20-year-old Konanki was\u00a0last seen in the early hours of March 6<\/a>\u00a0in Punta Cana where she and five friends were vacationing.<\/p>\n The University of Pittsburg co-ed, who was staying at the adults-only RIU Rep\u00fablica Hotel for her Spring Break, is understood to have headed to the beach at 4.15am with friends\u00a0and a \u2018person of interest\u2019, Joshua Riibe, 22<\/a>, as per the Dominican National Police.<\/p>\n Sudiksha Konanki went missing during Spring Break (Defensa Civil Dominicana)<\/cite><\/div>\n When her friends returned to the five-star resort around 6am, she and Riibe, an Iowa native, were left alone on the beach.<\/p>\n Riibe – who has expressed he is \u2018deeply dismayed\u2019 by Konanki\u2019s disappearance – claims he and the woman kissed before being caught in heavy surf,\u00a0as per<\/a>\u00a0The Independent.<\/p>\n The St. Cloud State University\u00a0student<\/a>, who is also a former lifeguard, said he\u2019d pulled Konanki back to shore but lost track of her after he began vomiting sea water before passing out.<\/p>\n When the Virginia woman failed to return to the hotel, her father, Subbarayudu Konanki, swiftly filed a missing person report.<\/p>\n In a fresh update, Subbarayudu and the Spring Breaker\u2019s mother SreeDevi Konanki have seemingly not challenged Riibe\u2019s story, and have instead announced their daughter died by drowning.<\/p>\n \u201cIt 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,\u201d Subbarayudu said in a statement.<\/p>\n \u201cWe kindly ask you to keep our daughter in your prayers.<\/p>\n \u201cWe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n The new update comes just hours after the Subbarayudu and SreeDevi asked\u00a0investigators for a declaration of death<\/a>\u00a0regarding their daughter\u2019s disappearance.<\/p>\n Fox News\u00a0reports<\/a>\u00a0that Subbarayudu had\u00a0previously requested police to investigate all possibilities<\/a>\u00a0regarding his daughter\u2019s disappearance.<\/p>\n However, a newly obtained letter sent from Konanki\u2019s family to La Policia Nacional, the Dominican Republic\u2019s national\u00a0police<\/a>\u00a0force, reads: \u201cFollowing an extensive search, Dominican authorities have concluded that Sudiksha is believed to have drowned.<\/p>\n “Her clothes were discovered on a beach near where she was last seen. The individual last seen with her is cooperating with the investigation, and no evidence of foul play has been found.<\/p>\n “Initiating this process will allow our family to begin the grieving process and address matters related to her absence,” the pair penned.<\/p>\n “While no declaration can truly ease our grief, we trust that this step will bring some closure and enable us to honor her memory.”<\/p>\n Following the alleged letter, the Loudoun County Sheriff\u2019s Office stated that it had offered victim services to the Konanki family.<\/p>\n \u201cSudiksha\u2019s family has expressed their belief that she drowned. While a final decision to make such a declaration rests with authorities in the Dominican Republic, we will support the Konanki family in every way possible as we continue to review the evidence and information made available to us in the course of this investigation,\u201d the office stated.<\/p>\n \u201cWe thank the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Dominican National Police for their dedication to this investigation and collaboration.\u201d<\/p>\n Following Subbarayudu\u2019s missing person report, Riibe was detained at the luxury hotel and\u00a0had his passport confiscated<\/a>.<\/p>\n The woman’s parents are being supported by officials during their grieving (Fox News)<\/cite><\/div>\n Authorities have stated that although Riibe is not considered a \u2018suspect\u2019 he remains a \u2018person of interest\u2019 in the case.<\/p>\n Yesterday (March 18), a Dominican Republic judge ruled that the Minnesota college student should be freed from police surveillance.<\/p>\n![\"Sudiksha](\"https:\/\/images.ladbible.com\/resize?type=webp&quality=70&width=3840&fit=contain&gravity=auto&url=https:\/\/images.ladbiblegroup.com\/v3\/assets\/blt949ea8e16e463049\/bltb00506b7f210c3b6\/67da92650f120c549a237692\/Sudiksha_Konanki_(1).jpg\")
![\"Sudiksha](\"https:\/\/images.ladbible.com\/resize?type=webp&quality=1&width=3840&fit=contain&gravity=auto&url=https:\/\/images.ladbiblegroup.com\/v3\/assets\/blt949ea8e16e463049\/bltb00506b7f210c3b6\/67da92650f120c549a237692\/Sudiksha_Konanki_(1).jpg\")
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