Chantilly, Va. — The devastating parents who lost Suddiksha Konanki, a student at the University of Pittsburgh, are convinced they were drowned during spring break in the Dominican Republic, they revealed to the Post Tuesday.
“Both authorities have shown how high the ocean waves were at the time of the incident, and both sides of the authorities have made it clear that the interested person was not a suspect from the start,” Sabu Belayudu Conanki, the father of a man and woman, said from a family home in Virginia.
“It has deep sadness and heavy heart to us that we agree with the fact that our daughter has owned,” he said. “This is very difficult for us to handle.”
They also asked Joshua Libe, 22-year-old Iowan, who last saw Conanki alive, that he would be allowed to leave the Caribbean country where he was detained, while the investigation into the loss disappearance continued.
Earlier on Tuesday, Conanki's hometown of Loudoun County Sheriff's Office said that even investigators did not believe he was involved.
Riibe's lawyer filed a legal “Habeas Corpus” request on Monday, demanding that he be allowed to return to the United States as he has not been charged with fraud.
A court hearing on that request is scheduled for later today.
A change in heart from the family calls for Subbarayudu and his wife Sreedevi to submit a letter to authorities in the Dominican Republic to declare that their 20-year-old daughter was legally dead 12 days after she disappeared with a friend during spring break.
Conanki's parents had previously led accusations in which Dominican authorities expanded their investigation into her loss-disappearance and asked if she was a victim of a foul play.
Konaki, a ready-made student at the Pitt, arrived at the luxury Ryu Hotel & Resort for spring break on March 3, and disappeared on March 6 after an overnight swim with the Libe.
Her parents said international media attention made their losses even more difficult.
“We still have two young children to take care of, but they are very soft age,” said Subbarayudi Konanki.
“In light of this, we respectfully request some space, time and privacy to help children recover as they try to move our lives forward.”
Earlier on Tuesday, Conanki's hometown of Loudoun County Sheriff's Office said investigators didn't think he was involved.
