Parents Want Missing Pitt Student Declared Dead After Punta Cana Beach Disappearance

2025-03-18 06:03:11.067

The parents of Sudiksha Konanki, a 20-year-old University of Pittsburgh student missing in the Dominican Republic, have formally requested authorities declare their daughter dead. Their request comes despite the fact that Konanki's body has not been found. The family sent a letter to Dominican authorities stating they believe there was no foul play involved in her disappearance from a Punta Cana beach on March 6. They cited the cooperation of Joshua Riibe, the last person to see Konanki alive, with investigators. Riibe, a 22-year-old college student from Iowa, has been described as a person of interest but has not been charged with any wrongdoing. His lawyer is seeking his release from police surveillance, arguing that his passport has been seized despite him not being officially charged. Authorities initially suspected Konanki drowned, but later said they were not ruling out foul play. Riibe claims he and Konanki entered the ocean together, encountered rough water, and separated. He said he awoke on the beach without Konanki. Surveillance footage shows the pair together at a bar before her disappearance.