A bikini-clad University of Pittsburgh student was seen smiling in a haunting picture at her resort in the Dominican Republic while on spring break — just before she went missing while wearing the same distinctive swimsuit.
Sudiksha Konanki, 20, who is from an upscale suburb of Washington, DC, vanished after “walking on the beach” in the popular resort town of Punta Cana, authorities said.
She was last seen around 4:50 a.m. last Thursday at the Riu Republica Resort beach.
Konanki was also wearing a multicolored beaded bracelet on her left wrist, yellow and steel bracelets on her right arm, an anklet on her right leg, and large round earrings.
A missing persons posters describe her as 5 feet 3 tall with brown eyes and black hair.
Here is the latest information on missing Pitt student, Sudiksha Konanki:
- University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki was on spring break in Punta Cana prior to her disappearance.
- Konanki, from Virginia, and her pals went onto the beach from a disco at the Riu Republica Hotel early in the morning following a power outage.
- She was last seen with Joshua Steven Riibe from Iowa, who was named “a person of interest.”
- Sheriff Mike Chapman of Konanki’s hometown in Loudoun County, Virginia, has previously said it is too early to determine if she had drowned.
- Konanki’s parents asked Dominican Republic officials to declare her dead despite her body not being recovered.
- Riibe was officially cleared of wrongdoing Konanki’s disappearance.
Sudiksha Konanki, 20, in the brown bikini she was wearing when she vanished, according to authorities.
Konanki is an Indian national who was studying at the University of Pittsburgh. TikTok / @ananyachilakamarriShe is an Indian national based in Chantilly, Virginia, and she was on the Caribbean island with five friends from the University of Pittsburgh, Fox 32 reported.
Follow the latest on the search for missing Pitt student Sudiksha Konanki:
- Joshua Riibe detained in Puerto Rico as his frustrated dad tells reporters to leave them alone after Sudiksha Konanki’s disappearance
- Josh Riibe is ‘free to leave’ the DR after being held in Sudiksha Konanki disappearance, judge rules
- Sudiksha Konanki’s parents reveal they now think she drowned and that Josh Riibe wasn’t responsible
- Parents of missing Pitt student Sudiksha Konanki ask DR officials to declare daughter dead
- Joshua Riibe officially cleared in Pitt student Sudiksha Konanki’s disappearance in the DR
The Indian Embassy is working with officials from Loudoun County, Virginia, and multiple Dominican Republic agencies as part of the search effort.
University of Pittsburgh officials are also coordinating with Konanki’s family.
Konanki was on spring break with five friends when she vanished, according to authorities. Handout
Konanki was last seen just before 5 a.m. Thursday, March 6, on a Punta Cana beach TikTok / @sudikshakonanki
Crews from numerous agencies have joined in the extensive search Instagram / @defensacivilrd
The Indian Embassy is working with authorities in both the US and the Dominican Republic to find Konanki. Instagram / @avaaz.official“University officials are in contact with Sudiksha Konanki’s family as well as authorities in Loudoun County, Virginia, and we have offered our full support in their efforts to find her and bring her home safely,” the school said in a statement.
Other photos from the scenic beach showed searchers in orange shirts and vests combing the white sands for any signs of Konanki or evidence of what might have happened to her.
Drones and military choppers have also been employed in the search, Dominican outlet Listin Diario reported. Video from the beach show the craft flying low over the clear water off the coast.
