Desperate plea from parents of vanished University of Pittsburgh student, Sudiksha Konanki, to legally declare their daughter deceased
In the heart-wrenching case of missing University of Pittsburgh student, Sudiksha Konanki, her parents have implored Dominican authorities to recognize her death. This request echoes the sorrow and legal complexities that families endure when a loved one vanishes.
Law enforcement investigators believe Konanki met her end through drowning, with no evidence of malicious intent found. Her parents, devastated, asked the authorities to officially declare her death, initiating a legal process that could bring them one step closer to finding closure. As of now, the Dominican Republic National Police continues its investigation.
According to the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office in Virginia, while it sympathizes with Konanki's grieving parents and understands their need for closure, the final decision lies with the Dominican authorities. Sheriff's spokesperson Thomas Julia stated that the investigation in the Dominican Republic should be concluded before the case can officially close, emphasizing the importance of gathering conclusive evidence.
In the Dominican Republic, police typically do not declare someone deceased without a body or clear evidence of a crime. Without a body, a death declaration would need to be made via a special law by the country's Congress or the President. The process doesn't have a fixed time frame, according to Dominican attorney Julio Cury.
In Virginia, a person can be presumed dead under certain scenarios, such as when they've disappeared for seven years or have been exposed to a "specific peril of death." Naomi Cahn, a law professor and co-director of the Family Law Center at the University of Virginia School of Law, believes these circumstances may be sufficient basis for determining a death before the seven years pass.
The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office is offering assistance to the Konanki family to navigate the two-step process of establishing grounds for presumption of death and following judicial procedure.
One of the reasons for a family pursuing a death declaration is to find closure, explained personal injury and criminal defense attorney, Phillip DiLucente. The Konanki family has expressed this need, with father Subbarayudu Konanki expressing his grief on WTTG.
Another reason for the declaration could be to facilitate financial matters, such as opening an estate, administering a will, and accessing funds like college savings or insurance policies. Finally, a death declaration would determine the type of lawsuit to pursue, if any, and the potential damages for the death, according to UVA professor, Naomi Cahn.
Sudiksha's case bears resemblance to the 2005 disappearance of Natalee Holloway, whose father successfully petitioned for a declaration of legal death in 2012. The process served to resolve Holloway's estate, including her college fund and health insurance benefits.
In the Dominican Republic, the hunt for concrete evidence and navigating complex legal procedures often leave parents waiting in hopes of finding closure. Unanswered questions persist, as the authorities piece together the puzzle to officially recognize Sudiksha Konanki's death.
The Konanki family, residing in Virginia, has requested the Dominican authorities to declare Sudiksha's death, a legal process that could bring them closer to finding closure. This request is due to the possibility of inheriting or accessing funds such as college savings or insurance policies if Sudiksha's death is officially declared. If Sudiksha were to be presumed dead under certain circumstances in Virginia, it could expedite the process of determining the type of lawsuit to pursue and the potential damages for her death.
