HANNAH Kobayashi has returned to the US for the first time since she vanished and sparked a huge manhunt.
The 30-year-old was found in Mexico over a month since she disappeared without a trace with her sister now revealing she doesn’t want to return home.
Hannah was seen leaving LAX airport when she was due to get a connecting flight to New York over a month ago[/caption]
Hannah was safely located last week after going missing when she vanished from Los Angeles after landing in the city by plane on November 8.
She is said to have contacted her mum over the phone to tell her everything was okay while still being across the border in Mexico.
The photographer, originally from Maui, is believed to have now come back to the US, according to reports.
Hannah is said to be in California and in a good condition.
She returned based on her own free will, US media added.
American officials reportedly spoke with her as she returned to check if she was healthy and in good spirits.
She was then greeted by her lawyer before leaving him after a brief conversation, TMZ claim.
Despite returning to the US, Hannah is still not believed to have seen her family.
It comes just days after relieved sister Sydni said Hannah “does not wish to return to us”.
She told local media: “We have only spoken to her over the phone, and she was allegedly found safe with Larie [her aunt], but at this time, she does not wish to return to us.
“At this time, my mother and I have not physically seen Hannah.”
Hannah’s disappearance sparked a frantic search and police investigation into what may have made the family-orientated woman suddenly take off.
Kobayashi initially had a layover in Los Angeles, where she was expected to catch a connecting flight to New York City on November 8.
However, she missed her 42-minute window to board and ended up stuck in the city.
In the days following she sent cryptic texts to her family before going off the grid completely.
Crowds of volunteers soon started to canvas the city and hunt for clues in her disappearance.
This included her family who jetted to the US to help in the hunt.
The case took a tragic turn when Kobayashi’s dad, Ryan, died by suicide in a Los Angeles parking garage on November 24.
He had spent weeks of searching for his daughter and died of a broken heart, the family announced.
It’s unclear whether Hannah is aware of her dad’s death yet.
UNANSWERED QUESTIONS
Despite Hannah’s sudden reemergence, many unanswered questions about why the aspiring photographer went missing in the first place remain.
Family members described Kobayashi’s travel to the Big Apple as one of her “bucket list trips.”
Kobayashi, an art fan, had an itinerary planned out for her stay in New York, including stops at the Museum of Moder Art, absorbing Manhattan’s art scene, and visiting her aunt, Geordan Montalvo.
In the days after she stopped contacting her loved ones, Kobayashi was caught on surveillance footage strolling around Los Angeles.
She even made stops at a bookshop at The Grove, a shopping mall about an hour from Los Angeles International Airport.
On November 11, she uploaded a picture from a Nike event to her Instagram account before shutting off her cell phone.
Then, on November 12, unbeknownst to her family, Kobayashi boarded a bus from Union Station to San Ysidro, San Diego.
From here she crossed the border into Tijuana, Mexico, by foot, alone and carrying luggage.
Cops deemed her disappearance as “voluntary” once they saw she had crossed into Mexico.
This then further fuelled theories that the traveller may have been involved in a green card marriage scam.
A green card marriage scam typically involves a non-American person marrying an American citizen to obtain legal residency via a green card.
Speculation started to swirl after a picture of Kobayashi appearing to marry an Argentinian man before her trip to Los Angeles circulated on the internet.
However, Hannah’s family told The U.S. Sun last week that the family is completely in the dark about any alleged marriage.
Hannah Kobayashi family statement
Hannah Kobayashi’s family released a statement through their attorney once finding out the photographer was safe, it said…
“We are incredibly relieved and grateful that Hannah has been found safe.
“This past month has been an unimaginable ordeal for our family, and we kindly ask for privacy as we take the time to heal and process everything we have been through.
“We want to express our heartfelt thanks to everyone who supported us during this difficult time.
“Your kindness and concern have meant the world to us.”
Kobayashi’s father, Ryan, center, is pictured surrounded by friends and family outside – Ryan would later take his own life during the search[/caption]
