The family of missing Hawaii woman Hannah Kobayashi say she would never have "intentionally" missed her flight, despite police allegations that the move was deliberate.
Kobayashi, 30, arrived from Hawaii at Los Angeles International Airport on Nov. 8. She was scheduled to get on a connecting flight to New York City, but never boarded.
During a Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners meeting Tuesday, LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said Kobayashi's failure to board her flight was planned on her part.
"On Friday, Nov. 8, 23-year-old Hannah Kobayashi missed her connecting flight from LAX to New York, which the investigation determined was intentional," McDonnell said. "Over the next few days, she maintained contact with her family and remained active on Instagram."
"After receiving concerning text messages and losing further contact, her family traveled to LA on Nov. 13 and filed a missing person report. On Nov. 15, our missing persons unit assumed investigative responsibility. Detectives have been diligently been reviewing video surveillance and employing various investigative techniques to locate Hannah, while her family has continued their personal search efforts," he said, adding that Hannah's father, Ryan Kobayashi, died by suicide at LAX two weeks into his daughter's disappearance.
On Saturday, Hannah's sister, Sydni Kobayashi, and their mother, said they were "unaware about the alleged findings," and disagreed with parts of the investigation announced during the meeting earlier in the week, pointing out the incorrect age and timeline of Hannah's disappearance offered by McDonnell.
"Based on information, surveillance footage reviewed and information shared with us, these are the facts known to my mother and I: It does not appear that Hannah intentionally missed her flight," Sydni wrote on Facebook over the weekend, according to KTLA-TV.
"The lack of communication surrounding some important details has left us feeling excluded from potentially crucial developments. However, we do remain hopeful and optimistic that the Los Angeles Police Department is doing everything in their power to assist us in locating Hannah."
"We are devastated by Hannah's disappearance and now my father Ryan's passing. It is completely out of character for Hannah to simply disappear without a trace. We remain deeply concerned about Hannah's safety, her well-being and her current state of mind," the statement continued.
"Hannah, if you happen to see this, know that we are not going to give up or stop searching until we find you. We know that this is something you would never do on your own accord, unless you felt some type of threat or you were unwell. We know how much you love all of us, and we love you deeply."
