Ryan Kobayashi, the father of missing Hawaii woman Hannah Kobayashi, died from an apparent suicide while searching for his daughter in Los Angeles. The 58-year-old reportedly jumped from a parking structure near LAX, one of the final places his 31-year-old daughter was seen before her disappearance, according to an initial report by NBC News.
Although the coroner has yet to officially confirm Ryan’s cause of death, his family has disclosed that it was a case of suicide. Ryan Kobayashi, 58, had traveled to Los Angeles to search for his 30-year-old daughter, Hannah Kobayashi, after she failed to board her connecting flight to New York from LAX over two weeks ago.
Tragic Death of a Heartbroken Father
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“The Kobayashi family endured a devastating tragedy today,” wrote the RAD Movement. “After tirelessly searching throughout Los Angeles for 13 days, Hannah’s father, Ryan Kobayashi, tragically took his own life. This loss has compounded the family’s suffering immeasurably.”
“What the family needs most in this difficult time is for all communities to rally around them with support, compassion, and prayers. Please be considerate with your comments and posts.
“The trauma they are enduring is profound, and they now face the additional burden of grieving the loss of their family’s pillar and navigating next steps.”
Hannah, an aspiring photographer, went missing in downtown Los Angeles after failing to catch her connecting flight from Maui, Hawaii, to New York City on November 8.
Hannah’s reasons for leaving LAX and traveling 15 miles into downtown Los Angeles remain unclear. However, she texted a friend mentioning she had had a “spiritual awakening” and was later spotted with an unidentified man.
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Her journey began in Maui on November 8, described in a handwritten itinerary as “bucket list dreams become reality.” She was going to visit an aunt in New York but missed her connecting flight in Los Angeles.
Mystery Continues
Family and friends received a series of cryptic messages from her phone, raising concerns that she may have been abducted or trafficked. On November 9, Hannah reportedly visited a bookstore before returning to LAX that evening.
She told an aunt that arranging another flight to New York was a “nightmare” but assured she was still attempting to reach her destination.
The family confirmed sightings of her the following day. However, on November 11, troubling messages began to emerge, and her phone last pinged at LAX before going silent. “She mentioned feeling scared, and that someone might be trying to steal her money and identity,” said her aunt Larie Pidgeon.
“Strange, cryptic messages — things about the matrix, it was so unlike her. And then all of a sudden, no more communication.”
Ryan, who had been tirelessly searching for his missing daughter for 13 days, was last seen on Friday distributing flyers in Los Angeles, appealing to the public for any information that could lead to her whereabouts.
To support Ryan’s fiancée, Li Jaena, a GoFundMe campaign has been launched. “Ryan was my uncle—a truly remarkable person who lit up every room with his positivity and kind heart,’ the page description reads.
“He has been living his absolute worst nightmare, since Hannah’s disappearance, and now, with his passing, our family is grappling with unimaginable grief.
“Ryan’s love for his family was boundless, and he would do anything to protect and care for his daughters.”