CHANTILLY, Virginia — The devastated mother and father of lacking College of Pittsburgh scholar Sudiksha Konanki at the moment are satisfied she drowned whereas on spring break within the Dominican Republic, they revealed to The Put up Tuesday.
“Both sides of the authorities have shown us how high the ocean waves were at the time of the incident, and both sides of the authorities have clarified the person of interest was not a suspect from the beginning,” Subbarayudu Konanki, the lacking coed’s father, mentioned from the household residence in Virginia.
“It is with deep sadness and a heavy heart that we are coming to terms with the fact our daughter has drowned,” he mentioned. “This is incredibly difficult for us to process.”
Additionally they requested that Joshua Riibe, the 22-year-old Iowan who was the final to see Konanki alive, be allowed to depart the Caribbean nation the place he has been detained whereas the investigation into the disappearance continued.
Earlier Tuesday, Konanki’s hometown Loudoun County Sheriff’s Workplace additionally investigators they don’t suppose he was concerned.
Riibe’s lawyer filed a authorized “habeas corpus” request Monday demanding that he be allowed to return to the US as a result of he has not been charged with wrongdoing.
A courtroom listening to on that request is scheduled for later at the moment.
The change of coronary heart from the household comes sooner or later after Subbarayudu and his spouse, SreeDevi, filed a letter with authorities within the Dominican Republic asking that their 20-year-old daughter be declared legally useless 12 days after she disappeared from a Punta Cana seashore whereas on spring break with pals.
Konanki’s mother and father had beforehand led the cost to demand Dominican authorities broaden their investigation into her disappearance — and probe whether or not she was the sufferer of foul play.
Konaki, a pre-med scholar at Pitt, arrived on the upscale RIU Resort & Resort on March 3 for spring break and disappeared on March 6 after an in a single day swim with Riibe.
Her mother and father mentioned the worldwide media consideration has made their loss much more troublesome.
“We still have two young children to care for and they’re at a very tender age,” Subbarayudi Konanki mentioned.
“In light of this, we respectfully request some space, time and privacy to focus on healing and helping our children recover as we try to move forward with our lives.”
Earlier Tuesday, Konanki’s hometown Loudoun County Sheriff’s Workplace additionally mentioned investigators don’t suppose he was concerned.
