Sudiksha Konanki, 20, disappeared March 6 on a spring break trip with five friends in Punta Cana. The parents of missing University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki said Tuesday they've given up hope that their daughter is still alive and believe she drowned on a spring break trip in the Dominican Republic.

The parents of missing University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki have asked for Dominican authorities to declare their daughter dead. Their request highlights the heartbreaking realities of losing a child and handling the legalities of a missing person case.

Sudiksha Konanki, a University of Pittsburgh student, went missing in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic on March 6. She was on spring break with friends and was last seen on the beach near her hotel at around 4:50 a.m. The F.B.I. joined the investigation into her disappearance and U.S. detectives have been sent to the Dominican Republic.