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.

As students returned to the picturesque University of Pittsburgh campus after spring break, one student was noticeably missing. Sudiksha Konanki, a 20-year-old pre-medical student, vanished over a week ago and has yet to be found.

The last person to see University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki before she disappeared in the Dominican Republic has had his passport taken by investigators. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.