The parents of Sudiksha Konanki, who tragically disappeared in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, have made a heart-wrenching request for the authorities to formally declare their daughter dead, according to a source with knowledge of the investigation.
This comes 11 days after Sudiksha vanished under mysterious circumstances while on spring break with friends in early March 2025.
Parents Come to Terms with Loss
Sudiksha’s parents, Subbarayudu and SreeDevi, have reportedly accepted that their daughter will not be found alive.
The source stated that the family’s grief has led them to request a “legal declaration of death” from the Dominican National Police.
They trust the investigation and have expressed their willingness to follow all the required legal procedures to make this declaration official.
The family’s request comes after an intense multi-agency search, which initially fueled hopes of finding Sudiksha alive.
However, authorities had already warned that the rough seas in the area likely led to her tragic drowning, though no foul play has been detected.
Investigation and Search Efforts
The search for Sudiksha began shortly after she went missing on March 6, 2025, when she was last seen with 22-year-old Joshua Riibe.
Riibe, who was with Sudiksha the night she disappeared, has fully cooperated with police.
He has claimed that the two went for a swim after a night of drinking, but a large wave knocked them both out.
Riibe alleges that he used his lifeguard training to try and drag Sudiksha back to shore, but he lost sight of her when she was waist-deep in the water.
Riibe was found later, passed out on a sunbed, but Sudiksha was never seen again.
Surveillance footage from the hotel where they were staying showed both of them at a bar earlier that night, where they were seen vomiting at 4:05 am.
A later camera showed Riibe with his arm around Sudiksha as they walked toward the beach.
Sudiksha’s Family’s Plea for Answers
Initially, Sudiksha’s parents urged authorities to consider the possibility that their daughter didn’t drown, but may have been abducted instead.
They expressed concern that she hadn’t been found in the water after several days and asked authorities to expand the search area and investigate kidnapping or abduction as possible scenarios.
Sudiksha, an Indian national who moved to the United States as a young child, was on a Caribbean getaway with five of her college friends when she disappeared.
The case has drawn widespread attention, with many hoping for answers.
This tragic event marks the end of a difficult search, but Sudiksha’s family remains determined to pursue legal closure.
The case is still under investigation, and more updates are expected to follow as authorities process the family’s request.