Search Continues for Missing College Student in Dominican Republic: Person of Interest Identified

The search for Sudiksha Konanki, a 20-year-old University of Pittsburgh student who went missing during a spring break trip to the Dominican Republic, is ongoing. Authorities have identified Joshua Riibe as a person of interest in the case, as he was reportedly seen with Konanki at a resort before her disappearance.

Konanki, a native of India and a graduate of the prestigious Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Virginia, traveled to the island a week ago with five girlfriends. She was last seen early Thursday morning on the beach with friends.

According to a spokesperson for the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, Chad Quinn, surveillance cameras captured five women and one man leaving the beach at approximately 6 a.m. Thursday. Konanki apparently remained on the beach with a man, later identified as Riibe, and surveillance footage shows him leaving the beach area hours later without her.

While Konanki’s father has urged local authorities to broaden the scope of the investigation, Quinn stated that the case is currently not being treated as a criminal investigation. As such, Riibe is not considered a suspect in Konanki’s disappearance. However, Quinn emphasized that Riibe is of particular interest as he may have been the last person to have seen her.

Riibe is originally from Rock Rapids, Iowa, and has been a student at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota since 2023, where he is a senior majoring in land surveying and mapping sciences. He was not part of the group that Konanki traveled to the island with, and it is believed that they met in the resort town of Punta Cana. Authorities have not yet confirmed Riibe’s age or whether he has been interviewed by police.

Family members of Konanki reside in a Washington, D.C., suburb, and the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office is assisting the FBI and local law enforcement in the investigation. Quinn stated that a number of people have been interviewed by the Dominican National Police with the assistance of the FBI. The interview process will continue, and the sheriff’s office will establish a presence on the ground Wednesday.

The Hotel Riu Republica, where Konanki was a guest, experienced a 25-hour power outage prior to her disappearance. However, the hotel stated that electricity was restored before she was last seen. The electrical outage occurred in the early hours of March 5, but service was fully restored just after 2 a.m. the next morning. The hotel further stated that security cameras were operational and captured several images of Konanki around the hotel with other young guests. The last recorded image of her was at 4:17 a.m., when she was seen leaving a hotel bar in a group heading towards the beach.

Missing person posters describe Konanki as 5 feet 3 inches tall with black hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a brown bikini, large round earrings, a metal designer anklet on her right leg, yellow and steel bracelets on her right wrist, and a multicolored beaded bracelet on her left wrist.

Conflicting reports have emerged regarding the account of the man who was last seen with Konanki. According to the Dominican news outlet El Nacional, the man told authorities that he and Konanki went into the water, he passed out on the beach, and she had disappeared when he woke up. The outlet also reported that some of Konanki’s clothes were found on a beach chair with no signs of violence.

However, CNN reported a different version of events, citing local authorities. According to CNN, the man stated that they both went into the ocean, but he felt sick, got out of the water, and fell asleep on a lounge chair. He suggested that Konanki may have been swept away by a wave or may have left when he got out of the water. He also claimed to have seen her walking along the beach with the water up to her knees in the direction of where she had left her clothes.

Police have stated that the man is cooperating with authorities, who are attempting to corroborate his version of events. Dominican police have not yet responded to requests for additional information.

Konanki’s father, Subbarayudu Konanki, has expressed his desire for authorities to consider alternative scenarios, such as kidnapping or abduction, rather than solely focusing on the possibility of drowning. He stated that her belongings, including personal items like her phone and wallet, were left with her friends, which is unusual as she always carries her phone with her. A complaint seeking to broaden the investigation was filed on Sunday.

The Dominican Republic National Police announced Tuesday that it has partnered with multiple U.S. agencies to establish a high-level commission to oversee the investigation. The police also stated that they will be reinterviewing targeted individuals who were seen near or with Konanki at the time of her disappearance.

The investigation remains active and ongoing, with authorities working to gather information and explore all possible leads in the search for Sudiksha Konanki. The involvement of U.S. agencies, including the FBI and the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, underscores the seriousness of the case and the commitment to finding Konanki and bringing closure to her family. The conflicting accounts of the man last seen with Konanki further complicate the investigation, highlighting the need for thorough and meticulous examination of all available evidence. As the search continues, the focus remains on uncovering the truth and ensuring a comprehensive investigation into Konanki’s disappearance.