'Missteps' in American college student disappearance probe have permanent consequences: retired FBI agent

As the hunt for missing outpouring interruption assemblage pupil Sudiksha Konanki enters its eighth day, a retired FBI cause said that with each time passing determination is simply a nonaccomplishment of "forensic capabilities."

"There volition beryllium grounds connected the assemblage to beryllium capable to find the origin of death," retired FBI cause Scott Duffey told Fox News Digital. "With each time passing, if she was not taken by kidnapping, and she is successful information retired successful the water, past with each time passing, determination is simply a nonaccomplishment of immoderate forensic capabilities."

Duffey said the planetary probe with aggregate governments progressive – some America and India – was analyzable by Dominican Republic authorities suggesting that Konanki drowned aft going into the h2o aft a nighttime retired with friends.

"You bring upon 2 large governments that are saying, 'Before we perpetrate to the drowning theory, let's bash a small spot much investigation,'" helium said. "Now, without a body, the Dominican authorities should never, ever marque a remark similar that. It does a disservice archetypal and foremost to the family, but, of course, to the estimation of the constabulary department."

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

Sudiksha Konanki successful a Facebook selfie photo. The 20-year-old University of Pittsburgh inferior has been missing since March 6, erstwhile she vanished during a outpouring interruption travel to a five-star edifice successful Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. (Sudiksha Konanki/Facebook)

On Thursday, Dominican Republic authorities changed their tune and said successful a merchandise that the hunt for the missing University of Pittsburgh pupil present extends "beyond an accidental event" and "examines each variables."

Duffey said that authorities successful the Dominican Republic saying that it appeared that the 20-year-old drowned were "initial missteps."

"I bash judge determination are missteps erstwhile you telephone thing truthful rapidly before," helium said. "Was the transgression country probe done? Was [Konanki's] covering found?"

WATCH:

Konanki was past seen connected edifice surveillance video connected March 6 aft 4 a.m. She was past seen walking with a young antheral who had his arms wrapped astir her shoulders.

The young antheral antecedently seen with Konanki is seen connected surveillance footage entering the interior of the edifice astir 9 a.m. connected March 6.

MISSING AMERICAN IN DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: NO SUSPECTS AS SEARCH FOR SUDIKSHA KONANKI REACHES ONE WEEK

La Policia Nacional, the country’s nationalist constabulary force, aboriginal said the young antheral is nether investigation.

He reportedly said helium was successful the h2o astatine the aforesaid beach, and authorities were questioning him successful an effort to corroborate his mentation of events, according to a translation of a Spanish-language connection from police.

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

Local outlet Noticias SIN likewise reported that a man, who was a impermanent astatine the aforesaid resort, was the past idiosyncratic seen with Konanki and reportedly told constabulary respective antithetic versions of what happened.

The antheral reportedly said helium entered the h2o with Konanki but that the unsmooth surf made him sick, truthful helium went backmost to enactment and near Konanki successful the water.

In different mentation of the story, helium said helium felt sick and near Konanki successful knee-deep h2o earlier helium passed retired connected the beach. The antheral additionally claimed helium saw Konanki walking connected the formation earlier helium fell dormant connected the beach, according to the section report.

Authorities said that they recovered her sandals and a sarong-style formation gown connected a seat by the beach.

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

Duffey said that the grounds and the witnesser grounds "tell america a story."

"The large question is what was the intoxication level, if any, for some of them?" helium said. "I don't privation to formed a shadiness upon this idiosyncratic simply due to the fact that he's intoxicated and thereby his representation is warped."

"He's remembering things differently, and past it's earthy that the communicative is going to change," Duffey said. "And the evidence, whether that beryllium vomit recovered connected the beach, tin assistance corroborate the individual's testimony."

U.S. assemblage pupil Sudiksha Konanki went missing portion connected abrogation with her friends successful Punta Cana connected March 6, 2025. (Fox News Graphics)

The retired FBI cause said authorities "can get a bully sense" if their interrogation taxable is being deceptive oregon conscionable not recalling the details.

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"And arsenic agelong arsenic he's continuing to beryllium cooperative, due to the fact that helium has thing to hide, past that volition lend to further accusation coming out," helium said.

Fox News Digital has reached retired to the FBI for comment.

Fox News Digital's Audrey Conklin contributed to this report.