Missing American student case similar to disappearance of Natalee Holloway

When searching for an American college student who disappeared from the beaches of the Dominican Republic, a retired FBI special agent says investigators can learn lessons from past cases like Natalie Holloway.

“What foreign authorities often commit is too much of a reliance on voluntary cooperation from people of interest,” Jason Pack, a retired FBI manager special agent, told Fox News Digital.

“The FBI should promptly urge Dominican officials to immediately seize electronics, inspect travel history and conduct forensic analysis where they were last seen,” Pack continued.

Pack, a former leader of the FBI's Child Abduction Rapid Deployment team and representative of legal attachment, said the FBI cannot take over the investigation, but will push Dominican authorities to prioritize key investigative procedures, provide credit assistance, and coordinate intelligence sharing that will allow them to discover new leads.

Missing Americans in the Dominican Republic: Unpredictable currents, beachfront poses Major search challenges

The loss of Suddiksha Conanki, a ready-made student at the University of Pittsburgh, was compared to the loss of Holloway in 2005.

Natalie's mother, Beth Holloway, said there was one important difference between her search for her daughter in Alba 20 years ago and the search for 20-year-old Conanki, who had come in. dominican republic Last week: US Embassy.

Beth Holloway Identifies the Important Difference Between the Sudiksha Conanki Case and Her Daughter Case

Beth Holloway (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

“My family is very fortunate to have an American embassy there,” Beth Holloway, who has been an openly defending student safety since her daughter's death, told Fox News Digital in a previous statement. “I didn't have that in Alba.”

Both young women disappeared in the Caribbean country during their holidays.

Natalie Holloway disappeared at a high school graduation celebration Alba HotelsConanki disappeared during a spring break trip with friends from the University of Pittsburgh at an all-inclusive resort in Punta Cana, the Dominican Republic.

Natalie Holloway last saw him live on May 30, 2005, leaving behind Jolan van der Slutt and bar. He was the main suspect in her loss for the next 18 years and finally admitted to killing her on October 3, 2023.

American College Student Suddiksha Konanki's Lost Disappearance in the Dominican Republic: Timeline

Local authorities are searching for a missing student Sudiksha Konanki in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic on March 11, 2025. (Santiago Baez from Fox News Digital)

Conanki was last seen on surveillance cameras, and five people entered the beach at the Ryurepublica Hotel in Punta Cana at 4:15am on Thursday, Dominican national police said in a statement.

Surveillance video obtained by Noticias Sin captured a group walking towards the beach at 5 star resort. The footage is the last time authorities tracked down Conanki before Virginia residents disappeared.

Conanki's loss of sparked widespread speculation about the events that led to it, prompting investigations in both the Dominican Republic and the United States.

Since the murder of her daughter, Beth Holloway has defended her on her behalf, saying the disappearance of 20-year-old Conanki should be a warning from travelers.

“I created a Full Sale Safety Plan for travelers and citizens of all ages to remind them to spend as much time as planning where travelers and citizens of all ages, what to wear, and who to go with,” Holloway said.

Click here to get the Fox News app

Early reports say Conanki may have owned dead, but experts say if so, they believe she has washed the tragedy or has now been found. Authorities have officially urged the public not to jump to conclusions when the investigation unfolds.

Police have spent days searching the coastline by boat, diving team and helicopter. The FBI is involved and the sheriff in Virginia's hometown said they would send two detectives to help with the investigation.

Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, Michael Ruiz and Ashley Papa of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.