The family of Hannah Kobayashi has shared more information on her whereabouts after the 31-year-old Hawaii woman was found alive following her disappearance.
On December 11, Kobayashi's family confirmed in a statement to the Daily Mail that Hannah had been found after she vanished from LAX on November 8.
"We are incredibly relieved and grateful that Hannah has been found safe,” the family’s statement read. “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."
It was reported that Hannah was confirmed to have been "found safe" in Mexico, after authorities revealed that surveillance footage showed her crossing the border into the country independently and they were halting the search for her.
Now, Hannah's sister - Sydni Kobayashi - has revealed in a Facebook post that the family has not seen Hannah in person but has spoken with her over the phone.
“We do not have actual proof of where she is, other than that she is somewhere in Mexico,” Sydni wrote. She added that her sister has made it clear she does not wish to return to Hawaii.
“We have only spoken to her over the phone, and she was allegedly found safe with [our aunt] Larie, but at this time, she does not wish to return to us," Sydni continued, per the New York Post.
“The past 31 days have been absolute hell for us, and I feel they will continue to be for a while, even as we try to transition back to some semblance of normalcy,” she wrote.
Hannah’s disappearance began in early November when she vanished from Los Angeles International Airport. Days later, tragedy struck the family when her father died by suicide amid the search for his daughter -- a loss her family attributed to heartbreak.
“Each day brought the unbearable uncertainty of whether my sister was alive or dead,” Sydni wrote. “Losing my father to suicide during this ordeal was more than my soul and heart could bear. I am human.”
Hannah had sent alarming text messages to loved ones before vanishing, raising fears for her safety and sparking global internet speculation. One of the most concerning theories circulating online was that Hannah had been the victim of a green card marriage scam.
“Deep Hackers wiped my identity, stole all of my funds, & have had me on a mind f**k since Friday,” one text read, according to the New York Post.
“I got tricked pretty much into giving away all my funds… For someone I thought I loved,” another message stated.
Three weeks into the search, police declared Hannah a “voluntary missing person” after surveillance footage showed her crossing into Mexico alone and unharmed.
In her Facebook post, Sydni also criticized how their aunt, Larie Pidgeon, had engaged with the media during the ordeal. She accused Pidgeon of ignoring requests to “respect our feelings and tone down her posts and interviews.”
“There were many occasions when my mother and I requested that Larie respect our feelings… Our priority was finding Hannah, not creating a media circus,” Sydni wrote, adding that she no longer considers Pidgeon part of their family.
For now, Hannah Kobayashi’s location remains uncertain, but her family says the emotional toll of her disappearance — as well as her father’s tragic death — continues to weigh heavily on them.