As Indian-origin 20-year-old Sudiksha Konanki remains missing even after 11 days of intensive search in the Dominican Republic where she went on vacation early this month, her parents have now urged the DR authorities to declare their daughter dead. Konanki’s father initially suspected foul play and egged on the administration to widen their search when the mysterious disappearance of the Pitt University student was seen as a case of drowning, but now the parents said they don’t think there is any foul play.
ABC News reported that the family sent a formal letter to the authorities Monday acknowledging that there is no suspected foul play involved in Konanki’s presumed death after she vanished from a Punta Cana beach on March 6.
Konanki’s parents wrote they have full trust in the investigation process and they believe Joshua Riibe, the 24-year-old with whom Konanki was last seen, has been cooperating with the investigators.
“Given these circumstances, and after much deliberation, we request that the police department proceed with the legal declaration of her death. We understand that certain legal procedures must be followed and are prepared to comply with any necessary formalities or documentation,” her parents wrote. “Initiating this process will allow our 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,” the letter said.
The request for the legal declaration of death came as Riibe’s lawyers gave an ultimatum to the police that Riibe must be released from police surveillance.
How did Sudiksha Konanki vanish? What are the unanswered questions?
Sudiksha Konanki was last seen on March 6 in surveillance footage. According to Riibe, they went to the seawater where they almost drowned. But Riibe said he battled against the waves and dragged Konanki out of the water. He said he passed out as soon as he reached the shore and when he woke up Konanki was not there. He thought Konanki must have returned to the resort and he also came back to the resort. He said he asked Konanki whether she was fine after the duo battled the waves and reached the shore but he got no answer.
Cops detained Riibe in the resort and took his passport so that he couldn’t leave the country. They have been grilling him whether he was absolutely certain that Riibe pulled Konanki out of the water and that she had not drowned. Konanki’s clothes were found on the beach hinting that in all probability she got drowned. But as her body was not found, officials think it may have got stuck in some reef under water.
Ribe has not been named as an accused in the case but only as a person of interest. But he was not being allowed to leave the hotel without cops.