DR, Sudiksha Konanki, 20, Punta Cana, 6 March 2025

[realanastasia]

If the power is out, the local internet is probably out, too. Yet people are posting on SM?

Yes, via their cellular network, probably.

 

[cocomonkey]

Innocent until proven guilty. I would like to give this young man the benefit of the doubt until more verified details come through. I think his version is quite plausible and we don't really know the exact words he has said to the police. As other people have mentioned, he may have been embarrassed to mention some of the details, or nervous of the ramifications of saying things. Remember that he is relatively young at 22 and may not have any experience in dealing with police etc. He may have just been hoping and praying that she turns up and all is well. He may feel guilty for not being able to save her or ashamed for just not being manly enough.

I don't think that not answering questions anymore is suspicious, it is likely what his parents have said to do until he gets a lawyer. Getting a lawyer does not make you guilty, especially when you are under suspicion for murder.

 

[Charlot123]

Here is a plausible theory that I'm considering.

It is dark and both JR and SK are in shoulder deep water. And in water, JR touches SK in an inappropriate manner.

SK refuses his unwanted touching and JR gets angry where he suddenly holds SK's head underwater.

And in his drunken state, JR thinks he held SK's head underwater for less than a minute, but it is more than several minutes.

Then to his horror, he panics after discovering that SK is not breathing and possibly deceased.

I'm not saying that this is what actually happened, only that this is a possibility to consider.

Any thoughts about this?

What is concerning is that JR takes to a great effort to tell about saving SK from the waves. I wonder if it serves to explain some inconsistencies should she be found.

There is a possibility that the waves were tall and JR decided to save himself, and left her in the sea, but in this case, usually the stress of feeling/seeing someone drown would help sober up. (There are many articles to that effect.)

So it would be strange if he just walked away or slept on the beach without calling anyone. It is not totally impossible that he blacked out when drunk and doesn't remember anything at all, but then, why make up the whole story?

While stress can sometimes lead to an increased perception of intoxication, studies suggest that stress can also increase the rate of alcohol elimination, potentially leading to a "sobering effect" as BAC begins to fall

Effect of stress on perceived intoxication and the blood alcohol curve in men and women - PubMed

To determine the influence of stress on intoxication and blood alcohol concentration (BAC) 60 healthy male and female volunteers were exposed to a cold pressor test, distressing film, or control condition after consuming a moderate dose of alcohol. Two measures of perceived intoxication...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

[Charlot123]

Yes, via their cellular network, probably.

I don't know how good the cellular network in the DR is, usually using cellular network abroad the phone loses power quicker and then, there is an outage so charging is harder. Well, there probably is an easy explanation to all of it.

 

[Warwick7]

What is concerning is that JR takes to a great effort to tell about saving SK from the waves. I wonder if it serves to explain some inconsistencies should she be found.

There is a possibility that the waves were tall and JR decided to save himself, and left her in the sea, but in this case, usually the stress of feeling/seeing someone drown would help sober up. (There are many articles to that effect.)

So it would be strange if he just walked away or slept on the beach without calling anyone. It is not totally impossible that he blacked out when drunk and doesn't remember anything at all, but then, why make up the whole story?

While stress can sometimes lead to an increased perception of intoxication, studies suggest that stress can also increase the rate of alcohol elimination, potentially leading to a "sobering effect" as BAC begins to fall

Effect of stress on perceived intoxication and the blood alcohol curve in men and women - PubMed

To determine the influence of stress on intoxication and blood alcohol concentration (BAC) 60 healthy male and female volunteers were exposed to a cold pressor test, distressing film, or control condition after consuming a moderate dose of alcohol. Two measures of perceived intoxication...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

BBM
This! This I would believe.
I was taken back by how he detailed his own self in the situation. Almost a me me me explanation.
It just caught me off guard.

 

[Rita7]

Thanks for linking this. ^^^^
Only my .02 : I feel that to be completely cooperating JR should tell LE what the conversation was when he got back to the room.
Maybe the roommate could help, and say what the convo. was ?
Just asking.
From the above link :
".... Officials in the Dominican Republic said they have not ruled out foul play in the disappearance of University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki, as the search for her enters its seventh day.

The attorney general and police in the Caribbean nation said in a release that the search for the missing co-ed now extends “beyond an accidental event” and “examines all variables. ..."

Wonder what made LE change their mind ?
Imo.

Just my speculation:
LE have changed their mind because some of JR's actions on an after
June 6 might be considered as "consciousness of guilt" by the Judicial system. (my comments 422, 438)
IMHO

 

[cocomonkey]

What is concerning is that JR takes to a great effort to tell about saving SK from the waves. I wonder if it serves to explain some inconsistencies should she be found.

There is a possibility that the waves were tall and JR decided to save himself, and left her in the sea, but in this case, usually the stress of feeling/seeing someone drown would help sober up. (There are many articles to that effect.)

So it would be strange if he just walked away or slept on the beach without calling anyone. It is not totally impossible that he blacked out when drunk and doesn't remember anything at all, but then, why make up the whole story?

While stress can sometimes lead to an increased perception of intoxication, studies suggest that stress can also increase the rate of alcohol elimination, potentially leading to a "sobering effect" as BAC begins to fall

Effect of stress on perceived intoxication and the blood alcohol curve in men and women - PubMed

To determine the influence of stress on intoxication and blood alcohol concentration (BAC) 60 healthy male and female volunteers were exposed to a cold pressor test, distressing film, or control condition after consuming a moderate dose of alcohol. Two measures of perceived intoxication...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

I also think that he may have just saved himself and is feeling ashamed of that.

 

[Charlot123]

I also think that he may have just saved himself and is feeling ashamed of that.

There are situations when people save themselves, self-preservation reflex is strong and they are not at fault. Nor should they be held liable for this. What i find difficult to stomach is that after it happened, he just walked away without calling for help.

P.S. My utmost compassion goes to Sidiksha's parents and loved ones.

 

[Cryptic]

If they were drinking vodka/mixed drinks and shots of tequila (as he stated during his interrogation), and then both vomiting at the hotel in front of friends (just reported by Daily Mail), then that’s a pretty volatile combo… one would think?

Yes, I agree.

If I were an investigator, I would want to try to generally confirm his level of intoxication based on other information or witnesses rather than his testimony. Though the video apparently supports his claim that he was severely intoxicated.

In the end though, he might have an interest in bumping up his level of intoxication to account not only for inactions at the beach (stated inability to assist her), but also his much later arrival back at the resort (blacked out).

As drinks are all inclusive (what ever their strength), I dont suppose it is recorded what he ordered or what was served to him. Likewise, there is the possibility of a group friends bringing in outside bottles to supplement hotel drinks. If this was done, it could also strengthen his claim.

 

[truthfinder2019]

Dominican police are dividing search areas and assigning drones to certain sectors.

Pilots are monitoring footage that is being uploaded to a command centre where AI is looking to identify objects in the ocean.

Search crews are looking in water and on land.

Authorities say it's not clear whether foul play was involved in Ms Konanki's disappearance.

There was no blood or signs of violence found at the beach.

What to know about search for missing student Sudiksha Konanki in the Dominican Republic

The search for the missing University of Pittsburgh student, who was on spring break in Punta Cana, is entering its second week.

www.bbc.com

 

[truthfinder2019]

Braun, along with an expert on oceans, told DailyMail.com her body would almost certainly have washed up on the shore by now if she drowned.

An accidental drowning seems unlikely. The water wasn't rough that night, no high tide, and no rip currents, so she likely wasn't simply swept away,' Braun said.

'Keeping focus on her likely being alive increases the chances of finding her.'

Stephen Leatherman, a professor of Earth and Environment at Florida International University, also thought eight days was too long for her body to be at sea.

'If she drowned, her body should have already surfaced in the warm Caribbean waters,' he said.

'I have served as an expert witness for 30 years, so I have been involved in many cases where someone drowned in a rip current, but the body was always recovered.

'I think that there must be another explanation for her disappearance.'

More in the article

Why experts believe missing Spring Break student didn't drown

Sudiksha Konanki, 20, has not been seen since the early hours of March 6 at the Riu Republica Resort on Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic - and experts fear foul play is why she hasn't been found

www.dailymail.co.uk

footage showed the Konanki vomiting at 4.05am before walking back to the bar. Riibe remained in the background vomiting while two men stood near him.

 

[cocomonkey]

4:05 They were both vomiting at the bar.
4:15 Walking behind the group of friends - Riibe with his arm around Konanki.
4:55 Two of her friend seen returning to hotel.
5:05 Her 3rd friend and Riibe's friend returned together to hotel.
8:54 Riibe seen walking back to hotel slowly, barefoot and shirtless.

 

[Hexe]

To be honest JR looks far more intoxicated than Sudiksha. I mean in this video where they are walking together she stumbles and loses her balance, bit IMO it is because JR, big, heavy dude, is leaning hard onto her. So I somehow doubt his story about saving her in the water.

 

[SMK777]

Does everyone believe his story about him rescuing her from a big wave, and last seeing her walking knee deep in the water?

https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/14/us/missing-college-student-punta-cana-update/index.html

 

[amo124]

Are we sure its SK? Plus man standing beside is the friend in Hawaiwan shirt

She enters with her friends and then is on the left side of the video vomiting and then rejoining her friends.

 

[Pharmasgirl]

Does everyone believe his story about him rescuing her from a big wave, and last seeing her walking knee deep in the water?

https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/14/us/missing-college-student-punta-cana-update/index.html

If the water pushed them further away from where their items were set up on the beach, and last he saw her she was walking in the water towards where their items were, then WHERE was he walking to if not going back to get his things like shirt & shoes? He didn’t have them when he returned back to hotel…

 

[minazoe]

I posted this on the DM also ...
for all we know some other person offered to help her and walk her back to the hotel. how good is the cell service? has every room in the hotel been searched? the roofs? the basement areas? storage? have dogs been brought in?

 

[TMich6811]

I posted this on the DM also ...
for all we know some other person offered to help her and walk her back to the hotel. how good is the cell service? has every room in the hotel been searched? the roofs? the basement areas? storage? have dogs been brought in?

I would thing they would have been on camera

 

[Megnut]

If the water pushed them further away from where their items were set up on the beach, and last he saw her she was walking in the water towards where their items were, then WHERE was he walking to if not going back to get his things like shirt & shoes? He didn’t have them when he returned back to hotel…

IMO there's some credence here. It would appear he took his shoes and shirt off and she took her cover-up off, intending to get into the water.

Sober, it would be hard to battle the force of riptides...

I think he came out of the water in a very different place than he went in, maybe looked in the morning for his things but couldn't find them.

The story he tells sounds more like what he wished he would have done, but I'm not sure he can when remember exactly what happened. Not impossible that they did get caught in the undertow and he did try to save them both, before losing grip and then fighting a very real battle to get himself to shore. He may have experienced real fatigue...

I'm giving every benefit of the doubt.

Could be a terrible, terrible accident. If you're caught in a riptide, you don't want your only hope to be a wasted lifeguard who may have barely saved himself.

Whatever happened, how ever it happened, two young people could have lost their lives. Tragic that she lost hers. Devastating loss for her family, friends...

JMO

 

[Knox]

I also think that he may have just saved himself and is feeling ashamed of that.

Agree, his previous experience being a lifeguard means he was trained to save lives. Although the ocean is very different from a pool in Iowa.

As I see it, his biggest problem is telling the truth. If nothing nefarious was involved and SK drowned in the ocean. Creating a story that he rescued her and she was up and walking around after, creates a cloud of suspicion over him.

That detail he offered about putting her ahead or in front of him when he got her to shore, was really odd? Anyone else catch that?