The parents of missing student Sudishka Konaki have shared what they believe happened to their daughter after they asked authorities to declare her dead.
The University of Pittsburgh student went missing from a Dominican Republic beach on March 5. It was later revealed that she made two Venmo payments that same afternoon, 40 minutes apart.
The first of which was paid to an unspecified user at 2.54pm with the description being an emoji of a sailboat.
At 3.38pm the second payment was sent to another user with the reference “coco bongo”, presumably referencing the well known nightclub in Punta Cana.
She was last spotted with Iowa tourist Joshua Riibe, 24, walking along the beach at the RIU Hotel & Resort at 5.50am on March 6.
The college junior had stayed at the resort after arriving on the island for spring break on March 3.
The pair were spotted on CCTV earlier in the day, cuddling and walking with a group of six the same night she went missing.
They were also spotted walking home, arm-in-arm at 4.15am, taking selfies and staggering.
The rest of the group returned to the hotel at 5.50am but Riibe did not come back before 9am. Her friends reported her missing at 4pm on March 6.
Authorities revealed that the hotel lost power that night, meaning the security system and cameras were disabled.
The Sheriffs Office noted Riibe was a person of interest but not a suspect in the case.
It was reported that the pair had gone to the water when he claimed to feel unwell and passed out on the sand.
Friends of Riibe claim he is not at fault and that he “wouldn’t hurt a fly”.
Now, her parents have sent a formal letter to authorities that they understand that there are certain legal hurdles that must be reached and they are ready to provide whatever paperwork is needed, according to local news outlet, Noticias SIN.
Her father, Subbarayudu Konanki and mother SreeDevi Konanki have since announced they believe their daughter died by drowning. In a statement, they shared: “It is with deep sadness and a heavy heart that we are coming to the 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, and they are at a very tender age. In light of this, we respectfully request some space, time and privacy to focus on healing us and helping our children recover as we try to move forward with our lives.”
Their requested “legal declaration of death” processed on Monday, the same day that Riibe’s lawyer requested that her client needed to be released from police custody.
Heartbreaking.
