Authorities in the Dominican Republic are ramping up pressure on Joshua Riibe, the last person seen with the case of missing Sudiksha Konanki, a student of the University of Pittsburgh. Investigators interrogated him until nearly 3 a.m. on Sunday as the search for the 20-year-old enters its tenth day.
Interrogation Continues as Investigation Heats Up
Riibe, a 22-year-old senior at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota, was questioned for hours by Dominican Attorney General Yeni Berenice Reynoso and navy Vice Admiral Agustin Morillo Rodriguez. The high-ranking officials were seen leaving the RIU Hotel & Resort, where Riibe has been kept under police watch since Konanki’s disappearance on March 6.
Authorities have seized his passport, ensuring he cannot leave the country. They have also confirmed that he will undergo another round of questioning on Monday.
Riibe Claims He Saved Konanki From Drowning
Riibe has been labeled a person of interest in the case but has not been charged with any crime. He insists that he and Konanki were caught in rough waves while in the water together and that he pulled her to safety.
“It took me a long time to get her out, it was difficult,” Riibe reportedly told investigators, adding that he was a pool lifeguard, not trained for the ocean.
He said he asked Konanki if she was okay before he passed out from exhaustion after swallowing seawater.
“The last time I saw her, I asked if she was okay,” he allegedly told police. “I didn’t hear her answer because I started vomiting all the sea water I had swallowed.”
Surveillance Video Shows Last Moments Together
Security footage from the RUI Resort captured Konanki and Riibe holding hands and walking arm-in-arm toward the beach before she vanished.
Her friends had left the beach earlier, leaving her alone with Riibe.
Authorities later found Konanki’s clothes on a lounge chair, but there was no sign of her.
Missing Sudiksha Konanki: FBI and Homeland Security Join Massive Search
The search for missing Sudiksha Konanki has become an international effort. The FBI, US Homeland Security, and the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office from Virginia have all joined the Dominican authorities in the search.
Drones, helicopters, boats, and all-terrain vehicles are being used to comb the coastline.
Foul Play Not Ruled Out
Initially, police suspected Konanki may have drowned, as dangerous currents at the beach have claimed three lives this year.
However, investigators have not ruled out foul play, which is why Riibe remains under intense scrutiny.
Unanswered Questions Remain
Despite his cooperation, Riibe declined to answer eight key police questions.
Authorities are now trying to determine whether Konanki left the beach alone or if something more sinister happened.
The mystery deepens, and the search for missing Sudiksha Konanki continues.
