Friends of missing Hawaii woman Hannah Kobayashi say they believe the last series of text messages family and friends received from the photographer's phone were suspicious and “didn't sound like her.” are.
Ariana Ursua, a 30-year-old freelancer based in Hawaii, told the Post: “I texted her and I don't recognize her in the screenshot.” She met Kobayashi in 2017 at the Whole Foods where she worked on Maui.
“All my emails with her include emojis. She has a very unique way of communicating her messages,” Ursua said, adding that Kobayashi usually ends her messages with a heart emoji, a star, or He pointed out that he uses butterflies, waves, rainbows, etc.
He also said that Kobayashi has a “genuine free spirit” but is not someone to just disappear.
“For me personally, I always felt like I could trust her. She's truly one of the most caring people I know. [that she went missing] She would have let it be known. She would have let me know she was texting,” Ursua said. The last time he spoke to his friend was October 17th.
“I don't think she's the one making people worry. She doesn't just ghost out of nowhere. Usually at parties, she makes sure to say goodbye to her friends,” she added.
“She was literally texting me about Burning Man 2025 next year. She was literally posting about New York in October when she was supposed to be there in November. , and I loved making that dream come true.”
Kobayashi flew from Maui to Los Angeles on Nov. 8, and 42 minutes later took a connecting flight to New York City, where she was scheduled to visit her aunt.
Kobayashi and her ex-boyfriend were booked on the same flight and planned to break up once they arrived in New York, said Kobayashi's sister, Sidoni Kobayashi. He told CNN last week.
However, Kobayashi never succeeded in his second flight.
On November 9th, Kobayashi was spotted at a bookstore about an hour away from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell said an investigation determined that the missed connecting flight was “intentional.” The Sun reported.
On November 10th, a YouTube video was released showing Kobayashi participating in the LeBron XXII Trials event held at the Nike Store at The Grove in Los Angeles. Kobayashi shared footage of the event on Instagram.
On November 11, Kobayashi sent an email to her mother saying that she had not arrived in New York. Text messages sent from her cell phone to friends and family on November 11 were also revealed.
“Deep hackers erased my identity, stole all my funds, and have been making me anxious since Friday,” a text message to a friend said.
Another said: “I was tricked into giving away all my funds… to someone I thought I loved.”
Another wrote: “I'm so scared, if love and sequoias were calling me, I'd be there, I'd be led there, like you were before.'' I know… if this doesn’t work out for me, I’ll risk my freedom” Hmph. ”
She also sent a text message to her aunt Pidgeon, who lives in New York, saying, “I just finished a very intense spiritual awakening,” Pidgeon said.
The ex-boyfriend, whose official name has not been released, reportedly arrived in New York.
Kobayashi's former roommate Alisa Peterson, 29, with whom he lived on Maui for three months in 2022, also told the Post she had doubts about the text messages.
“What was most concerning was the use of the word ‘hung’. She does say such loving words, but her message felt kind of cryptic,” Peterson said. Peterson previously ran a floral design company with Kobayashi and last spoke to her on October 5th.
Since Hannah was last heard from on November 11, there has been speculation on the internet about her whereabouts and whether she was brainwashed by a cult or blackmailed by African hackers. There are also suspicions that
Her father, Ryan Kobayashi, 58, died of an apparent suicide on Sunday, November 24, six days after his daughter was reported missing. The Los Angeles County coroner confirmed Monday that he jumped from a parking lot at Los Angeles International Airport while searching for his missing daughter.
“It just feels weird that it’s so incomprehensible.” [the messages are] Considering how inscrutable Hannah is. At least the Hannah I know,” Ursua said. “I hope she's still alive.”
