Ryan Kobayashi, the father of a Hawaii woman who went missing in Los Angeles earlier this month, officially died of “multiple blunt force traumatic injuries,” the family confirmed, as the search for his daughter Hannah intensifies.
His family said he had jumped off a parking structure after the strain of not knowing his daughter’s whereabouts caused a mental health emergency. He had flown to Los Angeles from Hawaii two weeks earlier to aid in the search.
“He died of a broken heart,” Hannah Kobayashi’s aunt, Larie Pidgeon, told People on Monday. “We’ve been searching tirelessly. I think it just became so overwhelming for him driving the streets, going to Skid Row and seeing where his daughter could possibly have ended up.”
Hannah’s sister, Sydni Kobayashi, posted an update about their father on Tuesday.
“We are heartbroken to share that my father, Ryan Kobayashi, has tragically passed during the search for Hannah,” she wrote on Facebook. “As we continue searching for Hannah, we also face the unexpected costs of Ryan’s funeral. Donations will now support both the search for Hannah and honoring Ryan’s memory. My mom, Brandi, will handle donations and help me coordinate the search and my dad’s funeral. Your support means the world to us during this unimaginable time. Thank you for standing with our family.”
The family has also tried to quell rumors that Ryan Kobayashi had something to do with Hannah’s disappearance, and Pidgeon noted they did not believe he was lured to his death.
Meanwhile the desperate search for Hannah continues, as the family released a statement aimed at keeping the focus on the missing woman.
“The family of Hannah Kobayashi is urgently pleading with the public to maintain focus on the search for her,” the family said through RAD Movement, a nonprofit organization that helps search for missing people. “Hannah IS still actively missing and is believed to be in imminent danger. It is crucial for everyone to remain vigilant in their efforts to locate Hannah.”
The 31-year-old disappeared more than two weeks ago after traveling from Maui and missing her connecting flight from Los Angeles to New York. She was later seen on surveillance video with an unknown person. Disturbing texts were sent to family and friends from her phone before it was turned off or went dead.
With News Wire Services
