topic Re: Are you keeping up with the missing college student in the Dominican Republic? in Community Chat

Are you keeping up with the missing college student in the Dominican Republic?

San Antonio Gal — Sun, 16 Mar 2025 02:27:26 GMT

College student partying on spring break. Meets guy, goes to the beach at 4 am (with guy) after leaving bar. Now misssing.

Very sad story. I hope they find her soon. The guy involved is not charged, but he's not able to leave the DR yet.

Google Sudiksha Konanki, University of Pittsburg student.

Re: Are you keeping up with the missing college student in the Dominican Republic?

shoekitty — Sun, 16 Mar 2025 02:33:23 GMT

Deep sigh here. When , oh when will young people learn that NO stranger is your friend, alone at 4am. No one. Goes for adults too . AND IN A STRANGE COUNTRY??? I hope she will be found ASAP.

Re: Are you keeping up with the missing college student in the Dominican Republic?

We rescue cats — Sun, 16 Mar 2025 02:37:51 GMT

My heart cries for her family, I hope she is still alive and will be found safe, but I think the light is dimming on that each day.

Re: Are you keeping up with the missing college student in the Dominican Republic?

Queen of shop — Sun, 16 Mar 2025 02:46:19 GMT

@San Antonio Gal That just brought up all the horror of Natalee H. for me. Shivers.

I hope there is a better ending to this story.

Re: Are you keeping up with the missing college student in the Dominican Republic?

NEvans2 — Sun, 16 Mar 2025 02:52:13 GMT

I live about eight miles away from Oakland,Pa which is where the Pitt campus is located. Needless to say the local news is heavily covering this story. My heart goes out to this young woman and her family. I'm not real optimistic at this point of her being found alive. I really hope I'm wrong.

Every time I see coverage of this on the news, all I can think of is my GD who is a senior at IUP. There but for the grace of God could be her. Although my GD is a little more people savvy than to put herself in that situation. Not that I am blaming the young woman, I'm not. Just a horrible tragedy all around!

Re: Are you keeping up with the missing college student in the Dominican Republic?

JFD12 — Sun, 16 Mar 2025 02:56:16 GMT

I haven't heard of this but will definitely look it up! 🙏

Re: Are you keeping up with the missing college student in the Dominican Republic?

KKlim — Sun, 16 Mar 2025 02:59:49 GMT

Yes, I’ve been following it since Day 1. I’ve been obsessed each day looking for updates. Tragic for all involved!

Re: Are you keeping up with the missing college student in the Dominican Republic?

MoJoV — Sun, 16 Mar 2025 03:06:02 GMT

It would be so great to hear she is found safe but I'm afraid that isn't going to happen. So many predators preying on beautiful young women. Makes a person sick.

Re: Are you keeping up with the missing college student in the Dominican Republic?

shoekitty — Sun, 16 Mar 2025 03:24:07 GMT

It seems in this day and age women, or anyone should be aware of meeting anyone alone, let aone in another country. They should be in pairs. Kids, so trusting. Especially when drugs or alcohol is being used. Maybe she was drugged and tricked out. We don't know. Sad. But so common. Women go missing every day like this. We on,y hear of a few.

Re: Are you keeping up with the missing college student in the Dominican Republic?

Icegoddess — Sun, 16 Mar 2025 03:42:21 GMT

She looked rather drunk to me in the 2 videos I saw with the guy almost holding her up and guiding her.

Re: Are you keeping up with the missing college student in the Dominican Republic?

elated — Sun, 16 Mar 2025 03:43:42 GMT

PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic — Authorities in the Dominican Republic have seized the passport of Joshua Riibe, the man seen with University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki before she went missing,

Fox News has learned Riibe's attorneys said Saturday that Riibe's travel document was taken by authorities "several days ago." He has not been named a suspect in the 20-year-old student's disappearance, but authorities have said he is a "person of interest" in the matter, which they consider a missing person case.

"It was confiscated by authorities when he tried to check out several days ago, when the investigation began," lawyers from Guzmán Ariza, a Dominican Republican law firm, said. "He hasn't had access to it since then."

Konanki, of Loudon County, Virginia was staying at the Riu República Hotel in Punta Cana with five fellow Pitt students before she vanished. She was last seen on surveillance camera footage entering a beach with five other people after 4:15 a.m. March 6.

All group members except Konanki returned around 6 a.m. The 20-year-old stayed on the beach with Riibe.

On Wednesday, Riibe completed a nearly four-hour interview with detectives, answering over 50 questions about the events leading up to Konanki's disappearance.

Re: Are you keeping up with the missing college student in the Dominican Republic?

patbz — Sun, 16 Mar 2025 04:04:11 GMT

I've been to Dominican Republic and the fact that major resorts openly had armed guards. If I were the parent of a high school or college female I would do some research before I allowed my daughter to go there (even in a group); same goes for Aruba ( been there too). Parents have some accountability for their student daughters.

Re: Are you keeping up with the missing college student in the Dominican Republic?

Tinkrbl44 — Sun, 16 Mar 2025 04:59:15 GMT

I feel badly for the young man, but they all must know there are cameras everywhere.

It's possible she drowned, but finding her body would depend on ocean currents, and larger marine life in the area.

Re: Are you keeping up with the missing college student in the Dominican Republic?

lynnie61 — Sun, 16 Mar 2025 08:09:48 GMT

I'm also from the Pittsburgh area, so lots of local coverage. Very sad indeed. Sounds like she may have been swept away and drowned. Not sure why they would be that close to the ocean if drinking, and he was coughing up water, passed out on the beach, and thought she went back to the hotel. I feel terrible for everyone involved. Everyone wants to have fun on spring break, but stay together in numbers. I didn't see specific videos besides the one where all of them were headed to the beach. Very sad.

Re: Are you keeping up with the missing college student in the Dominican Republic?

ninjawife — Sun, 16 Mar 2025 11:56:15 GMT

@elated wrote:
PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic — Authorities in the Dominican Republic have seized the passport of Joshua Riibe, the man seen with University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki before she went missing,

Fox News has learned Riibe's attorneys said Saturday that Riibe's travel document was taken by authorities "several days ago." He has not been named a suspect in the 20-year-old student's disappearance, but authorities have said he is a "person of interest" in the matter, which they consider a missing person case.

"It was confiscated by authorities when he tried to check out several days ago, when the investigation began," lawyers from Guzmán Ariza, a Dominican Republican law firm, said. "He hasn't had access to it since then."

Konanki, of Loudon County, Virginia was staying at the Riu República Hotel in Punta Cana with five fellow Pitt students before she vanished. She was last seen on surveillance camera footage entering a beach with five other people after 4:15 a.m. March 6.
All group members except Konanki returned around 6 a.m. The 20-year-old stayed on the beach with Riibe.
On Wednesday, Riibe completed a nearly four-hour interview with detectives, answering over 50 questions about the events leading up to Konanki's disappearance.

I can see why Riibe is still a person of interest. Authorities have said that his story has changed several times since he was so drunk he doesn't clearly remember exactly what happened. In one version of his story he says they were in the water kissing and were knocked over by a wave. He rescued her and pulled her to shore. He then became sick and passed out on a lounge chair. When he woke up she was gone and he assumed she went back to the hotel.

Re: Are you keeping up with the missing college student in the Dominican Republic?

jellyBEAN — Sun, 16 Mar 2025 12:15:23 GMT

I have so many questions about this case. Looked like about 6 kids left the hotel at 4:15am to go down to the beach. Did they know each other? Were they just random kids that hooked up to do this? Were any clothes found? What about phones? Other personal belongings? Blood alcohol levels tested?

I just hope they can find her body so the family can have closure. Lots of sharks down there I hear, shark would have eaten a bathing suit and the girl. What a nightmare for this family. So very sad.

Re: Are you keeping up with the missing college student in the Dominican Republic?

cindyNC — Sun, 16 Mar 2025 12:24:42 GMT

I thought of Natalie H. also. When the story first broke, I honestly thought her chance of being found alove was slim. So sad.

Re: Are you keeping up with the missing college student in the Dominican Republic?

Still Raining — Sun, 16 Mar 2025 12:46:18 GMT

From the news I have seen, she exercised remarkably bad judgment. But if she was an adult she could do as she wished.

My granddaughters are all into air travel accidents right now since we have a trip over spring break. I am pondering going over this story with them. There are some bad people out there.

Re: Are you keeping up with the missing college student in the Dominican Republic?

Patriot3 — Sun, 16 Mar 2025 12:58:59 GMT

I don't understand why these young women think it is okay to go roaming around alone in the middle of the night anywhere let alone in a strange country. This is supposed to be fun? Was she drunk or something?

Re: Are you keeping up with the missing college student in the Dominican Republic?

skatting44 — Sun, 16 Mar 2025 13:54:33 GMT

Same old story , don't know why these girls put themselves at risk over and over. Just as the deaths that occur with these college hazings . Thought that young people would be more aware. The video they show where she's walking arm in arm with that man , she looks drunk.