Tue Mar 11 04:31:26 UTC 2025: ## Missing Pitt Student’s Case: Extensive Search Yields No Trace, Family Suspects Kidnapping
**Punta Cana, Dominican Republic** – A massive, four-day search for Sudiksha Konanki, a 20-year-old University of Pittsburgh pre-med student, has yielded no results, leading her family to suspect foul play. Konanki vanished from a beach near the Riu Republica Resort in Punta Cana early Thursday morning after a night out with friends.
The last person to see Konanki was identified as Joshua Steven Ribe, a 24-year-old tourist from Iowa. Ribe, who admitted to being intoxicated and passing out on the beach, gave conflicting accounts of the events leading up to Konanki’s disappearance. While police have not named him a suspect, they confirm his cooperation with the investigation.
Konanki’s friends, who were vacationing with her, reported her missing nearly 12 hours after last seeing her. Surveillance footage shows the group leaving a resort disco around 3 am and arriving at the beach around 4 am. By 5:50 am, Konanki was left alone with Ribe. Her phone and wallet were left with her friends, a detail her family finds unusual.
Authorities have deployed extensive resources in the search, including drones, helicopters, boats, scuba divers, and all-terrain vehicles. Despite the efforts, Juan Salas, director of the Dominican Republic’s Civil Defence, stated that the chances of finding her alive are minimal. Her clothing was found on a beach chair, leading authorities to initially suspect drowning. However, the lack of a body after four days, coupled with the missing phone and wallet, has prompted the family to push for a kidnapping investigation.
Konanki’s father, Subbarayudu Konanki, has formally requested authorities investigate the possibility of kidnapping or abduction. He emphasized the unusual absence of his daughter’s belongings and the lack of a body despite the extensive search.
The Dominican National Police are currently questioning multiple individuals, including Konanki’s friends and other resort guests, and reviewing surveillance footage from nearby resorts. International agencies, including the FBI, DEA, Homeland Security Investigations, the University of Pittsburgh police, and the Indian Embassy in the Dominican Republic, are assisting in the investigation. The case remains under active investigation.
First Piper 