WEIGHT LIFTED

Missing Hawaii Woman Hannah Kobayashi Has Been ‘Found Safe,’ Her Family Says

Kobayashi’s mysterious disappearance sparked national intrigue and a search before it was revealed she voluntarily entered Mexico.

Hannah Kobayashi, the Hawaii woman whose disappearance sparked a police investigation before she was found to have voluntarily left the country, has reconnected with her family, according to a statement from their lawyer.

The mystery surrounding Kobayashi’s disappearance drew national intrigue and left an indelible mark on those closest to her—the woman’s grief-stricken father, Ryan Kobayashi, took his own life after spending 13 days searching for her in California.

“We are incredibly relieved and grateful that Hannah has been found safe,” read the statement published Wednesday on X by attorney Sara Azari. “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.”

“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,” added the statement, which was signed by her mother Brandi Yee and sister Sydni Kobayashi.

Details of Kobayashi’s reconnection with her family are not yet available.

On Nov. 8, Kobayashi, 31, had failed to board a connecting flight from Los Angeles to New York City, where she was supposed to visit. Until now, her family had not heard from her since then.

She was reported missing by her family on Nov. 11, kicking off a police investigation and search efforts in Los Angeles. But, in a shocking twist three weeks later, police moved to classify Kobayashi as a “voluntary missing person” after video evidence revealed that she was alone, unharmed, and had crossed into Mexico on foot.

Last week, a report emerged that Kobayashi’s mother had uncovered evidence that her daughter may have been scammed out of a sizable sum of money by her ex-boyfriend, and that the payday was earned through a convoluted bogus green-card marriage scheme Kobayashi took part in.

Soon after the news broke, Kobayashi’s mother said in another statement from the family’s attorney that the documents indicating the phony marriage were unverified and that she had turned the evidence over to authorities.

The scheme could explain a cryptic text that Kobayashi had sent to a friend soon before she disappeared. “I got tricked pretty much into giving away all my funds … For someone I thought I loved,” she wrote.

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Liam ArchackiNews Reporter

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