Hannah Kobayashi's father shared heartwrenching words about the ongoing search for his missing daughter before his own tragic passing.
The 31-year-old, from Maui, Hawaii, has been missing in Los Angeles since November 11 after failing to get on a connecting flight to New York.
The aspiring photographer shared some posts during her time in Los Angeles, where she'd attended an event at The Grove but her family grew concerned when they received alarming text messages which they said did not sound like Hannah.
Family member Larie Pidgeon wrote on Facebook on November 14: "Hannah’s last message to us was alarming - she mentioned feeling scared, and that someone might be trying to steal her money and identity."
According to The Independent, Hannah allegedly sent a cryptic text to a friend saying she had been “tricked pretty much into giving away all my funds” to “someone I thought I loved".
The 31-year-old was last seen at LAX on November 11th at around 4 PM. A confirmed sighting of the missing woman and an unidentified person boarding a train followed, but she has not been seen since reportedly exiting at Pico Metro station, USA Today reported.
Hannah's father, Ryan, had joined other family members in Los Angeles to help with the search.
He spoke about the search with Inside Edition reporters, expressing his heartbreak over his missing daughter.
"I'm really just twisting and turning for the last week about what's going on," he said. "It just seems like everything's coming at a blur and it's just so overwhelming at times, I wouldn't wish it on anybody."
Watch the interview below:Tragically, the 58-year-old father was found dead in the early hours of Sunday (November 24) morning. The L.A. County medical examiner has now confirmed that Ryan died by suicide.
According to the medical examiner's report as cited by PEOPLE, his cause of death was multiple blunt force traumatic injuries with his location of death listed as a parking lot near LAX airport.
A spokesperson had previously told the outlet that law enforcement was called to the parking structure for "an apparent suicide", with Hannah's aunt and Ryan's former sister-in-law Larie Pidgeon claiming he'd had a mental health emergency brought on by the stress of her disappearance.
In a statement released through a nonprofit group helping with the search for Hannah, the family said: "The Kobayashi family suffered a devastating tragedy today. After tirelessly searching throughout Los Angeles for 13 days, Hannah's father tragically took his own life. This loss has compounded the family's suffering immeasurably," they added.
Pidgeon told CNN that Ryan “died of a broken heart," adding: “As you can imagine, the family is devastated."
A GoFundMe has been set up for Ryan's fiancée Li, in which his niece Emi Ko wrote: "He has been living his absolute worst nightmare, since Hannah’s disappearance, and now, with his passing, our family is grappling with unimaginable grief."
She went on to describe him as "a truly remarkable person who lit up every room with his positivity and kind heart," adding: "Ryan’s love for his family was boundless, and he would do anything to protect and care for his daughters."
Our thoughts are with Ryan's loved ones at this time.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org.
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