Closing pexpect connections using threads

I am trying to write a multi-threaded program and use pexpect along
with it. All works fine until I try to close the connection handle.
That thread keeps waiting until the connection handle closes. It
actually never comes out of that command(connect ion_handle.clos e()).
If I manually kill it using kill command, the thread comes out and
quits otherwise it is in the wait state forever.

def daemon(self):
self.continue_h earbeats_lock.a cquire()
self.continue_h eartbeats = True
self.continue_h earbeats_lock.r elease()
thrdHandshake = threading.Event ()
threading.Threa d(target=self.R unTests,name='R un_Te st_Thread')

while self.continue_h eartbeats:
pass
def RunTests(self):
self.createconn ection()
self.closeconne ction()

def closeconnection ()
self.log("Closi ng connection for device")
self.connection _handle.close()
createconnectio n is a API which creates SSH connection to a remote machine.

And upon running, it hangs at this point
11:8:17:910 [DBG][CLEANUP]
11:8:17:910 [DBG]Closing Connection for device
<pexpect.spaw n instance at 0xb7b373cc>
Any tips on what I am missing here?

Thanks,

-V