TRUE CRIMEMissing College Student Sudiksha Konanki's Family Asks for Spring Breaker to Be Declared Dead as They Believe She Drowned
Sudiksha Konanki has been missing since March 6.
Missing University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki's loved ones are prepared to accept the worst as they attempt to put this tragedy behind them.
The college spring breaker's family asked both local and Dominican authorities to declare the young girl deceased, the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office in Virginia told CBS News more than 10 days after Konanki disappeared during a vacation with friends to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, on March 6.
Sudiksha Konanki was last seen on the beach during a vacation with friends for spring break in Punta Cana.
Konanki's relatives put the request in writing and provided it to the sheriff's office, Loudoun County spokesperson Thomas Julia confirmed, noting a similar plea was made to officials from the island.
The missing student's family additionally expressed a desire for closure.
Sudiksha Konanki is a 20-year-old student at the University of Pittsburgh.
Loudoun County Sheriff Michael Chapman revealed in a statement later on Tuesday, March 18, that the family believes Konanki drowned.
"While a final decision to make such a declaration rests with authorities in the Dominican Republic, we will support the Konanki family in every way possible as we continue to review the evidence and information made available to us in the course of this investigation," Chapman said.
Sudiksha Konanki's family asked for officials to declare the girl deceased.
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The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office shared a press release on March 9 revealing the University of Pittsburgh student had been missing for three days.
The 20-year-old female was described as 5'3" with dark features from Chantilly, Va., and a citizen of India with a permanent residence in the United States. She was last seen wearing a brown bikini during the early hours of the morning on a beach near Riu República hotel in Punta Cana, where she was staying with friends.
Sudiksha's father, Subbarayudu Konanki, described his daughter as "a very nice girl" during a conversation with CNN.
"She's ambitious. She wanted to pursue a career in medicine," he added.
Joshua Riibe is believed to be the last person to see Sudiksha Konanki alive.
In surveillance video footage from the night Sudiksha vanished, the young girl could be seen walking toward the ocean with a group of three women and two men.
Among the individuals was Joshua Riibe, a 22-year-old male who is presumed to be the last person to see Sudiksha alive after allegedly staying behind together on the beach.
He told police the two were accidentally pulled into the water by a large wave before struggling to make it back to shore in the choppy waters.
He thought she had made it out of the water but couldn't confirm with certainty, a source with direct knowledge of Joshua's statements to U.S. investigators explained.
