Dad and mom of lacking Pitt pupil Sudiksha Konanki ask Dominican Republic police to declare her useless

The household of lacking College of Pittsburgh pupil Sudiksha Konanki has requested police within the Dominican Republic to declare her useless, 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 mates within the Caribbean island nation when she disappeared early March 6. Regardless of an in depth search, her physique has not been discovered.

The Konanki household didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark Monday night time.

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 mates.

After her mates left the seaside, she stayed behind with folks she met on the journey. 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 lawyer on a seaside in Punta Cana early Sunday. He was seen pointing towards the ocean whereas a gaggle of safety officers saved folks away from the world.

Talking completely 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 making an attempt 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’s not free to depart,” the legislation agency representing him mentioned in an electronic 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 powerful 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 seaside with Konanki shortly earlier than she disappeared.

He mentioned they have been “in waist-deep water, speaking and kissing a bit of,” based on a transcript of the interview obtained by NBC Information. A wave crashed, taking them each “out to sea,” it quotes him saying.

“I saved making an attempt to get her to breathe, however that didn’t permit me to breathe on a regular basis, and I swallowed a variety 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 felony matter.