Missing Pitt student Sudiksha Konanki’s hometown sheriff names person of interest five days into search

Authorities in Virginia have identified a 24-year-old man as a person of interest in connection to University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki’s mysterious disappearance last week in the Dominican Republic, according to a report. 

The sheriff’s office in Loudoun County, where the missing college student is from, told Fox News Digital that Iowa resident Joshua Ribe “has been interviewed at length” but has not been accused of foul play in what remains a missing person’s case.

“Sheriff [Michael] Chapman wants to make sure the investigation is comprehensive and includes all possible assets and techniques,” a spokesperson for the sheriff, Thomas Julia, told Fox News Digital.

“We are working closely with the FBI on all of this, and they are working with the Dominican National Police.”

The 20-year-old pre-med student was on spring break with five friends at the Riu Republic Resort in Punta Cana on March 6 when she vanished. She was last seen on the beach and Ribe is believed to be the last person to see her alive.

The pair was last captured on surveillance footage walking with a group of friends toward the beach area around 4:15 a.m. Thursday, according to the Dominican Republic National Police. 

Footage obtained by Noticias SIN showed Konanki seemingly clinging to Ribe, a fellow guest at the Caribbean resort, as the group walked onto the beach. 

Konanki and several friends were on the beach before most of the group called it a night and headed back to their hotel, leaving the young woman on the sand along with her male companion, according to Dominican media. 

Ribe, who traveled to the Dominican Republic from Iowa, gave authorities three different accounts of what happened after the two were alone on the beach, first telling cops he threw up from the rough surf and went back to shore – but asked Konanki if she was OK, according to local reports. 

In the second version, he allegedly said he felt sick to his stomach and left the water, at which point he last saw the missing woman in knee-deep surf before he passed out.

He then told authorities he saw the Indian citizen and permanent US resident walking along the shore before he passed out in the sand. 

Dominican police have not said if they suspect foul play, but said Ribe is cooperating with their investigation. 

Local authorities have speculated that the spring breaker from Chantilly, Virginia, likely drowned after jumping into the ocean.

Her father, Subbarayudu Konanki, called on authorities Monday to expand search efforts over his “growing suspicion” she was kidnapped since her body never washed ashore. 

Police in Punta Cana said on Tuesday they are re-interviewing Konaki’s five travel companions, hotel employees and others who were with her in the early morning hours at the ritzy resort. 

The investigation is now being led by a “high-level commission” of local and US agencies, including the FBI, officials said. 

The search entered its fifth day Tuesday, with missing person posters describing the young woman as 5 foot 3 with black hair and brown eyes.