Hannah Kobayashi is in Mexico: How much did her family know and when did they know it?

Hannah Kobayashi‘s missing person case took a surprising twist Monday night when the LAPD announced at a press conference that the 3o-year-old willfully entered Mexico on Nov. 12, the day after Kobayashi’s family last heard from her, and three days before she was reported missing. Kobayashi is now considered a voluntary missing person, L.A. police said.

Shortly after she was reported missing, Bay Area Private Investigator Steve Fischer took on the Kobayashi investigation, though he was not hired by the family or California law enforcement. Not long after Fischer announced he was involved in the search, on Nov. 22, Fischer said he would step back from the case because there was ample evidence Kobayashi had disappeared on her own. Fischer has since said he has resumed his investigation after Kobayashi’s father, Ryan Kobayashi, died by suicide after traveling to Los Angeles to join the search.

In the meantime, Kobayashi’s family continued to accept GoFundMe donations and speak openly in the press about their belief that Hannah was in trouble, but details of the LAPD update and what Fischer has since written on X raise serious questions about what Kobayashi’s family knew, and when they knew it.

The LAPD evidence

At the Monday press conference, the LAPD said Kobayashi was seen at an L.A. Metro train station on Nov. 11 with a previously unidentified man and then at a downtown L.A. Greyhound station alone, purchasing an early morning ticket to the Mexico-California border. Police said they identified and spoke with the man Kobayashi was seen with at the Metro station. He cooperated and is not under suspicion, they said. U.S. border camera footage showed Kobayashi crossing into Mexico on foot around noon on Nov. 12, and the LAPD said they would not pursue their search for her in the country.

The Kobayashi case went viral when she landed at LAX from Hawaii on Nov. 8 but missed her connecting flight to New York. Her family said she sent them a series of concerning text messages suggesting she may have been abducted or trafficked while she waited on standby for another flight, but then she disappeared. Since then, there’s been a massive search effort involving the LAPD and her family, as many false leads and dead ends have been looked into.

Steve Fischer’s statement

After the LAPD shared the news that Kobayashi apparently entered Mexico on her own, Steve Fischer shared an update on X, throwing the Kobayashi timeline into further disarray. Fischer wrote the following, “Hannah Kobayashi purchased a ticket for the 6:35 a.m. bus from LA Union Station to San Ysidro and boarded the bus. She was traveling alone and showed no visible signs of distress. She provided ID when purchasing the ticket but stated that she did not have a phone when asked for a contact number.”

Crucially, Fischer says he learned that information from “Greyhound Corporate,” suggesting he knew what happened to Kobayashi when he initially announced he was stepping back from the investigation. Fischer’s post added, “It was time for the truth to come out — too many people were volunteering their time and donating money under false pretenses.”

Kobayashi family statement

After the LAPD confirmed Kobayashi entered Mexico, the public learned the Kobayashis are now represented by celebrity attorney Sara Azari, who shared a statement from the family on X. (In an X comment, Fischer wondered if this meant Hannah had been in contact with her family.) “We are deeply grateful for the urgency and dedication law enforcement has shown in investigating Hannah’s disappearance,” the Kobayashi family statement read in part.

“Our family remains hopeful that Hannah is safe and urges everyone to continue the search. The search is far from over, and we are committed to doing everything possible to bring her home safely,” it added. Before the LAPD announced Kobayashi entered Mexico, they had previously said Kobayashi intentionally missed her connecting flight, which her family denied.

Steve Fischer seems to question whether Ryan Kobayashi took his own life

Meanwhile, Ryan Kobayashi’s cause of death has been officially ruled a suicide after Hannah’s estranged father jumped from a parking structure at LAX, according to the LAPD. The timing of Ryan’s death is suspicious, however, and despite that conclusion, Fischer seems to think there are questions unanswered in that part of the story, too.

On Nov. 29, Fischer noted on X the heavy traffic and surveillance cameras in the area where Ryan died, and that the medical examiner quickly declared it a suicide. “It doesn’t make any sense for him to kill himself not knowing what happened to her,” a comment on Fischer’s post wrote. “Something very strange is going on with this case,” the comment added. “Makes no sense to me either,” Fischer responded. Referring to Ryan, Fischer elsewhere added, “There has to be more to that story.”

Kobayashi’s GoFundMe is still active, although Ryan’s funeral expenses have been added as a cause. After what the LAPD said, those who’ve contributed so far have pushed back on the family. “Return the money to the people who have donated to this fundraiser. Police have already stated she is voluntarily missing. The organizers have withheld information from donors,” one comment said.