Parents Of U.S. Student Who Vanished In Dominican Republic Ask She Be Declared Dead

4 weeks ago The parents of a U.S. college student who vanished almost two weeks ago in the resort town of Punta Cana have asked authorities to declare her legally dead. In a letter to Dominican police dated Monday, Subbarayudu and Sreedevi Konanki state that after an extensive search, local authorities believe that Sudiksha, a 20-year-old student at the University of Pittsburgh, drowned. A police official not authorized to speak about the case confirmed Tuesday that authorities received the letter. Sudiksha Konanki and five friends had traveled to the Caribbean nation on March 3 for spring break. Police said she disappeared at a beach by her hotel before dawn on March 6.