The parents of missing University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki have made the heartbreaking decision to seek the legal declaration of their child’s death. The 20-year-old Indian student vanished during a spring break to the Dominican Republic.
At a glance:
• Sudiksha Konanki, 20, has been missing for 11 days after disappearing from a beach in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
• Her parents have formally requested authorities declare her legally dead to begin the grieving process
• Joshua Riibe, the last person seen with Konanki, claims they nearly drowned but he remains under police surveillance
• Authorities believe Konanki drowned but her body has not been recovered
• Konanki’s clothes were found on the beach, and surveillance footage shows her with Riibe before her disappearance
Family Seeks Closure After Extensive Search
The parents of Sudiksha Konanki have taken the difficult step of requesting Dominican authorities to declare their daughter legally dead after an 11-day search yielded no results. Their formal letter to officials indicates they now believe there was no foul play involved in her disappearance, a change from their initial suspicions.
“Given these circumstances, and after much deliberation, we request that the police department proceed with the legal declaration of her death. We understand that certain legal procedures must be followed and are prepared to comply with any necessary formalities or documentation,” Konanki’s parents stated in their letter to Dominican authorities.
The young University of Pittsburgh student was last seen in the early morning hours of March 6 at the Riu Republica Resort in Punta Cana. She had arrived at the resort on March 3 with a group of six female students from her university for a spring break vacation.
Questions Remain About Final Hours
Security camera footage shows Konanki at the hotel bar and lobby before her disappearance. The last known images show her walking on the beach at approximately 4:15 a.m. with a group, though she stayed behind with Joshua Riibe, a man she apparently met at the resort.
Riibe, who remains a person of interest but has not been charged with any crime, told authorities that the pair almost drowned while swimming. According to his account, he managed to pull Konanki from the water before losing consciousness himself.
Dominican authorities discovered Konanki’s clothes on the beach, supporting the drowning theory. However, despite extensive search efforts, her body has not been recovered from the waters near Punta Cana.
“Following an extensive search, Dominican authorities have concluded that Sudiksha is believed to have drowned,” Konanki’s parents acknowledged in their statement.
Legal Complications Continue
While the family has accepted the likely outcome, legal complications remain. Riibe has been detained by Dominican authorities, who confiscated his passport to prevent him from leaving the country during the investigation.
His attorney, Beatriz Santana, has demanded his release from police surveillance, telling ABC News: “If he wants to leave the hotel, he cannot do that freely, but with police. His passport is seized despite not being officially charged.”
The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office is working with Dominican authorities on the investigation. A spokesperson for the sheriff’s office said the family is “seeking closure” through the legal declaration of death.
