The family of Sudiksha Konanki, a University of Pittsburgh student who disappeared while on spring break in the Dominican Republic, is devastated as they come to terms with her presumed death.
“This is the worst thing they could have ever imagined,” said Krishna Duddukuri, a close family friend. “They’re still struggling to process what has happened.”
Sudiksha, 20, from Chantilly, Virginia, was last seen on March 6, captured on surveillance footage heading toward the beach at the Riu Republica Resort in Punta Cana. Despite ongoing searches, authorities have not recovered her body.
Initially, Joshua Riibe, an Iowa native and reportedly the last person to see her, was considered a person of interest in the case. However, on March 18, Virginia’s Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office announced that Riibe was no longer under investigation and had cooperated fully. “This has never been a criminal investigation from our end,” said spokesperson Chad Quinn. “He is not a suspect.”
Now, in hopes of finding closure, Sudiksha’s parents, Subbarayudu and Sreedevi Konanki, have formally requested that Dominican authorities issue a death declaration. They say officials have concluded she drowned, and while no legal document can truly heal their pain, they believe this step will help them grieve and honor her memory.
“The person last seen with her has been fully cooperative, and investigators have found no signs of foul play,” their letter states.
