Despite pressing for a wider search for their missing daughter Sudiksha Konanki who was last seen on March 6 on her Dominican Republic vacation, the Indian-origin parents of the US girl revealed Tuesday that they now want closure — they want Konanki to be declared dead so that they can grieve and honor her memories. After making an official request to declare her dead, Konanki’s parents told the New York Post that they were convinced that there was no foul play and that Konanki drowned.
Subbarayudu Konanki said the authorities showed them how high the ocean waves were when she went missing. He was also explained that Joshua Riibe, the person who was last seen with Konanki was not a suspect but a person of interest. “It is with deep sadness and a heavy heart that we are coming to terms with the fact our daughter has drowned,” he said. “This is incredibly difficult for us to process.”
Konanki’s parents want Riibe to be released from police interrogation. Konanki’s hometown Loudon County Sheriff’s office also said Tuesday that they don’t think Joshua was involved in the mysterious disappearance. Riibe’s lawyer filed a legal “habeas corpus” request Monday demanding that he be allowed to return to the US because he has not been charged with wrongdoing.
‘We have two young children’
Konanki’s parents said the media attention has been too much for them, making their loss more difficult. “We still have two young children to care for and they’re at a very tender age,” Subbarayudi Konanki said. “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.”
Investigation meets dead-end; mystery remains unresolved
Joshua Riibe told police he pulled Konanki out of the high waves but did not know what happened. Authorities did not find Konanki’s body even after 11 days of extensive search. The mystery remains unresolved as to where her body vanished and whether Riibe could actually save her and she went to the sea again.
