'Coming To Terms...': Sudiksha Konanki's Parents Believe She Drowned To Death

The parents of Sudiksha Konanki, the Indo-American woman who has been missing in the Dominican Republic since March 6, have urged authorities to declare her dead, according to the Press Trust of India. Sreedevi and Subbarayudu Konanki, residents of Virginia, USA, believe that their daughter drowned to death. On March 19, they released a heartbreaking media statement, saying they were "coming to terms with her drowning." Diego Pesqueira, spokesperson of the Dominican Republic National Police, said that the family sent the agency a letter requesting a declaration of death.

Konanki, a University of Pittsburgh student, was on a spring break trip with five friends in Punta Cana. According to surveillance footage, she was last seen at around 4:15 a.m. on March 6, with five women and two men entering the beach at the Riu Republica Hotel. The others later returned to the hotel, while she was seen with a man identified as Joshua Riibe, a college student who has been named a "person of interest". 

Parents' Statement

Sudiksha Konanki's parents believe that there was no foul play involved in their daughter's presumed death. They wrote to the Dominican Republic police, urging authorities to officially declare her dead. They added that they trust the authorities’ probe into the case and noted Joshua Riibe has cooperated with investigators. 

They added in the letter that they understand that certain legal procedures must be followed for their request, but that they are prepared to comply with any necessary formalities or documentation, ABC News quoted the sources in a report. Meanwhile, the US federal law enforcement agencies are working with Dominican Republic authorities in the probe.

Konanki's parents recently addressed the press for the first time since their daughter's disappearance. Her mother, Sreedevi, uncontrollably sobbed as her father, Subbarayudu said, "It is with deep sadness and heavy hearts that we're coming to terms with the fact that our daughter has drowned. This is incredibly difficult for us to process. We kindly ask you to keep our daughter in your prayers. We still have two young children to care for."

Where Is Sudiksha Konanki? Who Is The Last Person With Her?

According to Civil Defense officials, Sudiksha Konanki was last seen before dawn on March 6 at a beach near the resort where she was staying with friends. While surveillance footage shows her friends returning to the hotel, Konanki is not with them. When she didn’t come back to her room, her friends searched for her before notifying authorities. The group reported her missing to hotel staff around 4 p.m. that day, the Riu hotel chain said in a statement.

Konanki's white sarong cover-up was found on a lounge chair on the beach. There were no signs of violence, police said. Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Thomas Julia stated, “We don’t know if there’s any foul play or if she accidentally went missing... This is primarily being handled on the ground in the Dominican Republic." Authorities have been interrogating Joshua Riibe, who they believe was the last person to see Konanki.

Riibe told authorities that he and Konanki went into the ocean. According to a transcript obtained by NBC News, he said they were "in waist-deep water, talking and kissing a little" when a strong wave pulled them out to sea. Riibe, who said he is a trained pool lifeguard, claimed he held Konanki under his arm while swimming back to shore, making sure she could breathe. He said he struggled to stay afloat, as he "took in a lot of water."

Riibe then said that when they reached shallower waters, he set her in front of him and saw her "walking at an angle in the water." He last asked if she was okay but didn't hear her response as he began vomiting the seawater he had swallowed and passed out on a beach chair. Surveillance footage later recorded Riibe returning to his hotel alone, hours later. He told authorities that he assumed Konanki had walked back to her hotel.

Investigators in the Dominican Republic, the United States, and India have launched an intensive search for Sudiksha Konanki. Konanki’s father told CNN, “So far, the authorities, multiple authorities here in the Dominican Republic, have searched in the waters. They searched using helicopters and other tools. They also searched in the nearby bay, bushes, and trees. They went multiple times around the same areas,” he said.

Hotel staff from the Riu are also helping authorities in their search, according to a statement. The University of Pittsburgh released a statement offering support to Konanki’s family and the authorities. “University officials are in contact with Sudiksha Konanki’s family as well as authorities in Loudoun County, Virginia, and we have offered our full support in their efforts to find her and bring her home safely,” university spokesperson Jared Stonesifer told the New York Post.

Who Is Sudiksha Konanki?

Sudiksha Konanki is an Indian-origin student at Pittsburgh University, where she is pursuing chemistry and biological sciences. Her father, Subbarayudu Konanki, told CNN that she is set to pursue her pre-med studies. "My daughter is a very nice girl. She's ambitious. She wanted to pursue a career in medicine," he told the outlet. She received a diploma in biological sciences from Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in 2022, according to her LinkedIn page.

The Konanki family is originally from India and has been living in the United States as permanent residents since 2010. Sudiksha Konanki is a resident of Ashburn, Virginia. A flyer posted on Instagram describes her as 5 feet 3 inches tall, with black hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a brown two-piece swimsuit, big round earrings, a metal designer anklet on her right leg, yellow and steel bracelets on her right hand, and a multi-coloured beaded bracelet on her left hand.

The International Criminal Police Organization, also known as Interpol, issued a global alert in search of Konanki. The yellow notice is issued for missing persons such as victims of kidnappings or "unexplained disappearances."

My administration is working closely with federal and local partners as the search continues for Sudiksha Konanki. Thank you to Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman and @FBIDirectorKash for your ongoing efforts.

If you have any information please reach out to the numbers below. pic.twitter.com/8Ddr1KsgbB

— Governor Glenn Youngkin (@GovernorVA) March 10, 2025