The family of missing American student Sudiksha Konanki has asked Dominican Republic authorities to declare her dead.
The 20-year-old University of Pittsburgh student from Virginia vanished on March 6 while vacationing at Riu Republic Resort in Punta Cana with five friends. She was last seen at 5:50 a.m. on the beach with another tourist, Joshua Steven Riibe.
What began as a spring break trip turned into a mystery, sparking a massive air, sea, and land search involving U.S., Dominican, and Indian authorities. Initial theories pointed to drowning due to rough seas, but officials are now considering other possibilities.
A final surveillance image shows Sudiksha with Riibe before she disappeared. He remains in custody as a person of interest but is not considered a suspect.
On March 17, her family submitted a formal letter requesting her to be declared dead, acknowledging no signs of foul play.