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

A retired FBI special agent shared his analysis and critical steps investigators could be taking in the search for a missing American college student who vanished from a beach in the Dominican Republic.

“The FBI can’t take over this investigation but will use diplomatic channels to push Dominican authorities to prioritize key investigative steps, provide forensic assistance, and coordinate intelligence-sharing that could uncover new leads,” Jason Pack told Fox News Digital.

Pack, a retired FBI supervisory special agent, former leader of the FBI’s Child Abduction Rapid Deployment Team and acting legal attaché, explained how U.S. authorities are likely working behind the scenes to assist in the search for Sudiksha Konanki, 20, a University of Pittsburgh student who vanished from a beach in the Dominican Republic in the early morning hours on March 6. 

“Authorities should be cross-referencing surveillance footage with phone data and banking transactions to identify her last known movements,” Pack said. “They should also be using cognitive interview techniques on key witnesses to detect inconsistencies rather than accepting surface-level statements.”

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Pack added that there are “critical investigative steps” that need to happen now and the important role that the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) and forensic experts should take. 

“The BAU can help profile possible suspects, while the FBI’s forensic teams can assist with DNA analysis, digital forensics and geolocation tracking; resources that local authorities may not have at their disposal,” Pack explained.

With regard to supporting the Konanki family, Pack says the FBI’s Victim Services Division is likely already engaged with the family, providing them with investigative updates, guidance on dealing with foreign law enforcement and support as they navigate this crisis.

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Police said Konanki, who is a resident of Loudon County, Virginia, traveled with five other people from the University of Pittsburgh to the Riu República Hotel in Punta Cana during the school’s spring break, which began March 2 and ended Sunday.

She was last seen on surveillance camera with five other people entering the beach at the five-star resort after 4:15 a.m. Thursday, the Dominican National Police previously said in a statement.

Footage obtained by Noticias SIN showed Konanki seemingly clinging to a man as the group made their way toward the beach.

It was the last time authorities tracked Konanki before the Virginia resident disappeared.

Former FBI special agent and Fox News contributor Nicole Parker shared her analysis on the search for Konanki and said what she thinks is most important as an investigator is to determine who she was last seen with.

Parker said that since investigators have Konanki’s phone and wallet, they will be combing through all of that information and figuring out everything they can about the man she was last seen with.

Authorities have not named any suspects in the ongoing investigation. On Tuesday, the Dominican National Police said it is “re-interviewing targeted individuals who were in the victim’s proximity at the time of her disappearance.”

A joint investigation into Konanki’s disappearance is being conducted by the U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic, the Dominican National Police and the Dominican Prosecutor’s Office. The FBI is also assisting.

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