After weeks of searching, the once-missing Hannah Kobayashi has finally been found and her family is in contact with her. According to a statement from the Daily Mail, the woman from Hawaii made contact with her family to assure them of her safety.
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"We are incredibly relieved and grateful that Hannah has been found safe," said the statement from relatives of Kobayashi. "This past month has been an unimaginable ordeal for our family, and we kindly ask for privacy as we take the time to heal and process everything we have been through."
The Case Of Missing Hannah Kobayashi
Over a month ago on November 8, Kobayashi disappeared at LAX during her trip to New York City. This "bucket list" vacation led her to officially go missing on November 11 after she missed her connecting flight to New York.
According to reports, Kobayashi had texted her sister telling her she didn't feel safe, and that someone was attempting to "steal her identity and money,"
Kobayashi also sent a message to her friend claiming "Deep Hackers wiped my identity, stole all of my funds, & have had me on a mind f**k since Friday."
Two weeks into the investigation, the missing photographer's father, Ryan Kobayashi, tragically died at 58 years old by taking his own life.
The authorities confirmed that they found the father's lifeless body near LAX. Their investigations concluded that Ryan died from jumping off of a parking structure early morning on November 24.
More Evidence Unfolds
Meanwhile, surveillance footage spotted Kobayashi at the Pico Metro train station in Los Angeles. The video footage also showed her getting on a train with an unidentified person.
The hunt for Kobayashi got even more complex this December. The Los Angeles police claimed that she "intentionally" missed her NYC flight. Her family disputed these claims immediately, saying she would never do something like that.
The photographer apparently "knowingly departed" the airport and took a bus to the US-Mexico border. With this information, the cops closed the probe due to the belief that she left voluntarily. The family continued the search despite the authorities closing the investigation.
On December 6, the family's attorney made a statement detailing new evidence. The clues suggested that the Hawaiian woman may have fallen prey to a green card marriage scam. The Los Angeles Magazine stated that Kobayashi may have gotten married for money before escaping to Mexico.
Now nearly a week later, Kobayashi's relatives released a statement to thank everyone for their help. "We want to express our heartfelt thanks to everyone who supported us during this difficult time. Your kindness and concern have meant the world to us."
These thanks could be concerning the GoFundMe which raised more than $47,000 in support of her search, as well as all the social media videos sharing this missing person's case.
