Hannah Kobayashi’s family says they are aware of, but not confirming, a new report that she was allegedly involved in a “purported immigration scheme” and “secret marriage” before she went to Mexico and off the grid — attracting a national spotlight during aweekslong missing persons case.
Police have been clear, for their part, that they see no evidence of a crime in connection with Kobayashi, whom they believevoluntarily left the countryandmay have wanted to “disconnect,”which her relatives dispute.
“At this point, we have not been able to determine any crime has been committed,” Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnelltold reporters on Monday, Dec. 2.
“To date, the investigation has not uncovered any evidence that Kobayashi is being trafficked or is the victim of foul play,” McDonnell said then. “She’s also not a suspect in any criminal activity.”
On Wednesday, Dec. 4,Los Angelesmagazine published a reportalleging that before her case unfolded, Kobayashi, 30, “may have engaged in a secret marriage for money," citing anonymous sources.
The magazine reported, according to its sources, “that Kobayashi was apparently scammed out of the proceeds of a purported immigration scheme.”
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Hannah Kobayashi.Emi Ko/GoFundMe
Emi Ko/GoFundMe
In a statement on Thursday, Dec. 5, attorney Sara Azari, who is working with Kobayashi’s sister and mother, said “we want to stress that the family has not publicly announced any information regarding an alleged marriage because we did not have the facts or the necessary documents to verify the legitimacy of this information.”
“The family has not confirmed … the accuracy of the information provided about a possible secret marriage,” Azari said. “This is one of many leads we are actively investigating with the help of our attorney and investigative team.”
“We would also like to confirm that we turned over the alleged information to law enforcement immediately upon receipt,” Azari said.
She went on to “kindly ask everyone to avoid jumping to conclusions or spreading unverified claims.”
“It is especially important not to perpetuate speculation that anyone is involved in a scam,” she said, “as this only hinders our efforts to find Hannah and bring clarity and closure to the nightmare we are living because of her disappearance.”
Lt. Doug Oldfield, one of the investigators in Kobayashi’s case, tells PEOPLE that they are not examining theLos Angelesmagazine report of a supposed immigration-related marriage.
“For us, it’s the point of rumor and that we can’t confirm if it’s correct,” Oldfield says.
If it were to be true, he says, “it would be out of our jurisdiction.”
Kobayashi was first reported missing on Nov. 11, three days after arriving in L.A. from Maui, in Hawaii, and then failing to board a plane to New York City.
For weeks, her familydrew widespread attention to her case, saying she had acted strangely before appearing to disappear.
And then on Monday, police said they had recently reviewed videoshowing she went to Tijuana, Mexico, on Nov. 12.
“She was alone with her luggage and appeared unharmed,” McDonnell, the police chief, said.
“We urge Ms. Kobayashi to contact her family, law enforcement or personnel at the U.S. Embassy to let us know that she is safe,” he said. “She has a right to her privacy and we respect her choices, but we also understand that the concern her loved ones feel for her. A simple message could reassure those who care about her.”
source: people.com
