The parents of Sudiksha Konanki, a 20-year-old University of Pittsburgh student who went missing in the Dominican Republic, have requested that authorities officially declare her dead. Konanki disappeared while on spring break in Punta Cana, last seen at 4 AM on March 6 with a group of friends and two American men, including Joshua Riibe, a senior at St. Cloud State University.
CCTV footage showed Konanki walking to the beach with Riibe after her friends returned to their hotel. According to Riibe, the two were caught in waist-deep water when a wave pulled them out to sea. He claims he struggled but managed to get back to shore and assumed Konanki had left on her own. Dominican authorities later found her clothes on the beach, but no foul play evidence has been discovered. Riibe has been cooperating with investigators and is currently confined to his hotel while his passport remains confiscated.
Konanki’s parents, Subbarayudu and SreeDevi Konanki, sent a letter to Dominican Republic National Police, stating they had accepted Riibe’s explanation and now wish to move forward with closure. The family emphasized that while the declaration won’t ease their grief, it will allow them to begin the grieving process and handle legal matters tied to their daughter’s absence.
Authorities are still treating the case as a missing persons investigation, though they have not ruled out the possibility of drowning. Riibe’s legal team insists that he is not free to leave and remains under strict surveillance. The situation remains under review as officials determine the next steps.
