The last person seen with missing student Sudiksha Konanki has been identified by police sources as Joshua Steven Riibe. He is a 24-year-old former high school wrestler with a powerful build. Authorities say he is cooperating with the investigation of the girl and remains in Punta Cana. While police have his passport, he is still allowed to retrieve it and return to the United States. Investigators are also holding his phone, but they need legal authorization before they can examine its contents.
Joshua Steven Riibe and Sudiksha Konanki Were Last Seen Together
According to reports, Riibe and Konanki were seen heading toward the beach at around 4 a.m. on March 6. They were with a larger group of friends at the time. By 5:55 a.m., the others had returned to their rooms, leaving only Riibe and Konanki on the beach. This was the last confirmed sighting of her. What happened next remains a mystery.
Riibe told police that he and Sudiksha Konanki went into the water for a swim but were hit by a powerful wave. He said he managed to struggle back to shore, where he vomited from swallowing too much water. He claims that he saw Konanki walking along the shoreline, apparently heading to pick up her clothes. After that, he fell asleep on the beach. When he woke up later, she was gone. He walked back to his room alone at 8:54 a.m., as confirmed by surveillance footage.
Authorities in the Dominican Republic Believe the Missing Student Sudiksha Konanki Likely Drowned
Dominican police believe that Konanki drowned in the ocean, but her family is not convinced. They have raised concerns about human trafficking and are pushing authorities to consider other possibilities. Investigators have yet to find her body, which has only fueled the family’s fears that something else may have happened to her. The FBI has now joined the investigation, adding more resources to the search.
A Private Investigator Who Worked on the Natalee Holloway Case Disputes the Drowning Theory
A private investigator, known for working on the 2005 Natalee Holloway disappearance, disagrees with the police’s drowning theory. Surveillance footage has raised additional questions. The time stamp on one video showed 5:16 a.m., but a local news outlet confirmed that the system’s clock was actually set an hour ahead. This means the real time of the footage was 4:16 a.m. Another video showed two women returning from the beach at 5:05 a.m., about ten minutes before the last two people, including Konanki, were still there. These inconsistencies have added to the mystery surrounding her disappearance.
Friends of Sudiksha Did Not Realize She Was Missing
A source with knowledge of the investigation said that Konanki’s friends left the hotel for an excursion on the morning of March 6. When they returned around 4 p.m., they realized she was missing. That’s when they reported her disappearance to the authorities. At this point, many hours had already passed, making the search even more challenging. Dominican police have since interviewed all five people who were seen in the surveillance footage with Konanki that night. They have also questioned hotel employees in hopes of gathering more details about her last known movements.
The U.S. State Department and Indian Embassy Are Involved in the Investigation
Since Konanki was an Indian citizen and a permanent resident of the United States, the U.S. State Department is working with the Indian embassy in the Dominican Republic to assist in the investigation. Authorities continue to focus on the possibility that she drowned in rough ocean waters, but her family is urging them to explore all possible scenarios. Her father, Subbarayudu Konanki, pointed out that after four days, a drowning victim’s body would usually have washed ashore by now. Since there is still no sign of her, he believes other possibilities, such as kidnapping or abduction, should be investigated.
The Family of the Student Has Filed a Formal Complaint Urging Police to Investigate Possible Kidnapping or Human Trafficking
The complaint filed by the Konanki family acknowledges that drowning is a possibility, but they emphasize that it should not be assumed without solid proof. They argue that there is growing suspicion that a crime may have occurred. Specifically, they fear that kidnapping or human trafficking could be involved. Until her body is found or more evidence is uncovered, they insist that authorities keep all options open. The investigation continues as authorities work to uncover the truth about what happened to Sudiksha Konanki.
