Editor’s note: This story contains discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat at 988lifeline.org.
The sister of Hannah Kobayashi, a 30-year-old from Maui whose family said she was found safe this week in Mexico after she was reported missing about a month ago, posted a long statement on Facebook, saying her sister doesn’t want to return to Hawaii.
Sydni Kobayashi said she hasn’t seen her sister and doesn’t know her exact whereabouts, and only spoke to her over the phone. She said her sister was with their aunt, Larie Pidgeon, who has been active in the search for Hannah.
“We have only spoken to her over the phone, and she was allegedly found safe with Larie, but at this time, she does not wish to return to us,” Sydni said in the statement.
Sydni also said she no longer considers her aunt to be family, and that she provided information “that turned out to be inaccurate or half-truths.” She and her mother asked Pidgeon to “tone down her posts and interviews,” as they felt she was creating a “media circus” that distracted from finding Hannah.
She described the past month as “absolute hell for us” and said the death of her father, Ryan Kobayashi, was “more than my soul and heart could bear.” He had flown from Hawaii to Los Angeles to participate in the search, but on Nov. 22 he was found dead near the Los Angeles airport and the family said he committed suicide.
Sydni wrote on a GoFundMe page, which garnered more than $46,000 in donations, that they were turning off donations and they would return funds to any donor who asked.
On Facebook, she said her mother had kept receipts for how the donations had been spent in the search for Hannah. She also said some donations were earmarked for her father’s funeral expenses.
“As you can imagine, we are all extremely relieved and glad that my sister is alive and seemingly okay, but we also have mixed and overwhelming feelings of exhaustion, devastation, and betrayal,” Sydni said in her statement. “We are kindly asking the public to respect our privacy and offer us grace for a moment as we are still grieving. There is still so much unknown, and so much that still needs to be navigated.”
“In due time, the truth will surface, and we will all get the answers we truly deserve,” said Sydni.
On Nov. 8, Hannah took a flight from Maui to Los Angeles, but missed her connecting flight to New York, where she was supposed to meet up with relatives. After Hannah missed her connecting flight, she sent strange text messages to family and friends, causing them to be concerned for her safety and starting a search.
Earlier this month, the Los Angeles Police Department said Kobayashi intentionally missed her flight and disappeared voluntarily as she sought to “step away from modern connectivity.” Authorities said they obtained surveillance footage that showed her on Nov. 12, unharmed and crossing the border into Mexico.
Here is the full statement: