Sudiksha Konanki and five college friends arrived in the Dominican Republic on March 3. They booked rooms at the all-inclusive resort Riu Republica in Punta Cana.

A few days later, Sudiksha and her friends were dancing at a disco when the resort experienced a 25-hour power outage in some areas. Some reports say that’s when the group of six women and two men decided to take a moonlight walk on the beach. Surveillance footage shows Sudiksha Konanki and five women, along with two men, walking toward the beach. About an hour later, the footage shows five women and one man leaving. Konanki apparently stayed behind with Joshua Riibe, a 24-year-old spring breaker from the U.S.

The next morning, Konanki’s friends went on an excursion she had not signed up for, so they did not realize she was missing. When they returned that afternoon, they discovered they had not seen her since the night before.

When they tracked down Riibe, he said he had passed out on the beach and, when he woke up, he was alone. Assuming Konanki had already left, he returned to his hotel room. By then, she had been missing for 12 hours.

Dominican Republic authorities questioned Riibe for hours over the weekend, including intense questioning by Attorney General Yeni Berenice Reynoso and Navy Vice Admiral Agustin Morillo Rodriguez. Authorities have confiscated Riibe’s passport, and he is not free to leave. Reports say police escort him wherever he goes.

Joining Nancy Grace today:

Additional Guests

Sheriff Mike Chapman – Loudoun County, Virginia, Hometown Sheriff

Ben Dobrin –  Emergency Response Diving Instructor and Instructor Trainer, Police Diver, and Emergency Services Diver

Emily Leayman  –  Northern Virginia Local Editor for Patch.com; X: @EmilyLeayman

Crime Stories with Nancy Grace” is also a national radio show on SiriusXM channel 111, airing for two hours daily starting at 12 p.m. EST. You can also subscribe and download the daily podcasts at iHeart Podcasts.

[Feature Photo Sudiksha Konanki/Loudon County Sherifff’s Office ]