Who was Hannah Kobayashi’s father Ryan? Missing traveler’s dad found dead in parking lot
HANNAH Kobayashi went missing as she embarked on the trip of a lifetime to New York, launching a massive search effort.
Her father Ryan travelled to LA to help authorities locate his daughter — but police confirmed he was tragically found dead on the morning of Sunday, November 25, 2024.
His body was discovered in a car park near Los Angeles Airport (LAX).
As of November 25, cops have not released an official cause of death.
Ryan Kobayashi was 58 years old at the time of his passing.
His body was found two weeks after Hannah left Hawaii.
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Bucket list trip
She had planned to travel to New York on a bucket list trip — but never made it to her final destination.
Kobayashi, 31, traveled to LAX from the island of Maui on November 8, and was supposed to get a connecting flight to New York.
That would’ve seen her land at JFK airport on the morning of November 9, but she wasn’t on the plane.
She was supposed to land on the morning of November 9, but failed to show up in the Empire State.
After missing her connecting flight on November 8, family and friends began receiving strange texts from her saying she was scared and someone was trying to take her funds.
This was despite Hannah planning a schedule outlining the activities she wanted to do while on the trip.
"It was just really weird texts."
Her aunt Larie Pidgeon also 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 family revealed they saw her in surveillance footage from November 11 and said she looked unwell.
The missing traveler was spotted near the city's Pico metro station — she was reportedly with another in person in the video.
A family statement, which was shared on a Facebook group set up in a bid to find Hannah, was seen by The U.S. Sun.
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"The Kobayashi family endured a devastating tragedy today," it said.
"This loss has compounded the family's suffering immeasurably."