For now, Hannah Kobayashi does not intend to return to see her family, and they feel a mix of "exhaustion, devastation, and betrayal" over the month long ordeal.
In a lengthy Facebook post, her sister, Sydni, attempted to address a wide range of issues. The family was thrust into the national spot light in November of Hannah Kobayashi, 30, missed a connecting flight to New York after flying from Hawaii to Los Angeles.
The family reported her missing and began a frantic search that gripped the nation. In the midst of the frenzy, Kobayashi's father, Ryan, 58, killed himself near LAX. Eventually, however, authorities announced that Hannah had traveled to Mexico alone and willingly, classifying her as a 'voluntarily missing person.' Initially, the family said they would continue the search, but last week, they announced that she had been found and was 'safe.'
In the same Facebook post, Sydni attempted to address the entire ordeal endured by the family: "Our priority was finding Hannah, not creating a media circus. When a loved one goes missing, you instinctively enter panic mode. Your body switches to fight or flight, and unless you've experienced it, you can't fully comprehend the physical, mental, and emotional toll it takes."
Sydni states that her Aunt Larie Pidgeon a "self-proclaimed social media influencer" started giving interviews and "became the self-appointed point of contact for the media. Despite my mother and I not being in support of this, it still happened." She added that she no longer considers Pidgeon family.
Earlier this month, Larie stated that she was having disagreements with some other members of the family. Specifically, Larie told Hawaii News Now that she did not believe that part of the GoFundMe money should be used on a lawyer.
"I saw no need to use the funds on a lawyer rather than a private investigator, as I believe every resource should be dedicated to finding Hannah," Pidgeon stated according to Hawaii News Now. "I chose not to lawyer up and risk having my voice silenced in the fight for her."
In the same article, Larie announced that she was headed to Mexico to find Hannah. This was after police announced that Hannah had crossed the border on her own.
In the Facebook post, Sydni stated that she and her mother, Brandi Yee, were truthful throughout the process and transparent regarding their use of GoFundMe. "We have kept all the receipts to show where the funds have been used: for the search for my sister. When my father suddenly passed away, I added his funeral expenses and arrangements to the campaign as next of kin." In a previous statement, Sydni, the family, also offered to refund money from GoFundMe donations.
As for Hannah, Sydni said that she has not physically seen her and does not have actual proof of her location, except that she is somewhere in Mexico. "We have only spoken to her over the phone, and she was allegedly found safe with Larie, but at this time, she does not wish to return to us."
Although relieved at the outcome, Sydni wrote that the family had feelings of "exhaustion, devastation, and betrayal."
"We are kindly asking the public to respect our privacy and offer us grace for a moment as we are still grieving. There is still so much unknown and so much that still needs to be navigated," Sydni wrote.
Originally published in Lawyer Herald
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