A person of interest in the case, an American college student, who was with Konanki the morning she disappeared, has been identified and questioned. However, the case has not yet been classified as a criminal matter but is currently being treated as a missing person investigation.
Konanki, a junior at the University of Pittsburgh hailing from Loudoun County, Virginia, was last captured on security footage heading towards the beach at approximately 4:15 a.m. She was in the company of a group that consisted of five female friends and two young men, one of whom is suspected to be the person of interest in the investigation. Prior to her disappearance, they had been consuming alcohol at the hotel bar.
Sudiksha Konanki, 20, from Virginia, vanished in Punta Cana. (Handout, left, and Defensa Civil Dominicana, right.)
The classmates and another man were seen returning to the hotel around 6 a.m.
Hours later another man, believed to be the person of interest, returned alone. Konanki has not been seen again.
Her friends reported her missing around 4 p.m.
Extensive search efforts have been carried out by the police along the coastline using boats, dive teams, and helicopters. The FBI has joined the investigation, with two detectives from her hometown in Virginia being dispatched to aid in the search, as confirmed by the local sheriff.
Fox News’ Audrey Conklin and Stepheny Price contributed to this report.
