Family of man last seen with Sudiksha Konanki in Dominican Republic says they hope she's found "as soon as possible"
The parents of the man who was last seen with Sudiksha Konanki in the Dominican Republic released a statement on Friday, saying they hope the missing 20-year-old Pitt student is "found as soon as possible."
Albert and Tina Riibe said their 22-year-old son Joshua, a senior at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota, has "fully cooperated in the search and clarification of facts" as the search for Konanki enters its second week.
Konanki was on a spring break trip with friends in the Dominican tourist town of Punta Cana when she went missing. She was last seen at the Riu Republica hotel around 4 a.m. on Thursday, March 4.
A Dominican police source told CBS News that Konanki was walking to the beach with a group of women she was traveling with, accompanied by two other men. Konanki stayed on the beach with Riibe while the rest of the group returned.
Her disappearance is being investigated as a missing persons case, and no charges have been filed.
"We recognize that this is a complex and painful situation for all parties involved, and we trust that the investigation will be conducted with transparency and justice. Our only interest is that due process be respected and that actions be taken with the fairness that the situation requires," the Riibe family's statement says.
The University of Pittsburgh also released a statement on Friday, saying Pitt police are continuing to work with multiple agencies, including the FBI, DEA, Homeland Security and local authorities in Punta Cana.
The university cautioned students about "drawing conclusions from speculations circulating on the internet," a sentiment echoed by the Loudoun County sheriff earlier this week.
Search for Sudiksha Konanki intensifies
The Dominican Republic's attorney general says investigators are exploring whether Konanki drowned, but they're not ruling out the possibility that there could have been some foul play, CBS News' Manuel Bojorquez reports.
Crews are searching the water, land and air. Officials said on Thursday that they've spent 35 hours in the air looking for Konanki.
Interpol has also issued a global alert for her. Interpol says Yellow Notices are usually published for victims of kidnappings of "unexplained disappearances."
