Missing American college student: Retired FBI agent identifies 'critical' steps likely taken by authorities

A retired FBI peculiar cause shared his investigation and captious steps investigators could beryllium taking successful the hunt for a missing American assemblage pupil who vanished from a formation successful the Dominican Republic.

"The FBI can’t instrumentality implicit this probe but volition usage diplomatic channels to propulsion Dominican authorities to prioritize cardinal investigative steps, supply forensic assistance, and coordinate intelligence-sharing that could uncover caller leads," Jason Pack told Fox News Digital.

Pack, a retired FBI supervisory peculiar agent, erstwhile person of the FBI’s Child Abduction Rapid Deployment Team and acting ineligible attaché, explained however U.S. authorities are apt moving down the scenes to assistance successful the hunt for Sudiksha Konanki, 20, a University of Pittsburgh pupil who vanished from a formation successful the Dominican Republic successful the aboriginal greeting hours connected March 6. 

"Authorities should beryllium cross-referencing surveillance footage with telephone information and banking transactions to place her past known movements," Pack said. "They should besides beryllium utilizing cognitive interrogation techniques connected cardinal witnesses to observe inconsistencies alternatively than accepting surface-level statements."

AMERICAN COLLEGE STUDENT SUDIKSHA KONANKI’S DISAPPEARANCE IN DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: TIMELINE

Local authorities hunt for missing pupil Sudiksha Konanki successful Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, connected March 11, 2025. Konanki, 20, was past seen connected March 6 connected a formation extracurricular the five-star RIU Republica Resort successful the Dominican Republic. (Santiago Baez for Fox News Digital)

Pack added that determination are "critical investigative steps" that request to hap present and the important relation that the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) and forensic experts should take. 

"The BAU tin assistance illustration imaginable suspects, portion the FBI’s forensic teams tin assistance with DNA analysis, integer forensics and geolocation tracking; resources that section authorities whitethorn not person astatine their disposal," Pack explained.

With respect to supporting the Konanki family, Pack says the FBI’s Victim Services Division is apt already engaged with the family, providing them with investigative updates, guidance connected dealing with overseas instrumentality enforcement and enactment arsenic they navigate this crisis.

MISSING AMERICAN COLLEGE STUDENT'S HOMETOWN SHERIFF CONFIRMS PERSON OF INTEREST GAVE CONFLICTING STATEMENTS

Local authorities hunt for missing pupil Sudiksha Konanki successful Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, connected March 11, 2025. (Santiago Baez for Fox News Digital)

Police said Konanki, who is simply a nonmigratory of Loudon County, Virginia, traveled with 5 different radical from the University of Pittsburgh to the Riu República Hotel successful Punta Cana during the school's outpouring break, which began March 2 and ended Sunday.

She was past seen connected surveillance camera with 5 different radical entering the formation astatine the five-star edifice aft 4:15 a.m. Thursday, the Dominican National Police antecedently said successful a statement.

Footage obtained by Noticias SIN showed Konanki seemingly clinging to a antheral arsenic the radical made their mode toward the beach.

It was the past clip authorities tracked Konanki earlier the Virginia nonmigratory disappeared.

Former FBI peculiar cause and Fox News contributor Nicole Parker shared her investigation connected the hunt for Konanki and said what she thinks is astir important arsenic an researcher is to find who she was past seen with.

Parker said that since investigators person Konanki's telephone and wallet, they volition beryllium combing done each of that accusation and figuring retired everything they tin astir the antheral she was past seen with.

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Authorities person not named immoderate suspects successful the ongoing investigation. On Tuesday, the Dominican National Police said it is "re-interviewing targeted individuals who were successful the victim’s proximity astatine the clip of her disappearance."

A associated probe into Konanki's disappearance is being conducted by the U.S. Embassy successful the Dominican Republic, the Dominican National Police and the Dominican Prosecutor's Office. The FBI is besides assisting.

Fox News Digital's Michael Ruiz and Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.