Hannah Kobayashi Update: Police Now Believe Missing Hawaiian Woman 'Intentionally' Missed Her Flight

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Hannah Kobayashi
New York City was Hannah Kobayashi’s final destination from Maui, Hawaii, when she departed Nov. 8. But she had a layover at LAX in Los Angeles, and never made it on her connecting flight. Facebook

As the search for missing Hawaiian woman Hannah Kobayashi enters its third week, police reveal new insights suggesting she deliberately missed her flight at LAX.

Police have uncovered that Kobayashi, who vanished after missing a connecting flight at LAX on Nov. 8, intentionally missed the flight, according to an update provided by LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell during a Board of Commissioners meeting on Tuesday.

McDonnell shared that detectives have been reviewing surveillance footage from key locations and using other investigative methods in their search for the 23-year-old woman, revealed The Mirror.

"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. "Over the next few days, she maintained contact with her family and remained active on Instagram."

Her family, who continues their own search, arrived in Los Angeles on Nov. 13 after losing contact with Hannah, filing a missing persons report shortly thereafter.

In the most recent development, on Sunday, Ryan Kobayashi, Hannah's father, was found dead in a parking lot in Downtown Los Angeles after falling from a parking structure. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner later ruled his death a suicide, according to The Mirror.

"Our hearts go out to the Kobayashi family during this unimaginable time of grief. We remain fully committed to locating Hannah and supporting the family as they navigate their way through this tragedy," McDonnell said.

In a separate interview, Hannah's sister, Sydni Kobayashi, expressed concern over text messages sent from Hannah's phone that seemed unusual for her.

One message read, "tricked pretty much into giving away all my funds" to "someone I thought I loved." Another said, "Deep Hackers wiped my identity, stole all of my funds, & have had me on a mind f*** since Friday."

"This is absolutely not like her, especially with the text messages that she last sent," Sydni said. "In my mind, it feels like someone was controlling her. Or it might not have even been her. This whole situation is bizarre. She would never have done anything like this to our family," Sydni added.

Sydni also shared the painful toll the situation took on their father, stating that he "fought until his last breath" to find Hannah. "He deprived himself of sleep, he wasn't eating," she said, fighting back tears. "And he pushed and he pushed and he fought for her like any loving parent would."

After missing her flight, Hannah was seen at The Grove, a popular shopping area in Los Angeles, and later at a LeBron James event in Downtown LA. She was also spotted at a metro stop the next day. The family last heard from her on Nov. 11.

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