Missing Hawaiian photographer Hannah Kobayashi intentionally skipped her connecting flight from Los Angeles to New York, investigators say — though her family disagrees.
Kobayashi meant to miss her connecting flight from LAX to New York on Nov. 8, LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said last week, according to ABC 7.
“On Friday, Nov. 8, 23-year-old Hannah Kobayashi missed her connecting flight from LAX to New York, which the investigation determined was intentional,” McDonnell said.
Distraught relatives of Kobayashi vehemently denied McDonnell’s findings, also noting he gave an incorrect age for the missing 30-year-old and incorrect dates for the timeline when she was reported missing.
“Based on information, surveillance footage reviewed and information shared with us, these are the facts known to my mother and I: It does not appear that Hannah intentionally missed her flight,” Kobayashi’s sister Sydni said in a statement.
“The lack of communication surrounding some important details has left us feeling excluded from potentially crucial developments. However, we do remain hopeful and optimistic that the Los Angeles Police Department is doing everything in their power to assist us in locating Hannah,” she added.
After Kobayashi missed her connecting flight to New York on Nov. 8, cryptic details began to emerge about her whereabouts, including suspicious text messages to friends and mysterious Venmo payments to strangers.
Her father, Ryan Kobayashi, flew to Los Angeles to help in the search. His body was found in a parking lot near LAX around mid-November. Authorities determined he died by suicide.
“Our hearts go out to the Kobayashi family during this unimaginable time of grief,” McDonnell said. “We remain fully committed to locating Hannah and supporting the family as they navigate their way through this tragedy.”
