Timeline of mysterious events as father found dead after flying in to airport where daughter went missing weeks ago
Warning: This article contains discussion of suicide which some readers may find distressing.
The timeline of events leading up to the death of Ryan Kobayashi, the father of missing person Hannah Kobayashi, has been revealed.
The 58-year-old father flew out to Los Angeles days after her disappearance to help with the search, but was found dead at the bottom of a parking garage on Sunday (24 November), after almost two weeks in California.
Although a coroner has confirmed Ryan Kobayashi's death, the official cause has not yet been confirmed.
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But what exactly happened in the lead up to this tragic event?
Friday, 8 November
Before 10pm
Hannah travels from Hawaii to LAX on the same flight as her ex-boyfriend en route to New York, who'd bought the tickets before they split up.
The 31-year-old photographer can be seen in security camera footage in a black hoodie and colourful sweatpants with headphones, disembarking the aircraft.
11pm
Hannah is supposed to board her connecting flight to New York, but instead misses the flight, with her whereabouts unknown at the time.
Saturday, 9 November
12pm-3pm
Hannah is spotted at The Grove Shopping Mall between midday and 3pm, and was spotted at Taschen Books by staff.
2:43pm
She sends a photo to her aunt, Geordan Montalvo, before returning to the airport, where people believe she'd spent the night, MailOnline reports.
When reaching the airport, she called her aunt again, telling her that she was still trying to get to New York.
Sunday, 10 November
Around 3:30pm
Hannah can be seen in a YouTube video outside an event in Los Angeles held on the 10th, wearing the same clothing.
It was a Nike event featuring basketball player LeBron James, still with the same dark hoodie and headphones.
She also posted on Instagram, sharing a snap of the event with an eye emoji, as per USA Today.
5pm
She was seen talking to a ticketing agent at LAX, but a missing-persons report was filed by her family following 'uncharacteristic correspondence' from her.
Hannah sent out a series of odd text messages, with one reading: "Deep Hackers wiped my identity, stole all of my funds, & have had me on a mind f**k since Friday."
Her mother, Brandi Yee, text her to ask if she made it to New York, to which Hannah replied 'not yet', which came after an early-morning text that revealed she was in a 'spiritual awakening'.
A missing persons poster goes out from the LAPD, who wrote: "Prior to going missing, [Kobayashi] sent a message on November 10, mentioning feeling scared, and that someone might be trying to steal her money and identity. She hasn't been heard from since."
Monday, 11 November
Around 9pm
Hannah was seen boarding an LAX Metro C line at Aviation/Century Station at 9:02pm, transferring to a different train when reaching Rosa Parks Station.
10:03pm
Hannah was seen leaving the Metro Pico Station with an unidentified person, while an anonymous companion said that she got weird messages from the 31-year-old, which read: "I got tricked pretty much into giving away all my funds. For someone I thought I loved."
The family revealed that Hannah's phone was off from 11 November, with her last pinned location being LAX Airport.
Her father landed in Los Angeles on this day.
The family filed a missing person's report, but have been left frustrated with the investigation, according to MailOnline.
Ryan Kobayashi was in California to help with the search for 13 days.
Her ex-boyfriend continued 'cooperating with police' after receiving bizarre text messages from her phone in New York.
Sunday, 24 November
After he flew out himself to help with the search, Ryan Kobayashi, 58, was found dead at the bottom of a car park at LAX airport at approximately 4am on Sunday, according to NBC Los Angeles.
He had been searching for his daughter for almost two weeks, and was reportedly seen on Friday, handing out flyers to Los Angeles residents, asking for any information on his daughter.
Following his death, the Kobayashi family released a statement via non-profit organisation the RAD Movement, saying: "The Kobayashi family endured a devastating tragedy today.
"After tirelessly searching throughout Los Angeles for 13 days, Hannah's father, Ryan Kobayashi, tragically took his own life. This loss has compounded the family's suffering immeasurably.
"What the family needs most in this difficult time is for all communities to rally around them with support, compassion, and prayers. Please be considerate with your comments and posts.
"The trauma they are enduring is profound, and they now face the additional burden of grieving the loss of their family's pillar and navigating next steps."
Ryan spoke with news outlet KTLA on Monday (18 November) in an attempt to reach his daughter, stating 'I miss her', adding: “Just want her to know that, and just want her to reach out — anything.”
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, please don’t suffer alone. Call Samaritans for free on their anonymous 24-hour phone line on 116 123.
Topics: US News, World News, Travel
Joshua Nair