Why Hannah Kobayashi’s aunt has parted ways with missing Hawaii woman's family, ‘My sole focus remains on…’
Hannah Kobayashi’s aunt, Larie Pidgeon, has announced that she is parting ways with the missing Hawaii photographer’s mother and sister.
Hannah Kobayashi’s aunt has announced that she is parting ways with the missing Hawaii photographer’s mother and sister in an effort to find her niece. Larie Pidgeon told NewsNation that she did not see any need to use funds raised by the family on a lawyer instead of a private investigator. She further said she is not associated with the GoFundMe launched for Hannah by her family.
“My sole focus remains on finding Hannah and ensuring her safety and well-being. It has now been 25 days since anyone has heard from her, and I am determined to continue my search,” Larie said. “I am preparing to travel to Mexico personally to further the efforts to locate her and verify that she is acting of her own free will and is truly safe.”
Hannah, 30, disappeared while heading to New York City after missing a connecting flight to New York and being stranded in Los Angeles. She was later caught on camera crossing into Mexico. She has been declared a voluntary missing person by police, who said they have not found any evidence that Hannah has been a victim of foul play.
Was Hannah Kobayashi involved in an immigration marriage scam?
Police said Hannah intentionally missed her flight, but her family doesn’t agree. In fact, the family is now investigating the possibility that Hannah may have been involved in an immigration marriage scam. They previously said they were aware, but not confirming, a report that Hannah was allegedly involved in a “purported immigration scheme” and “secret marriage” before she went to Mexico.
“A Facebook user sent what looked like a Hawaiian beach wedding photo of Hannah with another man with leis around their necks wearing white, and they said that they learned off of Reddit that there was this sham marriage for money and that this is the wedding picture that’s being circulated on Reddit,” Sara Azari, the Kobayashi family attorney, told NewsNation. “Of course, that came as a shock to Hannah’s sister.”
Speaking of Larie’s statement, Azari reportedly suggested the aunt wanted to raise her profile as an influencer.
The case became even more complicated when Hannah’s father Ryan Kobayashi, 58, reportedly jumped to his death during the search for his daughter. It is unclear what prompted him to 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).
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