Missing woman’s father Ryan has died in apparent suicide

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

A statement from RAD movement — a non-profit helping the Kobayashi family in their search for Hannah — confirmed Ryan’s death. “The Kobayashi family endured a devastating tragedy today,” the statement read. “After searching tirelessly in 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 StoneThe LAPD said Kobayashi’s body was found around 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 Emergency Response Team and is providing resources and support as needed,” the statement continued. “The Los Angeles Police Department sends its deepest sympathies to the family at this tragic time.”

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

The RAD movement’s statement said the Kobayashi family still “urges the public to remain focused on the search for” Hannah. They said she “remains actively missing and is believed to be in imminent danger. It is critical for everyone to remain vigilant in their efforts to locate Hannah.”

They continued: “What the family needs most at this difficult time is for all of the community to rally around them with support, compassion and prayers. Please be considerate with your comments and posts. The trauma they are going through is profound , and they now face the added burden of grieving the loss of their family pillar and navigating the next steps. We ask that you please respect the family’s privacy during this time.”

Hannah’s disappearance has received a lot of attention from the media as well as on TikTok. She disappeared while traveling from her home in Hawaii to New York to visit her aunt. Hannah didn’t board her connecting flight to New York City at LAX on Nov. 8, where surveillance cameras instead caught her exiting the airport and riding the subway to downtown Los Angeles (via The Daily Beast).

Over the next few days, Hannah was seen at a mall in Los Angeles, reportedly sending Venmo payments to two unknown people. The last day anyone heard from Hannah was November 11th. Her mother wrote to her to ask if she had made it to New York, and Hannah said no. Hannah also sent messages to friends saying she didn’t feel safe and believed someone was trying to steal her identity.

“Deep Hackers wiped out my identity, stole all my money and has been on my mind since Friday,” she wrote to a friend. In another message, she said: “I was tricked pretty much into giving away all my money. From someone I thought I loved.” According to friends and family, some of the language used in the text messages did not sound like Hannah.

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