WTRF
PITTSBURGH, PA (PTTP) — Last Thursday, March 6, Sudiksha Konanki, a 20 year old
Biological Sciences student at the University of Pittsburgh, went missing. She was staying at the
Riu Republica Resort in Punta Cana with some girl friends for spring break. It was said that after
a night out at the nightclub she had separated from her friends and went to the beach with Joshua
Riibe, who was said to not be in the group she arrived with and someone she had never met
before. Security footage caught them hand in hand walking at the resort. They went to the beach
around 4 am and went into the water which is where Konanki was last seen. The two got caught
by a large wave and Riibe came out of the water, threw up on the sand, and then fell asleep on
the beach. He later awoke hours later and made his way back to his room around 9:55 am. He
had said that he thought Konanki came out of the water after him. There were also some reports
about him telling conflicting stories. Riibe is now being seen as a person of interest, but not a
suspect, in the case. Konanki’s clothes were found on the beach, but police did not find any
evidence of violence.
The Riu Republica Resort in Punta Cana had its fair share of issues in the past and present. Many
people took to Tripadvisor to share their complaints about their stay. Just within this month one
person said, “I wouldn’t even give it one star. And by the way, I have never complained about a
hotel before.” Another stated, “I don’t even know where to begin with how disgusting,
unsanitary, and downright fraudulent Riu Republica is. DO NOT STAY HERE.” These were in
addition to the many other negative reviews from unsatisfied customers. One review even
included a picture of bed bug bites on a woman’s leg. Additionally, some of the people that were
staying at the resort at the time of Konanki’s disappearance have said that they did not hear about
her disappearance until after they had left the resort.
Now with Konanki’s case, the investigation is still continuing over a week later. The FBI and
police have helicopters and drones flying over the water and people patrolling the beach. There
have been fliers made that have been circling around social media informing the public about
what Konanki looks like and what she was last seen in. Soon after the news got out, Konanki’s
parents came to the resort. Even though many believe that she drowned, her parents think she
was kidnapped or abducted and are encouraging the investigators to cover all possibilities.
For more information on the situation and investigation, check out
https://www.wtae.com/article/sudiksha-konanki-latest/64146064
https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/pittsburgh/news/missing-student-dominican-republic-punta-canasurveillance-video/