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

[TMich6811]

Imo there are 3 scenarios

1. Something happened while the friends were there - could have been accident or anything

2. Intentional or accidental harm from the man

3. Truly they went swimming and he was so messed up he passed out, woke up and thought she had left, went to room

I don’t feel this is likely a kidnapping

 

[Mica]

Now, it has emerged that she was last known to be with a 24-year-old Iowa man who was a fellow guest at the Riu Republica Resort in Punta Cana, where Konanki and her friends were staying.

Mystery man who was the last person to see student before she vanished

Sudiksha Konanki, 20, vanished in the early hours of March 6 while on Spring Break in the Carribean with five female friends.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Mica]

<modsnip - snipped for copyright>

Noticias SIN reported that Ribe has given three versions of what happened next, first telling police he threw up from the rough surf and went back to shore — but asked Konanki if she was OK.

In the second version, he allegedly said he felt sick to his stomach and left the water, last seeing the missing woman in knee-deep surf before passing out.

Finally, he also told authorities that he saw Konanki walking along the shore before he fell asleep, the outlet said.

Police have not said if they suspect foul play but said Ribe is cooperating with authorities.

Last person to see missing Pitt student Sudiksha Konanki alive says he passed out on beach after they went into water: report

Given amount of time she’s been missing, the chances of finding her alive are “minimal,” said Juan Salas, the director of The Dominican Republic’s civil defense.

nypost.com

 

[Lusitana]

Well, well, well. So, not a local man as a lot of people were so quickly to assume. It always made more sense to me that they would be partying and hanging out with... other tourists. I'm assuming locals in the resorts are working, not partying and hanging out, for the most part.

Whatever happened, it was bad. Hoping for good news regardless. I'm finding it interesting that the full name of the guy that was last seen with her was made public so quickly.

 

[Meitsyeah]

The old tale of clubbing or Spring Break,. Get wasted and left by Friends with a stranger never to be heard from again.....sad!!

 

[priyaya]

Well, well, well. So, not a local man as a lot of people were so quickly to assume. It always made more sense to me that they would be partying and hanging out with... other tourists. I'm assuming locals in the resorts are working, not partying and hanging out, for the most part.

Whatever happened, it was bad. Hoping for good news regardless. I'm finding it interesting that the full name of the guy that was last seen with her was made public so quickly.

Yep... another American college student.
Im not surprised at all. Locals arent on the beach trying to kidnap American tourists at 5am.
there may be crime but my experience in the DR was immense respect for Americans and personally i never felt in danger as a young female alone there.

 

[TMich6811]

Well, well, well. So, not a local man as a lot of people were so quickly to assume. It always made more sense to me that they would be partying and hanging out with... other tourists. I'm assuming locals in the resorts are working, not partying and hanging out, for the most part.

Whatever happened, it was bad. Hoping for good news regardless. I'm finding it interesting that the full name of the guy that was last seen with her was made public so quickly.

Yeah but this was bringing bad vibes to the DR tourist scene if people were fearing locals so this gets that Part of the heat off

 

[otto]

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[dotr]

 

[shetalksinstereo]

I was looking up the info that Peace Corps has on electricity in Dominican Republic:

" Many communities have electricity with current running similar to that in the United States (110 volts, 60 cycles), but power outages are common and can occur multiple times a day. It is not uncommon to be without power for many hours during the day."

My parents frequented DR and never once mentioned a power outage; however, I have a friend in Puerto Rico that says they deal with it routinely, so I'm assuming it's probably similar to other Caribbean islands, aging infrastructure, drain on grid, etc.

 

[Lusitana]

Yeah but this was bringing bad vibes to the DR tourist scene if people were fearing locals so this gets that Part of the heat off

That's exactly my point. Why even assume without any evidence that she was last seen with a local? People just assumed right away that it had to be a local, when logically, in most of these cases, it's another tourist.

 

[priyaya]

My parents frequented DR and never once mentioned a power outage; however, I have a friend in Puerto Rico that says they deal with it routinely, so I'm assuming it's probably similar to other Caribbean islands, aging infrastructure, drain on grid, etc.

all of that and at least when i was there, somewhat political. Its neighborhood by neighborhood and some neighborhoods have it better than others.
constant hurricanes dont help either.

 

[dotr]

Mar 11, 2025

FBI joins search for college student who vanished in Dominican Republic

The FBI has joined the search for a 20-year-old University of Pittsburgh student who went missing nearly a week ago

torontosun.com

''SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic — The FBI has joined the search for a 20-year-old University of Pittsburgh student who went missing nearly a week ago while on spring break in the Dominican tourist town of Punta Cana, police said Tuesday.''

<modsnip - snipped for copyright>

 

[StarryStarryNight]

At least, finally, a bit of decent information is coming out.
I fear it’s going to be a tragedy no matter what the story ends up being.

 

[Curiousobserver]

Imo there are 3 scenarios

1. Something happened while the friends were there - could have been accident or anything

2. Intentional or accidental harm from the man

3. Truly they went swimming and he was so messed up he passed out, woke up and thought she had left, went to room

I don’t feel this is likely a kidnapping

My gut is I am going with #3. Daily mail has the surveillance video on their site and he is clearly stumbling drunk with what appears to be another drink in his hand. His "three versions" of his story sound like the same story to me told by a nervous 24 year old who probably remembers very little- they went in the water, I got sick and had to come out, I passed out on the beach, but I might have seen her out of the water walking in a moment when I woke up for a minute."

Haunting footage shows missing student walking to Dominican beach

The video shows Konanki striding towards the beach in Punta Cana with Joshua Steven Ribe, the last man to have seen her alive.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Chimera]

I didn't notice in this thread that anyone was assuming he was a local.
Some, including yours truly , asked if she was with a local, or another tourist/fellow student.
24 years old is a bit older for college age but possibly he's not an undergrad student, but rather, a graduate student ?
Or he's just a man on a vacay.

Locals or nationals are going to be like people anywhere -- good, bad, or indifferent, or just there at the resort working as employees.

I've had the opportunity to do some traveling and have met many amazing lovely people.

Only my opinion: Local or not, it doesn't throw any shade at anyone, to ask -- however, if it helps to find out what happened to Sudiksha, it's legit to inquire whom she was with and who saw her last.

Anything that will help find Sudiksha or what has happened to her.

At this time, I will assume Iowa mans' varying stories are due to him possibly imbibing too much.
If, as was posted upthread, there are armed guards at the beach entrances --not to mention cameras, it's doubtful she was harmed on the beach.

And it sounds like she never left of her own volition.

Am also starting to think this was nothing more than a drowning and she may have been carried by a riptide out to sea.

Hoping her family gets answers, I cannot begin to imagine what they are going through --ghastly.
I can imagine in their worry and grief, they may fear someone harmed her, and this is understandable.
Imo.

 

[arielilane]

@CStewartNews


Sudiksha is still missing in DR. Crews reportedly found her clothes. ABC News is reporting that at this point her disappearance is being treated as an accident. The young man who was with her last says she was swept away by a wave when they went swimming.

10:44 AM · Mar 11, 2025

 

[Chimera]

Question : Since Ribe was seen returning without Sudiksha, is there any way she could leave the beach and not be seen on camera ?
Security cams are the best detectives these days.

 

[dotr]

Mar 11, 2025
Missing University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki's clothes were found on the Dominican Republic beach where authorities believe she was last seen going for a swim, two police sources with knowledge of the investigation told ABC News on Monday.

 

[thebedbug]

That's exactly my point. Why even assume without any evidence that she was last seen with a local? People just assumed right away that it had to be a local, when logically, in most of these cases, it's another tourist.

I don't think that's true.

People speculated on a lot of possibilities. Without other information, local involvement would certainly be a reasonable one of them.