We have new updates in the case of missing college student Sudiksha Konanki.
The University of Pittsburgh junior’s case continues to mystify investigators nearly two weeks after her disappearance. In case you haven’t been following, the 20-year-old embarked on a spring break trip to the Riu República Hotel in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic with a group of fellow female Pitt students earlier this month. One night, they all gathered with another American college student they met at the hotel named Joshua Riibe. The next morning, Sudiksha was seen for the last time — walking arm-in-arm with Joshua.
Since her mysterious disappearance, the same white swimsuit cover-up she was seen wearing in the security footage was found alongside her sandals on a nearby beach lounge, leading some to believe she attempted an early morning swim and possibly drowned. Police have yet to find a body so they haven’t confirmed that theory, but they’re still working on Joshua to try and piece together a clearer picture of what truly happened. He’s been named a person of interest in the case, but not an official suspect. And On Friday, NBC News reported Dominican Republic authorities seized the 22-year-old’s passport and are holding him at the Riu República Hotel as they continue investigating his story…
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In an interrogation transcript obtained by multiple outlets, the St. Cloud State University student told investigators he and Sudiksha had been drinking with friends before her disappearance. In footage obtained by local TV station Noticias SIN, the pair can be seen at a hotel bar both vomiting — possibly because of their consumption of alcohol — though they never actually interact in the video. See (below):
Additional footage shows Sudiksha and a friend strolling around the hotel’s lobby:
According to Joshua’s story, it was later when he and the missing woman made their way to the beach. There, they stepped into “waist-deep water, talking and kissing a little” when a large wave broke, sweeping them both “out to sea.” He recalled:
“I kept trying to get her to breathe, but that didn’t allow me to breathe all the time, and I swallowed a lot of water.”
He claimed he managed to get himself and Sudiksha back to shore, where they mysteriously parted ways:
“I was holding her under my arm and swimming. It was hard. I was a pool lifeguard, not the ocean. Then, when I finally touched the sand, I put her in front of me. Then she got up to go get her stuff since the ocean had moved us.”
According to him, he passed out on the beach and returned to his room later that morning… And was shocked to learn Sudiksha was missing:
“The last time I saw her, I asked if she was okay. I didn’t hear her answer. I looked around and didn’t see anyone. I thought she’d grabbed her things and left.”
Joshua’s lawyer Beatriz Santana has since criticized the Dominican Republic police force’s decision to seize his passport, telling NBC News in an email:
“If [Joshua] wants to leave the hotel, he cannot do that freely, but with police. His passport was seized despite not being officially charged.”
Joshua also spoke directly to the outlet explaining his cooperation with the investigation:
“I’m just trying to help them out. The ocean is a dangerous place.”
The young man will reportedly face additional questioning on Monday.
What are your thoughts on these updates? Our hearts go out to Sudiksha’s family.
[Images via Sudiksha Konanki/Facebook]
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