Shocking New Twist in Missing Photojournalist Hannah Kobayashi’s Case Grips the World

The mystery began on November 8, when Hannah landed in Los Angeles from her home on Maui for her connecting trip to New York at 11 p.m. But Hannah never made it, despite apparently booking hundreds of dollars worth of event tickets in the city. She was later observed at a bookshop about an hour from Los Angeles International Airport.

The search for Hannah has taken an unexpected and disturbing turn as police and her family reveal new details about the case. On November 10, two days after missing her trip, a series of mysterious messages were sent from her phone, causing significant alarm among family and friends. In these texts, Hannah expresses concern that someone is attempting to take her money and identity. Hannah’s mother, Brandi Yee, messaged her to see if she had arrived in New York and received a two-word response: “Not yet.” Hannah also wrote an odd text to her pal:” I got tricked pretty much into giving away all my funds to someone I thought I loved.” Another message mentioned a “spiritual awakening” and apologized for acting wild.

Hannah’s phone returned her to LAX on November 11, and she shared a photo of the Nike event on Instagram. Her phone was then turned off. Hannah’s missing person report was filed two days after family members could not contact her. Hannah’s grieving sister, Sydni Kobayashi, has subsequently stated that the texts could have been sent by someone else, admitting that she was beginning to feel nervous in light of them. Sydni told NewsNation that she “feels like someone was controlling her” and that “this is not like her.” Hannah’s aunt Laurie went to Los Angeles with other family members, including Hannah’s father Ryan, as the search for the young woman intensified.

Complex Family Grief:

As the search continued, 17 days after Hannah missed her connecting flight, her father, Ryan, was sadly discovered dead in a Los Angeles parking lot. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner deemed his death a suicide. His distraught family claims he suppressed his feelings while he feverishly looked for his daughter. A GoFundMe page created following Ryan’s death read: “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 was believed to have searched some of Los Angeles’ most hazardous neighborhoods to locate Hannah.

Strange Payments:

In another heartbreaking twist, the United States Sun has revealed how two Venmo payments were made to a man and a woman on November 9th. Her family stated they could not recognize the identities of the people who had wired money. One was at 6:25 p.m. to Veronica Almendarez for an undisclosed sum, with only a bow and arrow emoji in the explanation. The second payment was made less than an hour later, at 7:19 p.m., to a guy named Jonathan Taylor with the description “Reading.” Sources say it was for a tarot card reading, Kobayashi’s “spiritual” interest.