, November 24: Hannah’s dad Ryan found dead in a Los Angeles parking lot after taking his own life.