Mystery Deepens: Authorities Name Person of Interest in Pitt Student’s Disappearance in the Dominican Republic

Authorities have identified a person of interest in the disappearance of University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki, who vanished last week while on a spring break trip to the Dominican Republic.

A spokesperson for the sheriff’s office in Loudoun County, Virginia—Ms. Konanki’s hometown—confirmed Wednesday morning to the Post-Gazette that 24-year-old Joshua Riibe has been designated a “person of interest” in connection with the 20-year-old pre-med student’s disappearance.

“This remains a non-criminal investigation at this stage,” said spokesperson Chad Quinn in an email. “To clarify, he is not considered a suspect.”

Mr. Quinn stated that Mr. Riibe, a U.S. citizen, was vacationing in Punta Cana but was not traveling with Ms. Konanki’s group. However, he may have been the last person to see her, making him a key figure in the case.

Ms. Konanki and five friends arrived in Punta Cana for spring break on March 3, officials reported. She was last seen early Thursday morning on a beach near the Riu Republica Resort and was reported missing later that afternoon, approximately 12 hours after her last known sighting.

On Tuesday, ABC News reported that investigators discovered Ms. Konanki’s clothing on a portable beach bed near the location where she disappeared.

Dominican authorities announced on social media Tuesday evening that they had intensified their search efforts, deploying teams by air, sea, and land. Their translated statement indicated that more than 300 investigators and search personnel were combing the coastline and surrounding areas near the hotel.

Security footage obtained by Dominican news outlet Noticias SIN reportedly shows Ms. Konanki walking toward the beach with her friends and two men, consistent with information provided by officials in Punta Cana to multiple U.S. news outlets.

The footage captures Ms. Konanki, her friends, and two men heading toward the beach shortly after 4 a.m. Thursday. Around 6 a.m., her five friends and one of the men were seen returning, while the other man was observed leaving the beach alone just before 10 a.m., with no sign of Ms. Konanki.

A police source told CNN on Tuesday that the man last seen with Ms. Konanki has been questioned multiple times, offering inconsistent statements about the last moments he saw her.

According to the source, the man claimed that he and Ms. Konanki went into the ocean, but he felt ill, left the water, and fell asleep on a lounge chair. In one account, he suggested she may have been swept away by a wave. In another, he said she might have left when he exited the water. In a third version, he stated he saw her walking along the shoreline, with water reaching her knees, toward the area where she had left her clothes.

Ms. Konanki’s father, Subbarayudu Konanki, urged authorities to broaden their investigation. Speaking to WTOP News in Washington, D.C., on Sunday, he expressed concerns over the limited search efforts.

“It’s been four days, and if she was in the water, she would likely have washed ashore by now,” he said. “She hasn’t been found, so we’re asking them to explore other possibilities, including kidnapping or abduction.”