Missing Hawaii woman’s father dies by suicide, family blames conspiracy

Hawaii resident found dead in Los Angeles during week-long search for missing daughter died by suicide, authorities confirmed Monday, prompting one family member to blame his death on online conspiracy theories.

Ryan Kobayashi, 58, was found dead Sunday morning in a parking lot at Los Angeles International Airport. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner determined he died from multiple blunt force injuries.

Kobayashi flew to Los Angeles to help search for his daughter, 30-year-old Hannah Kobayashi, who disappeared in the city after leaving a connecting flight to New York on November 8.

In an interview with New York Post Office, Hannah’s aunt, Larie Pidgeon, blamed online conspiracies surrounding her disappearance – including suggestions of sex trafficking and cults – for him taking his own life.

“If Ryan is looking at all this shit, imagine it weighing on him?” – she told the outlet. “He died of a broken heart. We searched tirelessly and Ryan was a big, giant teddy bear. He is sensitive. Imagine looking up places like Skid Row and imagining his daughter being sex trafficked and unable to sleep. It just broke.

In a statement, the Kobayashi family expressed heartbreak over his death but asked the public to remain “vigilant in efforts to locate Hannah.”

“At this difficult time, what the family needs most is for all communities to rally around them with support, compassion and prayers. Please approach your comments and posts carefully. The trauma they endure is profound, and now they face the additional burden of mourning the loss of a pillar of family and taking the next steps.” statement shared with the search and rescue organization The Rad Movement.