Father of Missing Woman Hannah Kobayashi Dead in Apparent Suicide

Ryan Kobayashi, father of Hannah Kobayashi, who has been missing since the beginning of November, died Sunday morning from an apparent suicide.

A statement from the RAD Movement — a non-profit assisting the Kobayashi family in their search for Hannah — confirmed Ryan’s death. “The Kobayashi family endured a devastating tragedy today,” the statement read. “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.”

In a statement shared with Rolling Stone, the LAPD said Kobayashi’s body was found at about 4 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 24, on a stretch of West Century Boulevard near Los Angeles International Airport. “The LAPD has notified the Mayor’s crisis response team and is providing resources and support as needed,” the statement continued. “The Los Angeles Police Department sends its deepest sympathies for the family during this tragic time.”

Ryan had traveled to Los Angeles recently to help find Hannah. He’d spoken with the media on several occasions, too, telling CNN in one interview: “Hannah loved to travel. She loved photography, art, music. I wasn’t too close with her … growing up. We hadn’t had contact for a while. I’m just trying to make up. I’m trying to get her back. That’s my main focus.”

The RAD Movement’s statement said the Kobayashi family is still “urgently pleading with the public to maintain focus on the search for” Hannah. They said she is “still actively missing and is believed to be in imminent danger. It is crucial for everyone to remain vigilant in their efforts to locate Hannah.”

They continued: “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. We kindly ask that you respect the family’s privacy during this period.”

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Hannah’s disappearance has garnered significant attention from the media, as well as on TikTok. She went missing while traveling from her home in Hawaii to New York, where she was scheduled to visit her aunt. Hannah did not board her connecting flight to New York City at LAX on Nov. 8, with surveillance cameras instead catching her leaving the airport and riding the metro to downtown Los Angeles (via The Daily Beast).

Over the next couple of days, Hannah was spotted at a Los Angeles mall and reportedly sent Venmo payments to two unknown people. The last day anybody heard from Hannah was Nov. 11. Her mother texted her to ask if she’d made it to New York, and Hannah replied no. Hannah also sent messages to friends, saying she did not feel safe and thought someone was trying to steal her identity. 

“Deep Hackers wiped my identity, stole all of my funds, & have had me on a mind fuck since Friday,” she texted one friend. In another message, she said, “I got tricked pretty much into giving away all my funds. From someone I thought I loved.” According to friends and family, some of the language used in the text messages didn’t sound like Hannah.

Dial 988 in the US to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The Trevor Project, which provides help and suicide-prevention resources for LGBTQ youth, is 1-866-488-7386. Find other international suicide helplines at Befrienders Worldwide (befrienders.org).