Hannah Kobayashi disappearance: Sister believes strange texts were not from her, ‘Someone was controlling her’

Missing Hawaii photographer Hannah Kobayashi sent some strange text messages to her family, but her sister believes they may have been from someone “controlling her.” Hannah, 30, mysteriously vanished while heading to New York City. She is believed to have missed a connecting flight to New York and stayed back in Los Angeles.

Hannah’s family reportedly received strange texts from her before she disappeared, one of which claimed she “got tricked into pretty much giving away all my funds.” A follow-up message claimed she was supposedly hoodwinked “for someone I thought I loved.”

‘It feels like someone was controlling her’

Sydni Kobayashi, Hannah’s sister, said she felt the messages were “not like her.” “This is completely out of character for my sister,” Sydni told NewsNation. “Intuitively knowing her and being so close to her my entire life, I just know this is absolutely not like her.”

“Especially with those text messages that she just left that she last sent it just in my mind it feels like someone was controlling her or it might not even have been her,” she added.

The messages were sent just before Hannah’s phone was turned off. Cops are also investigating two suspicious Venmo payments she reportedly made to a man and woman on November 9, a day after she missed a connecting flight to New York.

“We have been made aware and so have the LAPD. It’s in their hands,” Hannah’s aunt Larie Pidgeon told the US Sun.

“We are still focused on Downtown LA. Even though it’s been 15 [days] we still have hope,” she added.

The family’s situation worsened after Hannah’s father, 58-year-old Ryan Kobayashi, jumped to his death during the ongoing search for her. It is unclear what made him take the extreme step.

Discussing suicides can be triggering for some. However, suicides are preventable. If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).