American college student Sudiksha Konanki’s disappearance in Dominican Republic: timeline
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Missing persons poster at a beach

A sign of Natalee Holloway, an Alabama high school graduate who disappeared while on a graduation trip to Aruba, is seen on Palm Beach, in front of her hotel in Aruba, Friday, June 10, 2005, as a ribbon in her memory blows in the breeze. (AP Photo/Leslie Mazoch)

“The family is so fortunate to have an American embassy there to work with,” Beth Holloway, the mother of Natalee Holloway, said. “I did not have that in Aruba.”

Both the young women vanished in Caribbean countries while on vacation. 

Natalee Holloway disappeared during a high school graduation celebration at a hotel in Aruba, while Konanki disappeared during on a spring break trip with her University of Pittsburgh friends at an all-inclusive resort in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

Natalee Holloway was last seen alive on May 30, 2005, leaving a bar with Joran van der Sloot. He was the prime suspect in her disappearance for the following 18 years and finally admitted to killing her in an Oct. 3, 2023 confession made public after he pleaded guilty to the extortion case.

Authorities have not named any suspects amid their ongoing investigation. 

Loudoun County, Virginia Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Thomas Julia told Fox News Digital Tuesday night that 24-year-old Joshua Riibe is a “person of interest” in the college student’s disappearance, but noted it is still a missing persons case, not a criminal case.

In a release on Tuesday, the Dominican National Police said it is “re-interviewing targeted individuals who were in the victim’s proximity at the time of her disappearance.”

“This includes hotel employees where Konanki and her companions were staying, with the goal of gathering information to corroborate her movements, interactions, and any relevant details for the investigation,” they said.

Sudiksha Konanki search

A member of the civil defense canine unit searches on Monday for Sudiksha Konanki, a university student from the U.S. who disappeared on a beach in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, last week. (AP/Francesco Spotorno)

When asked about a Monday report that Konanki may have drowned, a spokesperson for the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office told Fox News Digital authorities “have heard this and have seen no evidence presented at this time.”

Fox News Digital’s Stepheny Price contributed to this report.

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