Nearly two weeks after 20-year-old Indian-American student Sudiksha Konanki vanished during a spring break trip in the Dominican Republic, her parents have made the heart-wrenching decision to request that authorities declare her legally dead, according to a FirstPost report.
The University of Pittsburgh junior, last seen on a Punta Cana beach in the early hours of March 6, remains missing despite an extensive multi-agency search involving Interpol, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and local forces.
As hope fades, questions linger about what took place that night, and why her family chose to make the decision.
Grief-stricken parents
Subbarayudu and SreeDevi Konanki, Sudiksha’s parents, submitted a formal letter to Dominican authorities, confirmed by National Police spokesperson Diego Pesqueira to NBC News.
“Following an extensive search, Dominican authorities have concluded that Sudiksha is believed to have drowned,” the letter stated, noting that her clothes were found on a beach near her last known location.
The family’s request, reported by MailOnline, reflects their acceptance of a “deeply painful” reality: their daughter is unlikely to be found alive, as there is no evidence of foul play.
The night before her disappearance
Sudiksha, a premed student from Loudoun County, Virginia, arrived in the Dominican Republic on March 3 with five friends from Pittsburgh.
On March 6, after drinking at the Riu República Hotel bar, surveillance footage captured her entering the beach area around 4.15 am with a group that included five women and two men.
By 4.55 am, cameras showed five women and one man leaving, without Sudiksha. She is believed to have stayed behind with Joshua Riibe, a 22-year-old St Cloud State University student from Iowa.
Riibe, the last person known to see her, told investigators they went for a swim, were hit by a strong wave, and returned to shore alone after falling ill.
He left the beach around 9 am, with Sudiksha nowhere in sight.
Investigation and search efforts
The disappearance triggered a massive response, over 300 officers, drones, helicopters, divers, and canine units searched the area.
An Interpol Yellow Notice amplified the global call for information.
The Dominican Republic National Police, alongside the FBI and US Department of Homeland Security, analysed extensive surveillance footage and re-interviewed witnesses, including Riibe, whose passport was briefly confiscated.
Initially treated as a possible drowning, the case expanded to consider other scenarios like kidnapping or trafficking at the family’s urging. Yet, no body, signs of violence, or alternative leads have come forth. Her sarong-style cover-up, found on a beach lounge chair, remains the only physical clue.
Why seek closure now?
The Konankis’ decision to seek a legal declaration of death after 13 days showed both the exhaustive nature of the search and the lack of progress.
According to reports, Dominican officials, including General Prosecutor Yeni Berenice Reynoso, have indicated that dangerous sea conditions that night, marked by high waves, support the drowning theory.
Subbarayudu had initially pushed for a broader investigation, citing the odds of Sudiksha leaving her phone and wallet behind, but the absence of new evidence appears to have shifted their stance.
Their letter read, “Initiating this process will allow our family to begin grieving and honor her memory..."
