The family of missing American student Sudiksha Konanki has filed a heartbreaking request to the authorities in the Dominican Republic that they declare her dead.
The 20-year-old University of Pittsburgh student from Loudoun County, Virginia, vanished without a trace from Riu Republic Resort in Punta Cana town on March 6 while on vacation.
As per reports, Konanki traveled to the Dominican Republic for spring break with five female friends. Just three days later, she went missing.
What was meant to be a relaxing trip turned into a haunting mystery, with few clues to explain her sudden disappearance.
Last seen around 5:50 am on the beach with another tourist, Joshua Steven Riibe, her disappearance has left many in shock and confusion.
It also sparked a frantic search by air, sea, and land, with authorities from the United States, the Dominican Republic, and India — Sudiksha’s family’s home country — joining the effort.
“This is one of the largest operations we have carried out for the rescue of a person,” Agustín Morillo Rodríguez, general commander of the Dominican Republic Navy, told CNN.
Dominican officials initially believed Sudiksha’s disappearance was a drowning. The night she disappeared, sea conditions were dangerous due to high waves.
However, the general prosecutor’s office has stated they are now also looking into whether her disappearance might involve something more than just an accident.
A new surveillance image shows the missing Pitt student cuddling up to a male friend, Joshua Riibe, just before disappearing from a Dominican Republic beach. This is the last known photo of her, according to Noticias SIN.
Despite an extensive search, Sudiksha has not been found, and a heartbreaking new update from the Dominican Republic National Police details how the 20-year-old’s family have sent the agency a letter to request a declaration of death.
As per reports, the Konanki family sent the letter yesterday (March 17), acknowledging that there is no suspected foul play.
“Joshua Steven Riibe, who has been identified as a ‘person of interest,’ remains in custody and is being interrogated at the National Police’s Gender Violence Unit to gather more information about the incident,” a rep for the Caribbean nation said in an update last Friday. Police do not consider him a suspect.
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