SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (Scripps News/Court TV) — Authorities have identified a person of interest in the disappearance of Sudiksha Konanki, a University of Pittsburgh college student who was reported missing nearly a week ago while on a vacation in the Dominican Republic.
Sudiksha Konanki was last seen on March 6, 2025 in Punta Cana. (Interpol)
The Loudoun County, Virginia Sheriff’s Office has stated that Joshua Riibe, who had previously been questioned, is now a person of interest.
Riibe, 24, is not a suspect in Konanki’s disappearance and the incident is not being investigated as a criminal case.
Konanki, 20, was on a spring break in Punta Cana with a group of five female friends when she vanished. They had arrived on the island on March 3.
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Officials said she was last seen just before dawn on the beach near the Riu República Hotel, the resort where the group was staying. Konanki, her friends, and other resort guests had reportedly headed outside during a power outage that the hotel was experiencing. At some point, while the group was on the beach, Konanki could not be found. She was reported missing on March 6.
Authorities began combing the beach and searching the water for any sign of Konanki. Later, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) joined the search. Konanki’s parents, Subbarayudu and Sreedevi Konanki, flew to Punta Cana from their Virginia home upon learning of her disappearance. They had urged investigators to widen the search for their daughter, stating her belongings, including a phone and wallet, were left with her friends — noting that it was unusual for her to leave her phone behind.
Scripps News, an E.W. Scripps Company, contributed to this report.
