Missing university student Sudiksha Konanki’s hometown sheriff names person of interest

The hometown sheriff’s department has named a person of interest in the disappearance of University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki during her vacation in the Dominican Republic.

The spokesperson for the Loudoun County, Virginia Sheriff’s Office, Thomas Julia, told Fox News Digital that Joshua Riibe is a “person of interest” in Konanki’s disappearance.

Riibe, a tourist from Iowa, was reportedly the last person to see Konanki at the Riu Republica Resort beach on March 6 around 4:50 am.

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The spokesperson said that the 24-year-old “has been interviewed at length,” but noted that it is still a missing person case and not a criminal investigation. Riibe has not been charged with any crime in the case.

“Sheriff [Michael] Chapman wants to make sure the investigation is comprehensive and includes all possible assets and techniques,” Fox News Digital quoted Julia as saying. “We are working closely with the FBI on all of this, and they are working with the Dominican National Police.”

Disappearance of Sudiksha Konanki

A resident of Loudoun County, Virginia, Konanki travelled to the Dominican Republic with five other people from the University of Pittsburgh during the spring break, which started on March 2 and ended on Sunday (Mar 9). They stayed at the Riu República Hotel in Punta Cana during their trip, according to the police.

Surveillance camera footage revealed that Konanki entered the beach at the five-star resort after 4:15 am on Thursday (Mar 6) with her friends, according to the statement by the Dominican National Police.

A footage obtained by Noticias SIN showed her seemingly clinging to a man as their group headed towards the beach. This was the last time she was seen before her disappearance, the authorities said.

According to La Policia Nacional, the country’s national police force, she was walking with a young man right before she went missing.

Her disappearance has sparked public speculations about what could have happened to her as the authorities from both the Dominican Republic and the US investigate. So far, no suspects have been named in the ongoing investigation.

On Tuesday (Mar 11), the Dominican National Police said it is “re-interviewing targeted individuals who were in the victim’s proximity at the time of her disappearance.”

“This includes hotel employees where Konanki and her companions were staying, with the goal of gathering information to corroborate her movements, interactions, and any relevant details for the investigation,” they said.

(With inputs from agencies)