The dad and mom of Sudiksha Konanki, the 20-year-old school pupil who went lacking throughout a spring break journey to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, stated that they had come to phrases with the chance she had drowned, and requested for privateness to mourn her, in response to officers and an announcement to the media on Tuesday.
Their sorrowful assertion got here greater than per week after her disappearance on March 6 grabbed headlines all over the world, and led to repeated questioning of the final particular person seen together with her.
“Sudiksha’s household has expressed their perception that she drowned,” the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Workplace in Virginia stated in an announcement on Tuesday. “Whereas a remaining resolution to make such a declaration rests with authorities within the Dominican Republic, we’ll help the Konanki household in each method attainable” whereas persevering with to evaluation the proof, the workplace stated.
In a tearful Fox 5 DC video shared on-line, Ms. Konanki’s father stated that that they had accepted “that our daughter has drowned” and that this conclusion was “extremely troublesome for us to course of.” Her mom sobbed as he learn the assertion. In addition they requested for “time and privateness to give attention to therapeutic” and their household, NBC4 Washington reported.
Ms. Konanki, a College of Pittsburgh pupil from Loudoun County was final seen practically two weeks in the past. She was noticed within the early morning hours of March 6 at a seaside in Punta Cana with an unnamed pal who was “below investigation,” in response to the authorities within the Dominican Republic.
The person, who was not named by The New York Occasions as a result of he had not been charged with against the law, was current at a courtroom listening to within the Dominican metropolis of Higüey on Tuesday, however the end result of the continuing had not but been disclosed by the authorities.
Throughout the continuing, the choose granted the person’s request to have the ability to transfer about freely and with out police supervision.
Ms. Konanki stayed on the Lodge Riu Republica in Punta Cana with 5 associates after arriving within the Dominican Republic on March 3, the police stated. Her disappearance sparked a large search within the Caribbean nation, which is closely depending on international tourism.
When the US Embassy within the Dominican Republic alerted the nationwide police that Ms. Konanki had disappeared, officers started an exhaustive search of the seaside and the encompassing space, utilizing drones, helicopters, divers, boats, police canine and different assets, the authorities stated.
Greater than 300 brokers have been trying to find Ms. Konanki, the police stated. The F.B.I. has been helping within the investigation, in response to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Workplace.
Hogla Enecia Pérez contributed reporting from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.