Family pleads for help finding ASU grad student missing at Grand Canyon

The family of Sandarsh Krishna, a 26-year-old Arizona State University graduate student who went missing days before he would receive his master’s degree, is asking the public for help.

Krishna was reported missing on April 28 from the Grand Canyon, according to the National Park Service.

We just want to bring him home to his family and get a proper closure,” his sister-in-law, Dr. Pooja Shivananjappa, said during a recent news conference.

Sandarsh Krishna stopped at the Grand Canyon to celebrate his graduation

Krishna planned to hike part of the South Rim before continuing on to Las Vegas to celebrate his newly earned master’s degree in computer science. He has since missed his final exams.

“He’s kind-hearted. He’s a genius. He’s great in math. He plays chess. He has a black belt in karate,” said Shivananjappa.

Krishna, who lives in Tempe, was set to graduate from ASU on May 9.

Park rangers said Krishna is 5 feet 10 inches tall with a thin build, weighs about 160 pounds and has black hair and brown eyes. Shivananjappa said he was last seen wearing black jeans, a white hoodie and black and white Jordan sneakers.

A central focus of the investigation is a black backpack believed to belong to Krishna that was turned in to hotel staff at Bright Angel Lodge around 7 a.m. on April 28. Investigators want to identify and speak with the person who returned the backpack, who is not considered a suspect but may have information about where it was found.

“That is a main piece of evidence as of now,” Shivananjappa said. “If we can get to know the exact location of the backpack, we can focus on searching that specific area.”

More than 50 people have joined the search, which has included helicopters, thermal drones and crews searching nearly 400 feet into the canyon, Shivananjappa said. Cell tower data has placed Krishna’s phone somewhere between Mojave Point and Pima Point, a four-mile stretch along the South Rim. His phone has not moved since Tuesday.

Krishna moved to Arizona in 2024.

Anyone with information is asked to call or text the NPS Investigative Services Branch tip line at 888-653-0009.

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