Overview

• Sudiksha Konanki, a University of Pittsburgh student, disappeared on March 6 during a spring break trip to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
• Surveillance footage shows Konanki walking arm-in-arm with Joshua Steven Riibe, a 24-year-old Iowa man identified as a person of interest, near a beach at 4:15 a.m.
• Riibe has provided conflicting accounts to authorities, claiming he passed out on the beach after entering the water and discovered Konanki missing upon waking.
• Local police, assisted by the FBI and other agencies, have deployed over 300 personnel, drones, and detection dogs in their search efforts on land and at sea.
• While Dominican authorities initially suggested drowning as a possibility, Konanki’s family suspects foul play and has urged a broader investigation into potential abduction or crime.