Parents of missing university student ask police to declare their daughter dead
The parents of missing university student Sudiksha Konanki have heartbreakingly asked police to declare their daughter dead.
Konanki, 20, had been on vacation in the Dominican Republic with five female friends while on spring break from the University of Pittsburgh, where she studies biology and chemistry.
The student, who is a citizen of India and a permanent resident of the United States, had traveled to a resort in Punta Cana and was last seen at a hotel at around 4am local time on March 6.
What are Konanki's last known movements?
After an investigation into Konanki's disappearance began, CCTV footage revealed some of her last known movements as she and a group of friends made their way towards the beach on foot.
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Konanki could be seen with five women and two American men in the video, and Dominican police said she stayed on the beach with one of the men while the rest of the group returned to their hotel. That man was identified as Joshua Riibe, a senior at St Cloud State University in Minnesota.
Riibe's family has said they hope Konanki is 'found as soon as possible'.
The investigation into Konanki's disappearance is currently being investigated as a missing persons case, however, a spokesperson for police in the Dominican Republic has revealed that her family have asked that she be declared dead.
The family made the request in a letter sent to the Dominican Republic National Police, according to spokesperson Diego Pesqueira.
The letter, cited by Fox News, reads in part: "Following an extensive search, Dominican authorities have concluded that Sudiksha is believed to have drowned. Her clothes were discovered on a beach near where she was last seen. The individual last seen with her is cooperating with the investigation, and no evidence of foul play has been found."
The request of Konanki's parents, Subbarayudu and SreeDevi Konanki, comes after 'much deliberation', as they are said to have accepted Riibe's explanation of what happened on the night their daughter disappeared.
What has Riibe said about his encounter with Konanki?
Riibe has been collaborating with investigators in the search, and on Sunday (March 16) he was seen by NBC News on a beach in Punta Cana with investigators, pointing towards the sea.
Last week, Riibe told investigators he and Konanki were in 'waist-deep water' prior to her disappearance.
A transcript of the interview obtained by NBC News cites Riibe saying that a wave took them both 'out to sea', during which he 'swallowed a lot of water'.
The student claimed he got Konanki back to shore.
He said: “The last time I saw her, I asked if she was OK. I didn’t hear her answer. I looked around and didn’t see anyone. I thought she’d grabbed her things and left.”
Dominican authorities confiscated the student's passport as the investigation continues, and the law firm representing Riibe has confirmed he has 'been confined to the hotel since the investigation began'.
They told NBC: "He is permanently escorted by the police anywhere he goes. So no, he is not free to leave."
Konanki's parents have said the declaration of death will allow the family to 'begin the grieving process and address matters related to her absence'.
"While no declaration can truly ease our grief, we trust that this step will bring some closure and enable us to honor her memory," they wrote in the letter.
Emily Brown