Controversial California private investigator Steve Fischer says Hannah Kobayashi, a Hawaiian woman who vanished after missing her connecting flight at LAX from Maui to New York, may have disappeared on her own.
In one of several X posts related to Kobayashi’s disappearance, Fischer, who was not hired by Hannah’s family or the LAPD but investigated Hannah’s case by choice, said, “A public plea was made to search for Hannah and as a missing persons specialist and search and rescue specialist [I] dedicated two 8-10 hour days searching. As an investigator I asked questions and obtained information and imagery etc. My tweets are my personal thoughts based on the evidence I have seen.”
Hannah arrived with her ex-boyfriend at LAX on Nov. 8 on their way from Maui to New York, where Hannah planned to visit her aunt. Hannah’s ex, who Hannah flew from Hawaii with but did not intend to travel with once they arrived in New York, made the connecting flight, but Hannah missed it and was on standby for another flight for several days. In the meantime, Hannah sent a series of concerning texts to her friends and family suggesting she may have been abducted.
There have also been several videos and still photos of Hannah at various places around LA between Nov. 8 and Nov. 11, the last time anyone heard from her. Her family says a video shows Hannah with someone they don’t recognize and that she Venmo’d money to someone they don’t know. They also suspect because of the tone and language used, at least some of the texts they received were sent by someone else.
” … A very high likelihood that she is still around Los Angeles and alive”
A few days after Fischer took on the case, he shared another X post stating he was stepping back from the Kobayashi search and that there was ” … a strong possibility that Hannah is seeking time alone and may be exploring a spiritual path.” Citing evidence, Fischer says he has LAX security footage showing Hannah deboarding the plane from Maui without her luggage, but other footage shows Hannah left LAX with her luggage.
Fischer wrote, “If her bags were only checked to LAX, then her ticket was only booked to LAX. By law, passengers cannot check their luggage to a destination they are not traveling to. Even if her bags were rerouted, this would mean she filed a report at LAX and remained there for at least 16 hours to retrieve them.”
Moreover, Fischer added he had seen no hard evidence Hannah had been drugged or abducted despite Kobayashi’s family claiming there was proof, although Fischer adds he cannot rule it out. “She had previously expressed a desire to visit the Redwoods in Northern California, citing a deep personal connection to the area,” Fischer wrote. “She even has a close friend posting and encouraging her to continue her path, to stay on her journey,” he added.
Fischer said the search for Hannah should continue but added, ” … the LAPD has classified her as a voluntary missing person. If there were concrete evidence of abduction or trafficking, she would be categorized as endangered, and her case would be handled as an abduction,” and also, “We cannot be certain of her circumstances, and I would be deeply troubled to play a role in returning someone to a situation they may be trying to escape.”
Fischer-related controversies
Fischer has had several controversies in his career, as several online comments and posts from people doubting Fischer’s claims that Hannah vanished on her own have pointed out. But in a follow-up post, Fischer added, “There is more [evidence that Hannah disappeared by choice] that is personal so I wont share but I am entitled to my professional opinion. A family should be searching not controlling the narrative. The narrative is what the narrative is. If you are controlling it it’s not the actual truth. There is also a reason that she is not listed as an endangered missing and there hasn’t been comments from law enforcement.”
An Instagram comment on Hannah’s account supports Fischer’s claim that Hannah may be “exploring a spiritual path,” stating, “Is there concern she might be with a cult? She follows a significant amount of twin flames/similar accounts (as well as the man she venmo’d also follows them). Do we know if anyone has looked into any LA twin flame groups?” although that information has not been verified.
Referring to her missing niece, Hannah’s aunt, Larie Pigeon told CNN, “Our mind is now going to, you know, abduction and, I hate to say the word, but, you know, trafficked. We’re doing the best that we can, but the family at this point is having to come to the reality that those things could be a possibility.” About two weeks after Hannah was reported missing, Hannah’s father, Ryan Kobayashi, who traveled from Hawaii to Los Angeles to help find his daughter, died by suicide in California. The search for Hannah is ongoing.
Published: Nov 25, 2024 03:24 pm