Person of interest identified by U.S. investigators in search for missing University of Pittsburgh student who vanished on spring break trip

A person of interest has been identified in the weeklong search for missing University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki, who vanished while on a spring break trip in the Dominican Republic, according to an official in the U.S.

A spokesperson for the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office in Virginia, where the 20-year-old biology student is from, told NBC News Wednesday morning that a person of interest has been identified by U.S. investigators.

The sheriff’s office has no jurisdiction in the case, but has sent detectives to Punta Cana to assist with the U.S. side of the investigation.

Dominican Republic authorities have not confirmed if the individual is a person of interest in their investigation, too. Dominican Republic National Police referred questions to the local Attorney General’s office on Wednesday morning.

“This is not the same thing as a suspect as this is not a criminal matter. It is still a missing person case,” sheriff’s office spokesperson Thomas Julia told NBC News.

The individual was interviewed at length in the investigation, Julia said.

The FBI National Press Office also referred questions to Dominican Republic authorities, saying, “The FBI continues to assist our international partners on this matter.”

Konanki had traveled to Punta Cana with five friends from college on March 3. She disappeared after 4:15 a.m. on March 6, after she and her friends were seen on security video entering the beach area of the RIU Republic Resort, where they were staying, Dominican Republic National Police said.

Surveillance footage obtained by Dominican news outlet Noticias SIN appears to show Konanki’s last known movements, showing the moment she headed to the beach of the Hotel Riu República hotel with others.

Konanki’s friends headed back to the hotel about 40 minutes later, but she stayed behind with others who were not from her college that she met on the trip, Loudoun County Sheriff Michael Chapman told NBC Washington on Monday.

Her friends then spent that Thursday, March 6, on an excursion and realized she went missing roughly 12 hours later. They then informed the hotel, Dominican Republic National Police spokesperson Diego Pesqueira said.

Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader said at a news conference Monday that one of the last people who had contact with Konanki reported “that a wave hit them while they were on the beach and caused some kind of situation,” citing local reports. 

Police said no signs of blood or violence were found at the beach, Pesqueira said.