Cults, hackers and kidnappings: Wild conspiracy theories may have sparked tragic twist in Hannah Kobayashis missing persons case
The mysterious case of missing Hawaiian photographer Hannah Kobayashi has been marred by wild conspiracy theories – including that she was brainwashed by a cult or blackmailed by African hackers – and they may have literally driven her father to his death, her aunt said.Cops said Ryan Kobayashi, 53, leaped from a Los Angeles International Airport parking garage Sunday morning while searching for his daughter – who vanished earlier this month after missing a connecting flight to New York for a “bucket list” trip.The devastated father was likely consumed with raging online speculation about his little girl – with armchair experts theorizing about her alleged ties to a mystic cult called Twin Flames, a possible rift between the father and daughter and even a psychotic breakdown.“It’s bulls—t! It’s such bulls—t!” her aunt, Larie Pidgeon, told The Post on Monday.“If Ryan is looking at all this s–t, imagine that weighing on him?”“He broke,” she continued.
“He died of a broken heart.We were tirelessly searching, and Ryan was a big, giant teddy bear.
He’s sensitive.Imagine looking in places like Skid Row, picturing his daughter being sex trafficked, not getting sleep.
He just broke.”Hannah, 30, flew from Maui to Los Angeles on Nov.8 – and was meant to make a connecting flight to New York City for a trip to see an aunt.
She and an ex-boyfriend had the same trip plans – but agreed to go their separate ways in the Big Apple, her sister Sydni Kobayashi told CNN last week.But the budding photographer never made that second flight and, in the coming days, bizarre text messages were sent from her phone.“Deep Hackers wiped my identity, stole all of my funds, & have had me on a mind f—k since Friday,” one text to a pal said.Others said, “I got tricked pretty much into giving away all my funds … For someone I thought I loved.”She had sent the aunt in New York a text, “I just finished a very intense spiritual awakening,...