The household of lacking College of Pittsburgh pupil Sudiksha Konanki has requested police within the Dominican Republic to declare her lifeless, a police spokesman mentioned Monday.
Dominican Republic Nationwide Police spokesperson Diego Pesqueira mentioned Konanki’s household has despatched the company a letter requesting a declaration of loss of life.
Konanki, 20, was on spring break with associates within the Caribbean island nation when she disappeared early March 6. Regardless of an intensive search, her physique has not been discovered.
Sudiksha Konanki.
The Konanki household didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark Monday evening.
Konanki is a junior in biology on the College of Pittsburgh. She is from Loudoun County, Virginia, the place her household lives.
Konanki was final seen early March 6 after she went to the seaside with associates.
After her associates left the seaside, she stayed behind with people she met on the trip. She vanished after 4:15 a.m. that day.
The final particular person thought to have seen Konanki has been recognized as Joshua Riibe, 22, a senior at St. Cloud State College in Minnesota who’s from Rock Rapids, Iowa.
Dominican authorities confiscated Riibe’s passport Friday as a part of an investigation, his attorneys advised NBC Information.
NBC Information noticed Riibe with investigators and his legal professional on a beach in Punta Cana early Sunday. He was seen pointing towards the ocean whereas a bunch of safety officers stored individuals away from the realm.
Talking solely to NBC Information briefly on the resort the place Konanki had been staying earlier than she disappeared, and earlier than he was noticed by NBC Information on the seaside, Riibe mentioned, “I’m simply attempting to assist them out,” including: “The ocean is a harmful place.”
Riibe “has been confined to the resort because the investigation started. He’s completely escorted by the police anyplace he goes. So no, he isn’t free to go away,” the legislation agency representing him mentioned in an e mail Saturday.
Pesqueira, the nationwide police spokesperson, mentioned no indicators of violence have been discovered on the seaside.
A resort spokesperson mentioned purple flags — which point out “that the ocean had a robust present and really excessive waves” — have been flying when Konanki disappeared.
In an interview final week with Dominican investigators, Riibe mentioned he was on the beach with Konanki shortly earlier than she disappeared.
He mentioned they have been “in waist-deep water, speaking and kissing somewhat,” in accordance with a transcript of the interview obtained by NBC Information. A wave crashed, taking them each “out to sea,” it quotes him saying.
“I stored attempting to get her to breathe, however that didn’t permit me to breathe on a regular basis, and I swallowed plenty of water,” he mentioned.
Riibe mentioned he received Konanki again to shore earlier than she disappeared.
“The final time I noticed her, I requested if she was OK. I didn’t hear her reply,” he mentioned. “I regarded round and didn’t see anybody. I believed she’d grabbed her issues and left.”
Authorities within the Dominican Republic have mentioned nobody is taken into account a suspect in Konanki’s disappearance.
U.S. authorities have mentioned it’s a lacking individuals case and never a prison matter.
This text was initially printed on NBCNews.com
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