New information indicates that others were present on the beach when college student Sudiksha Konanki vanished in the Dominican Republic, law enforcement officials report fly said.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, 20-year-old University of Pittsburgh student vanished from the beach of the Riu República Hotel in Punta Cana early on March 6, prompting a search by air, sea, and land.
Video evidence, according to CNN, showed that additional people were present on the beach when Sudiksha Konanki went missing, beyond a man who told police he was with her, according to law enforcement officials involved in the investigation. Investigators actively seek to identify them.
After most of the group of students left, she stayed on the beach with one other person, ABC News reported. Investigators believe she may have drowned after being swept away by a wave while swimming, but Loudoun County officials called it speculation.
“There was some speculation that she may have drowned. I think it’s way too premature to make an assumption like that,” Sheriff Chapman told NewsNation Monday.
The FBI has been notified and that Dominican police continue to lead the investigation, with the bureau “ready to assist our international partners with any requests for assistance.”
Check back for updates.
[Feature Photo via Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office in Virginia]
