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

[Diddian]

The only new piece of info I saw, unless I missed it before, is that Sudiksha made 2 Venmo payments the afternoon before her disappearance. This probably doesn't mean much IMO.

That NY Post article also included a photo, for which the caption INCORRECTLY identified as JR and SK a male in a printed collared shirt and a woman in a solid white coverup holding hands and walking together. But that couple is clearly NOT JR and SK.

In a group photo from the video surveillance, the OTHER male who was with the group was wearing that printed collared shirt and ANOTHER female who was with the group was wearing the solid white coverup. JR is seen wearing a "muscle man" tank top of sorts (with lots of shoulders and arms fully revealed) and SK is seen wearing a very loosely woven white coverup (through which you could see the bikini she was wearing underneath).

More carelessness in publishing which is extremely annoying.

 

[Warwick7]

Okay, I've read through as many articles as possible and this seems to be the most accurate timeline of events. There are a few YouTube videos etc. that claim differently, but I've tried to take info from the most reputable sources. Please let me know if I've missed anything or written something wrong.

• 03/03/25 Konanki and five friends flew to the Dominican Republic, stayed in a resort in Punta Cana.
• 05.03.25 01.27 — Power outage at SK’s hotel. Power was restored to 70% of the facility about 2 hours later.
• 06/03/25 02.13 — Power in hotel fully restored.
• 06/03/25 03.00 — SK seen drinking on CCTV with 5 women and 2 men in the lobby.
• 06/03/25 04.05 — SK seen on CCTV vomiting outside the bar before walking back in. JR is also seen vomiting outside.
• 06/03/25 04.15 — After spending time at a bar, SK, JR and 6 other people walk to the beach. 2 women did not go to the beach. JR puts his arm around SK.
• 06/03/25 04.55-05.05 (msn.com reports 06.00)— (Approx) Everyone apart from JR and SK leave the beach (5 women and 1 man). JR claims a wave hit him and SK on the beach, she was swept away. He threw up and slept on a beach chair. 2 of the women didn't go swimming, SK and JR did. Claims they kissed in the water.
• 06/03/25 05.50 - SK last seen on the beach with JR
• 06/03/25 08.54 OR 10.00 — JR returns to the resort, barefoot and shirtless.
• 06/03/25 16.00 — (Approx) SK’s friends report her missing
• 06/03/25 17.43 — SK’s father files missing person report with Loudoun County Sheriffs Office.
• 07/03/25 ~ — Allegedly friends go to pick up JR’s belongings from the beach but his shoes and key card were stolen.
• 10/03/25 ~ — Dom. Rep. Police say on X that they are re-interviewing people who had been with SK and employees.
• 12/03/25 ~ — JR named as a person of interest, interviewed by police
• 15/03/25 ~ — SK’s belongings seemingly found sprawled on a beach chair (flip flops and netted shawl)

BBM
Was his key card in his shoes?
First I'm hearing about them being stolen.
I wonder why they assumed they were stolen and not just washed out to sea?

 

[slowpoke]

About the translation issues…

From this cnn article:

Another law enforcement source briefed on the investigation said the man was interviewed by police several times and provided different details but there were no significant inconsistencies in his recounting of the events that night.
A source familiar with the investigation had earlier told CNN the man had given them different accounts of what happened the last time he saw her. The law enforcement source who said there were no significant inconsistencies in the man’s recounting said translation issues may have been a reason for the differences.


Then, this Spanish language news article, translated, says:

What did Joshua Steven Riibe say about the disappearance of Sudiksha Konanki, during his interview at the prosecutor's office?
The document with his statement was obtained exclusively by Noticias SIN. You can watch the full video with the statement on our YouTube channel: SIN News.

——

So, I go to the Noticias SIN video to see if they show said document, but the document shown in the background is written in Spanish, from what I can see (it’s fuzzy). Screenshot:

But, the cnn article says their LE source says Riibe’s accounts have “no significant inconsistencies”, attributing any differences to language translation.

 

[Bahshudc]

BBM
Was his key card in his shoes?
First I'm hearing about them being stolen.
I wonder why they assumed they were stolen and not just washed out to sea?

Might have made a mistake here - I'll find the source I based this on.

 

[CityKid]

Something I'm wondering: They all went to the beach together, and likely sat together. Their chaise lounges would've been close together, especially JR and Sudiksha's. So, JR sees his shoes and socks were missing, but didn't see Sudiksha's belongings on the chair next to him?

JMO

They could have chosen to sit on the sand and put their belongings on the loungers after the others had gone back to the hotel.

 

[Bahshudc]

That NY Post article also included a photo, for which the caption INCORRECTLY identified as JR and SK a male in a printed collared shirt and a woman in a solid white coverup holding hands and walking together. But that couple is clearly NOT JR and SK.

In a group photo from the video surveillance, the OTHER male who was with the group was wearing that printed collared shirt and ANOTHER female who was with the group was wearing the solid white coverup. JR is seen wearing a "muscle man" tank top of sorts (with lots of shoulders and arms fully revealed) and SK is seen wearing a very loosely woven white coverup (through which you could see the bikini she was wearing underneath).

More carelessness in publishing which is extremely annoying.

I think you're right.

Two completely different people.

 

[mickey2942]

Authorities turn up the heat on ‘person of interest’ in Sudiksha Konanki case after revealing he’s ‘in custody’ in DR

Authorities in the Dominican Republic are turning up the heat on the Iowa man who was the last person to see University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki before she went missing — grilling him…

nypost.com

This is actually interesting, as a parent of two young men. Imagine a situation, where your son is involved in this situation.

Unfortunately, I can pretty much see this, kids on Spring Break. Lots of potential for trouble.

 

[TMich6811]

“Them” = her belongings. Fox News quote is grammatically sound and doesn’t qualify as a conflict of translations for a few reasons. JR,s account was given in English and reported in English by both of the news outlets you are comparing. True, “them” is open to interpretation in the first quote but I think the conflict in your mind is actually just a function of how you interpreted each statement in those two different articles. The only things that make these two reports seem to contradict each other are your own post quote “translations” that you put in parentheses. That said- I totally dig your soap box because even though it’s not true in this specific instance, your statement about how much contradictory, incorrect, and unsubstantiated information is being churned out is spot on! And good that someone is calling this out because you’re so right about how reckless it is to subject family and friends who are suffering and confused to that kind of cruel media version of a terrible game of “telephone”

I am pro soap box.

So clarification here because I have not seen the actual transcript - we know for sure that the transcript obtained that needed translated in the fox article including his English responses or did the transcript have the already translated to Spanish answers?

I guess what I’m asking is - You’re saying fox is reporting his English answers. The transcript included his English answers and not the already translated to Spanish answers?

Can we see that somewhere?

ETA or have the obtained the video of the interview maybe is what you’re saying?

 

[Only4Justice]

Growing up in coastal California---that exact thing happens a lot. Often late at night, drunk and stoned, HEY LeT"S GO In The WaTER

I’ve done it! Specifically beaches off LA when I was SK age and reckless. So I can verify (I’m still here thankfully)

 

[Marie A]

I’m a little disgusted about the fact that Josh is being held in Punta Cana 10 days later.
Has his family not contacted the US Embassy in the DR to get assistance?
Both Josh and Sudishka had their arms wrapped around each other when walking to the beach and both were very obviously intoxicated and inebriated. They are both weaving during their walk on recorded video. They both are shown throwing up outside of the bar.
Josh experienced a traumatic event and he experienced some amount of shock over the situation and was also “blacked out” during part of the aftermath.

I had a wallet stolen when traveling and played the event over and over in my mind trying to figure out when it happened- when it was grabbed from my purse. I reported the theft at the police station.
It was literally weeks later when I remembered being knocked into in the store by a sales lady. It finally dawned on me exactly who took my wallet and when.
I had tried so hard to pinpoint it at the time but I think the shock of being robbed stopped me from being able to unlock the mystery. Only weeks later did my mind remember being bumped into and exactly who reached for my wallet and when.

If there is any revelation Josh is going to have it could be weeks away or it may never come to his mind.
Needless to say he will be forever haunted and tormented by this terribly sad situation.

I don’t think holding him in the DR is doing any good and I think it is bordering on very unjust and unacceptable. He has now missed a week of his college classes and has been repeatedly questioned and very likely harassed excessively.
If he is criminally charged later the US will allow him to be extradited.
I’m very sure this will never happen.
I think he is completely innocent of any criminality in this case.
I would be incensed if this was my son or male relative being held in these circumstances.

All IMHO

 

[Deleted member 356433]

BBM
Was his key card in his shoes?
First I'm hearing about them being stolen.
I wonder why they assumed they were stolen and not just washed out to sea?

Dude, yes to this— where the heck are his shirt and shoes?! He is wearing them on the way out to the beach on CCTV, conspicuously missing both on footage showing him returning from beach alone. Wouldn’t they have been discarded right next to SK’s when they both elected to go into the ocean? Why were hers found alone? If he did in fact retrieve his at some point after recovering from his fight to the shoreline or after waking up several hours later, he would have seen that SK’s were still there. This is pure speculation, but I think he knew that SK had not made it out of the ocean that morning but did not want anyone to know that he was involved in her disappearance (either for innocent or nefarious reasons), so he retrieved his own shirt and shoes so that they would not be found sitting next to her things and moved them. Why, though, would he retrieve his own things but NOT take them back inside with him? Was there a reason he didn’t want them found? Why did it take so many days for any news sources to report that SK’s belongings had been recovered? Perhaps just a crowded beach? Help me understand, sleuthers

 

[Deleted member 356433]

So clarification here because I have not seen the actual transcript - we know for sure that the transcript obtained that needed translated in the fox article including his English responses or did the transcript have the already translated to Spanish answers?

I guess what I’m asking is - You’re saying fox is reporting his English answers. The transcript included his English answers and not the already translated to Spanish answers?

Can we see that somewhere?

ETA or have the obtained the video of the interview maybe is what you’re saying?

A transcript of one of his interviews, in which he did have a lawyer and translator present was released by DR investigative officials.

Your line of questioning is moot, however, because the quote taken from the Fox News article is not, in any way, intended to be a quote from JR, or anyone else. The sentence in question is a line from an article written by a reporter for Fox News. Reporters investigate and then have to describe findings and report news in their own words.

Doing research to substantiate that a translation issue is relevant in original post would be a waste of time but it’s definitely worth it, I think, to check out the transcript of JR’s released interview. Some people have strong reactions to the eight questions he refused to answer.

 

[Dee10]

Dude, yes to this— where the heck are his shirt and shoes?! He is wearing them on the way out to the beach on CCTV, conspicuously missing both on footage showing him returning from beach alone. Wouldn’t they have been discarded right next to SK’s when they both elected to go into the ocean? Why were hers found alone? If he did in fact retrieve his at some point after recovering from his fight to the shoreline or after waking up several hours later, he would have seen that SK’s were still there. This is pure speculation, but I think he knew that SK had not made it out of the ocean that morning but did not want anyone to know that he was involved in her disappearance (either for innocent or nefarious reasons), so he retrieved his own shirt and shoes so that they would not be found sitting next to her things and moved them. Why, though, would he retrieve his own things but NOT take them back inside with him? Was there a reason he didn’t want them found? Why did it take so many days for any news sources to report that SK’s belongings had been recovered? Perhaps just a crowded beach? Help me understand, sleuthers

Excellent post! I didn't buy anything was stolen. We go to the DR & Mexico resorts every year and I have never heard of anything being stolen on the beach. Most people drop their beach stuff off and swim go for breakfast or lunch and leave it all unattended.

This was in the morning, where there no doubt be a number of beach walkers. I can't imagine anyone stole his shoes & shirt while he's was laying there passed out in broad daylight. I don't know about this hotel, but a number of hotels have security checking employees everyday when they leave their shifts. It just doesn't make sense, so where would he actually lose his shoes & shirt? It wasn't in his account like as an example of racing into the water to save her.

* Edited for clarity

 

[Diddian]

According to this timeline in News Nation, in addition to her brown bikini, loose woven white coverup, and flip-flips, SK was wearing certain items of jewelry. However, it appears that only her coverup and flip-flops were recovered from the chaise lounge where they had been left.

https://www.newsnationnow.com/missing/sudiksha-konanki-disappearance-timeline-dominican-republic/

Quoting: 5:55 a.m.: Surveillance cameras captured five women and one man leaving the beach, but Konanki was not with them, the outlet reported. According to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, Konanki was last seen wearing a brown bikini, big round earrings, a metal designer anklet on her right leg, yellow and steel bracelets on her right hand, and a multicolored beaded bracelet on her left hand.

I would think that people typically remove metal jewelry items or any items with stones in settings before entering the ocean for a swim or wade that would immerse the items. Metal corrodes in salt water and stones in settings can become loosened.

I don't swim in the ocean so I don't know. Do people typically remove these items? Or, do they just figure their exposure will be so short-lived that there will not be a problem?

ETA: It would be helpful to know whether her friends know what SK typically did.

 

[auburnmomof2]

Just some random thoughts after reading this thread...I have been known to get in knee deep ocean water if I didn't want to go all the way to a restroom while on the beach. Could that have been why she was waist deep in the water? Is it possible they had messed around on the beach and then got in the water to rinse off? Tequila makes me vomit every single time almost immediately. So I don't ever touch it. But from the amount of alleged vomiting, I would think they would have absorbed less alcohol than we're thinking. Having a daughter who is a college freshman...under no circumstances does she leave friends alone with a random guy. I am not blaming, but I would be furious if her friends left her alone with a random guy on the beach. She just got back from a spring break trip with a friend and they literally went to the bathroom together when they were out. At all times someone needs to be the designated responsible one. Take turns getting drunk drunk but someone always needs to be the lookout.
I don't think this guy hurt her intentionally. My gut feels like the mixture of alcohol and unfamiliar water is what happened. I don't understand why she hasn't been recovered yet though. As far as her stuff on the beach, I'm curious if things were left there all over. He probably wasn't thinking straight enough to notice her things were still there. A guy just hooking up or hanging out with a girl on vacation is not going to be as observant as he'd be if he was vacationing with a long-term girlfriend. No offense intended, but my experience is that men don't pay as close attention to details like a pair of flip flops. I'm not convinced that they both got caught up in the water. I think it's possible she got in the water alone after hooking up and he passed out. Add the noise level from the wind and water and he may genuinely not know what happened.
All my random thoughts and opinions

 

[whitelilac]

Do we know if he was passed out on the sand, the edge of the water, or on a one of those beach recliners?
IF, on the sand, whether face up or face down, I wonder why no morning walkers, or security if there was any, didn't check him out. He may have had sand all over him, and in his hair. I'd find that rather concerning.
Or did no-one even see him? Odd in daylight.

 

[KooshBall]

According to this timeline in News Nation, in addition to her brown bikini, loose woven white coverup, and flip-flips, SK was wearing certain items of jewelry. However, it appears that only her coverup and flip-flops were recovered from the chaise lounge where they had been left.

https://www.newsnationnow.com/missing/sudiksha-konanki-disappearance-timeline-dominican-republic/

Quoting: 5:55 a.m.: Surveillance cameras captured five women and one man leaving the beach, but Konanki was not with them, the outlet reported. According to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, Konanki was last seen wearing a brown bikini, big round earrings, a metal designer anklet on her right leg, yellow and steel bracelets on her right hand, and a multicolored beaded bracelet on her left hand.

I would think that people typically remove metal jewelry items or any items with stones in settings before entering the ocean for a swim or wade that would immerse the items. Metal corrodes in salt water and stones in settings can become loosened.

I don't swim in the ocean so I don't know. Do people typically remove these items? Or, do they just figure their exposure will be so short-lived that there will not be a problem?

ETA: It would be helpful to know whether her friends know what SK typically did.

I have never removed my jewelry before going into the ocean and none of my jewelry has ever been damaged by the salt water. In fact, I have never even thought about the possibility of damage until your post. Growing up on the west coast, I have seen a lot of people in the ocean with their jewelry. I also don't think someone who is drunk would be worrying about that imo.

 

[slowpoke]

BBM
Was his key card in his shoes?
First I'm hearing about them being stolen.
I wonder why they assumed they were stolen and not just washed out to sea?

I don’t know that we have an allowed source with the info about his missing shoes and room key card.

But if is accurate, I wonder how he got into his room. Did he go to the front desk to have another card made?

 

[acutename]

According to this timeline in News Nation, in addition to her brown bikini, loose woven white coverup, and flip-flips, SK was wearing certain items of jewelry. However, it appears that only her coverup and flip-flops were recovered from the chaise lounge where they had been left.

https://www.newsnationnow.com/missing/sudiksha-konanki-disappearance-timeline-dominican-republic/

Quoting: 5:55 a.m.: Surveillance cameras captured five women and one man leaving the beach, but Konanki was not with them, the outlet reported. According to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, Konanki was last seen wearing a brown bikini, big round earrings, a metal designer anklet on her right leg, yellow and steel bracelets on her right hand, and a multicolored beaded bracelet on her left hand.

I would think that people typically remove metal jewelry items or any items with stones in settings before entering the ocean for a swim or wade that would immerse the items. Metal corrodes in salt water and stones in settings can become loosened.

I don't swim in the ocean so I don't know. Do people typically remove these items? Or, do they just figure their exposure will be so short-lived that there will not be a problem?

ETA: It would be helpful to know whether her friends know what SK typically did.

No idea what other people do but I will not even go in a pool with most jewelry because the water is not good for it and it could easily come off. Beach sand abrasion is not good for jewelry. Some of the pictures I saw online of this resort make it look as if the surf is kind of vigorous- here is one below from a random advert. Lots of wave action. However, we are now, as in many WS threads, asking what do people so when they are drunk, so.....

RIU Palace Bavaro Renovations

Your Dream Vacation Starts Here with Riu Palace Bavaro Reopening September 1, 2024 Re-Opening September 1st, 2024 The renovated Riu Palace Bavaro offers a wide variety […]

www.travelbybob.com

 

[Cyber sleuth]

So, I am really, really pale and despite being half Italian, lack all ability to tan—when details about JR passing out for four hours on the beach at sunrise started to come out, along with the release of images of him from hotel CCTV returning from the beach alone, my knee jerk reaction was to think about how badly this moderately pale kid from Iowa must have gotten sunburned. I don’t mean to come across as callous: I am routinely stopped by well intentioned strangers on sunny days who offer an unsolicited caution that I put on sunscreen, so UV radiation risk is just a part of my day to day.

So it seemed easy, in my mind, to be able to corroborate or refute his claim that he was unconscious for four hours on a beach lounge, because he would either have a sunburn consistent with the position he passed out in, or he wouldn’t.

There are so many sources making reports on this story (many major news outlets in the US still misreport his age as being 24) and I wasn’t there in person to inspect his body for sunburn severity and distribution, but I was able, fairly quickly, to find at least one article in which the reporter described JR (sort of offhandedly) as being very sunburned.

To another good point you probed, I came across testimonials of people who had vacationed at the hotel in question and one theme that came up more than once related to beach safety had to do with the party culture promoted by the hotel. Certain features of the hotel policies and entertainment culture, were cited among other reasons for making this beach dangerous. Something about plying spring breakers with alcohol on a beach with no lifeguard, is the way my brain paraphrased it and stored it away.

In recent days, even after the disappearance of SK, reports have stated that the wild and crowded atmosphere on the beach at that hotel has continued without any real abatement.

There are no lifeguards on duty at that beach and unfortunately, I suspect that signs that someone on the beach has become deeply inebriated or passed out, mst often do not attract attention in a way that increases safety on the beach for everyone.

I wanted to reply to this in part to bump the questions you are asking because I would love to find out the answers and I think the questions are important

I just want to point out that in the videos of Josh from the evening of SK’a disappearance he was already lobster red sunburn.
I don’t think having a sunburn on the day after supports or negates his story of sleeping for hours in the sun. JMO