Sudiksha Konanki. Photo:
The parents of Sudiksha Konanki believe their daughter drowned in the Dominican Republic and was not a victim of foul play. They are now seeking a death declaration.
Konanki, a University of Pittsburgh student, disappeared while on spring break in Punta Cana early on the morning of March 6. The area of beach where she was last seen is noted for having rough waters.
In a letter to Dominican authorities obtained by PEOPLE, Konanki’s parents, Subbarayudu and Sreedevi Konanki, noted that authorities believe she drowned.
“Initiating [the death declaration process] will allow our family to begin the grieving process and address matters related to her absence,” the letter states. “While no declaration can truly ease our grief, we trust that this step will bring some closure and enable us to honor her memory.”
Subbarayudu Konanki, Sudiksha’s father, also spoke to the New York Post.
“Both sides of the authorities have shown us how high the ocean waves were at the time of the incident, and both sides of the authorities have clarified the person of interest was not a suspect from the beginning,” he said according to the paper. “It is with deep sadness and a heavy heart that we are coming to terms with the fact our daughter has drowned.”
The paper also reported that Konanki’s parents have asked that Joshua Riibe, believed to be the last person to see her alive, be allowed to return to the United States.
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“The individual last seen with her is cooperating with the investigation, and no evidence of foul play has been found,” they stated in the letter.
Riibe had been named a person of interest in the disappearance by the sheriff’s office in Loudoun County, Va., where Konanki’s parents live. But a spokesperson for the sheriff now says that is no longer the case.
“It’s an ongoing investigation, but in that regard, he’s not a person of interest anymore in that he’s been interviewed as part of the case,” Chad Quinn, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office, tells PEOPLE. “It’s still not a criminal investigation in any way from our perspective. He is not considered a suspect by us.”
