The story of missing Hawaiian woman Hannah Kobayashi has taken another interesting turn. Investigators now classify Kobayashi as a “voluntary missing person.” On December 2, 2024, Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell, told reporters that officers had traveled to the US-Mexico border where they reviewed video surveillance footage.
The video “clearly shows Kobayashi crossing the United States border on foot into Mexico,” seemingly of her own free will.
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Hannah crossed the border on November 12, a day after she sent the last of a string of strange messages to her family members near Los Angeles International Airport, according to People. She arrived at noon local time and crossed the border on foot, using the San Ysidro point of entry tunnel.
“She was alone, with her luggage and appeared unharmed,” McDonnell added. At this time, investigators found no evidence suggesting Hannah “is being trafficked or is the victim of foul play.” Investigators don’t believe she is working with anyone else.
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As we reported earlier, Hannah was supposed to be traveling from her native Hawaii to New York City to visit her mother. She had a layover in Los Angeles. Interestingly, Hannah was on the same flight as her ex-boyfriend. They reportedly planned to take the trip together before they broke up. The two sat separately and didn’t speak to one another on the flight.
The boyfriend, who’s been cooperating with both the family and police, made the connecting flight from Los Angeles to New York, while Hannah did not.
In the weeks after her disappearance, her family flew to LA to look for her. While there, her father, Ryan Kobayashi, died by suicide from multiple blunt force traumatic injuries, the LA County medical examiner confirmed.
The investigation will not continue in Mexico. As such, authorities issued a message to Hannah. “We urge Ms. Kobayashi to contact her family, law enforcement or personnel at the U.S. Embassy to let us know that you’re safe,” McDonnell said.
Investigators discovered that before Hannah‘s flight, she used social media to express a desire to “step away from modern connectivity.” In Hannah’s last message to her family, she mentioned that someone might be trying to steal her money and identity. The last place her phone was located was at 4 p.m. at LAX.
“This like the sister, mother, anyone’s worst nightmare of losing your child,” Hannah‘s mom, Brandi Yee, told KHON in November.
If she does return to the United States, law enforcement will be notified. “She has a right to her privacy and we respect her choices,” McDonnell said. “But we also understand the concern her loved ones feel for her,” he continued. “A simple message could reassure those who care about her.”
