‘Every day is such a gift’: Hannah Kobayashi speaks six months after she disappeared

In a poignant and unexpected moment, Hannah Kobayashi, the 30-year-old Hawaiian woman whose missing persons case captivated the world last November, broke her silence with a now-deleted Instagram post. 

The message, reading “Every day is such a gift,” resonated deeply with followers and reignited discussions about her disappearance and the tragic events that followed. The post was deleted, but according to several reports, Kobayashi added, “especially after such loss and pain and suffering. We should all learn to be kind to one another.”

Reportedly, she also thanked “every single person who dedicated time and energy into looking for me,” but did not mention her father, who died by suicide amid the search.

“I know my truth and one day, I will share it”

After her post, Kobayashi told SFGate, “Given my particular situation on the other side of my experience, I understand how some people would choose to cast me in a negative light, but I know who I am, I know my truth, and one day, I will share it.”

She added, “I do believe that we can all learn to be kinder to one another because we never really know what someone else has been through unless we’ve walked in their shoes.”

Meanwhile, Kobayashi later shared a black-and-white Instagram post of herself standing at the base of a Redwood tree, captioned in part, “for all that i have yet to say, the love in my heart remains the same, for every being that exists and those to come …”

Kobayashi’s posts proved controversial. One comment asked why she didn’t attend her father’s funeral. Kobayashi responded, “You don’t know the whole story. My intention in this post is to acknowledge that I am going to speak about my experience — and to stand up against all the hate that was cast upon me.”

Kobayashi added, “I hope that in your darkest hours, you are shown compassion and love versus hate and judgment.”

What happened to Hannah Kobayashi?

On November 8, 2024, Kobayashi was scheduled to fly from Maui to New York City, with a layover at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). She missed her connecting flight and subsequently vanished, prompting widespread concern. Family members received cryptic messages suggesting she had been deceived and was in distress. Surveillance footage later revealed that she had crossed into Mexico on foot, leading authorities to classify her case as a “voluntary missing person.”

Amid the search, Kobayashi’s father, Ryan Kobayashi, traveled from Hawaii to Los Angeles to aid in locating his daughter. Tragically, on November 24, 2024, he was found deceased near LAX, with authorities ruling his death a suicide.

The alleged ‘green card’ scam

Kobayashi was located in Mexico in December and returned to the U.S. shortly thereafter. She stated that she had been unaware of the extensive media coverage and the efforts to find her. Her disappearance was later linked to a suspected green card marriage scam involving an Argentine national, Alan Cacace. Documents discovered by her family suggested she was involved in a scheme to help Cacace obtain U.S. residency.