University of Pittsburgh students say Sudiksha Konanki 'crazy' disappearance could 'happen to anybody'

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – As students returned to the picturesque University of Pittsburgh field aft outpouring break, 1 pupil was noticeably missing. Sudiksha Konanki, a 20-year-old pre-medical student, vanished implicit a week agone and has yet to beryllium found.

Fox News Digital spoke with assemblage students astir outpouring interruption information and their perspectives connected planetary question successful airy of Konanki’s disappearance.

The students shared what information tips they program connected implementing pursuing the Virginia resident's disappearance successful Punta Cana successful the Dominican Republic.

IOWA WITNESS HELD IN MISSING AMERICAN STUDENT CASE APPEARS IN DOMINICAN COURT

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)

"I deliberation it's specified a brainsick conception that it could beryllium anybody, particularly considering we besides had friends who were astatine the aforesaid edifice astatine the aforesaid time," Bailey Wagenknecht, a inferior selling student, told Fox News Digital. "Something that could virtually hap to anybody."

Wagenknecht, on with her friend, Olivia Lee, a sophomore concern student, shared that their radical of friends had considered traveling internationally, but decided against it.

"It was a speech that we had astir what benignant of radical were going to beryllium going, and what we would person to bash to marque definite that we were going to beryllium harmless successful that environment," Wagenknecht said.

"[Safety portion traveling internationally] is successful the backmost of your caput a spot erstwhile you're readying these benignant of trips," Lee said. "I don't deliberation it's thing that needfully should scare radical oregon benignant of marque them consciousness similar they can't spell connected these trips with their friends, but conscionable beryllium much cautious."

AMERICAN COLLEGE STUDENT DISAPPEARS IN DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: TIMELINE

Robert Beckman (L) and David Eymer (R), some first-year concern students, shared the value of a buddy strategy erstwhile traveling. (LP Media for Fox News Digital)

"I went to Myrtle Beach past twelvemonth for my elder outpouring interruption and conscionable being astir a radical of radical that you're comfy with and person your backmost is ever truthful important, particularly erstwhile you're successful a spot truthful acold from home," Robert Beckman, a first-year concern student, said. "I'm primitively from Erie [Pennsylvania], truthful it was benignant of hard to person my parents that I should beryllium down determination with my friends."

David Eymer, besides a first-year concern student, said that helium was taught to instrumentality with the "buddy system" whenever traveling.

KEY WITNESS IN AMERICAN COLLEGE STUDENT'S DISAPPEARANCE TELLS POLICE HOW THEY MET, WHAT HAPPENED ON BEACH

"Something that my household has ever been large on, is the buddy system," helium said. "Especially if you're going determination that you aren't utilized to – similar a outpouring interruption trip."

"Always person idiosyncratic adjacent by that you tin trust," helium said. "And effort not to rotation disconnected by yourself erstwhile you're successful a caller environment."

Kate Wentzler, a inferior successful interdisciplinary studies, told Fox News Digital that she besides traveled internationally for outpouring break. She shared however she and her friends support the "buddy system" erstwhile traveling – oregon erstwhile going out. (LP Media for Fox News Digital)

Kate Wentzler, a inferior successful interdisciplinary studies, told Fox News Digital that she went to Spain for outpouring break. She shared however the interruption came amid an "especially hard clip successful the semester."

"Just seeing that happening tin hap to idiosyncratic successful this area, idiosyncratic that radical cognize astir present is truly bittersweet and it is truly tragic," she said. "Unfortunately, that benignant of happening tin hap anywhere, careless of what you do. It tin hap present too."

Wentzler said that contempt Konanki's disappearance, she would inactive question to the Dominican Republic, but she cautioned different students to make a information program and instrumentality with it.

"It has a batch to bash with idiosyncratic choices and adjacent your plans conscionable for that 1 nighttime and who you program to walk it with," she said. "I deliberation it much comes down to that than thing astir the D.R. itself oregon traveling successful general."

HOTEL HORROR STORIES EMERGE AFTER AMERICAN COLLEGE STUDENT GOES MISSING AS RESORT INSISTS NO CONNECTION

Aubrey Coward, a freshman pre-pharmacy student, told Fox News Digital that she would prioritize traveling successful groups. (LP Media for Fox News Digital)

Aubrey Coward, a first-year pre-pharmacy student, said that she's taking the circumstances surrounding Konanki's disappearance to heart, saying that for aboriginal outpouring breaks, she wouldn't spell disconnected by herself.

"I don't person the finances to spell connected a abrogation similar that," she shared. "But if I bash question during college, my parents person ever taught maine to spell with radical you cognize and don't ever permission with anyone. Always question successful groups."

MISSING AMERICAN COLLEGE STUDENT SEEN IN NEW HOTEL SECURITY FOOTAGE BEFORE DISAPPEARANCE

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

Konanki, a 20-year-old pre-med pupil astatine the University of Pittsburgh, vanished connected March 6, during a outpouring interruption travel to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. She was past seen successful the aboriginal hours connected a formation adjacent the Riu República Hotel, wherever she had been staying with friends.

Extensive hunt efforts by Dominican authorities, including aerial and underwater operations, person not yet yielded immoderate grounds of foul play. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

Authorities judge that Konanki drowned, with her parents requesting that she beryllium declared legally deceased.