Hannah Kobayashi Breaks Silence Over 'Missing' Tragedy — Insisting She Was 'Unaware of Everything' After Dad's Suicide… and is Now Focused on Being 'Creative'
Hannah Kobayashi has finally broken her silence after being found safe and admitted her focus was now 'my healing, my peace and my creativity'.
Dec. 17 2024, Published 3:00 p.m. ET
"Missing" Hawaiian photographer Hannah Kobayashi has broken her silence after being found safe and insists she knew nothing about her father's suicide.
RadarOnline.com can reveal the 30-year-old has released a statement, confirming she is now back in the United States after making an unexplained trip to Mexico, which sparked fears she had disappeared.
Kobayashi said she is thankful for the 'kindness and compassion' she has received from well-wishers after she was found safe.
And she admitted to being unaware her father, Ryan Kobayashi, was found dead in a Los Angeles parking garage on November 24 during the desperate search to find her, the family later confirming he died of a broken heart.
She wrote in the statement: "At daybreak on December 15, I crossed the border back into the United States.
"My focus now is on my healing, my peace and my creativity."
Kobayashi was spotted at LAX before disappearing but was also seen crossing the border to Mexico instead of her 'bucket list' trip to New York.
On her family, she added: "I am deeply grateful to my family and everyone who has shown me kindness and compassion during this time.
"I was unaware of everything that was happening in the media while I was away, and I am still processing it all.
"I kindly ask for respect for myself, my family, and my loved ones as I navigate through this challenging time. Thank you for your understanding."
A huge manhunt was sparked on November 11 when she was reported missing by her family, three days after she failed to catch her second flight for Los Angeles to New York, having initially set off from Maui, Hawaii.
Kobayashi insisted she was unaware of her father committed suicide during the desperate search to find her and claims she is attempting to 'process it all'.
The photographer's loved ones had received cryptic and mysterious texts before they raised the alarm. One of the messages said she had been tricked into giving away money to somebody.
It read: "I got tricked pretty much into giving away all my funds for someone I thought I loved."
At the time, her sister Sydni Kobayashi believed someone else could have been behind those messages.
Kobayashi is now back in the U.S. following her unexplained trip to Mexico which was allegedly part of a 'marriage scam'.
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Kobayashi was seen across Los Angeles in the days following her disappearance, including a sighting at Pico Station with an unidentified male.
Her family then traveled to the mainland to search for her, but this took a tragic turn when her father died of suicide.
After scouring LA's Skid Row, an area known for crime and drug use, for nearly a week, Ryan jumped to his death from an LAX parking lot.
The huge manhunt came to an end as Kobayashi confirmed she was safely back in the U.S.
Kobayashi is said to be in California and in good health, but it is unclear where she is staying.
She returned of her own free will, according to reports and a member of the Los Angeles Police Department's missing persons unit, Lt. Doug Oldfield, has now confirmed that her case is closed.
RadarOnline.com revealed last week her disappearance may have been part of a marriage scam as she was allegedly traveling to New York with her "green card husband Alan Cacace" from Argentina.
But the woman's family told last week they are completely in the dark about any bid to dupe immigration officials
