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India
The search continues for Sudiksha Konanki, a 20-year-old Indian student from the University of Pittsburgh, who mysteriously disappeared while vacationing in the Dominican Republic. Newly released surveillance footage provides a glimpse of her last known moments before she vanished without a trace from a beach in Punta Cana.
The footage, first reported by Dominican news outlet Noticias SIN, captures Ms. Konanki walking with an unidentified man at the Riu Republica Resort. The timestamp on the video reads “Thursday 5:16,” but it is unclear whether this refers to the morning or evening. In the clip, she is seen wearing a white t-shirt and shorts, with her hair tied back in a ponytail. The video shows her strolling along a resort pathway with her arm around the man’s back, accompanied by a group of friends.
A Vacation Takes a Mysterious Turn
Ms. Konanki had traveled to the Dominican Republic with five friends for a vacation. On the night of her disappearance, the group partied at a resort disco until 3 a.m. They then decided to go to the beach an hour later. By 5:50 a.m., most of her friends had left, leaving her alone with Joshua Steven Ribe, a 24-year-old tourist from Iowa, who is now a key witness in the case.
According to local reports, Ms. Konanki was last seen wearing a brown bikini while swimming in the ocean. Her clothes were later found left on a beachside chaise lounge, deepening the mystery surrounding her disappearance.
Conflicting Statements from the Last Person to See Her
Mr. Ribe has provided multiple conflicting statements about what happened that night. Initially, he claimed that he vomited due to rough waves, left the water, and checked to see if Ms. Konanki was okay. In another version, he said he felt sick, exited the ocean, and last saw her standing in knee-deep water before he passed out. In a third account, he stated that he saw her walking along the shore before falling asleep.
By the time he woke up, Ms. Konanki was gone.
Authorities in the Dominican Republic have been searching for Ms. Konanki for six days now. As the investigation progresses, officials suspect she may have drowned. However, her family remains unconvinced and fears she may have been kidnapped.
