Top Story of the day 2

Missing Sudiksha Konanki: What Does the ‘Wrestler’ Really Know?

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.

Civil defense boats search for Sudiksha Konanki, a university student from the U.S. who disappeared on a beach in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, Monday, March. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Francesco Spotorno)

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.

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.

Herbert Bauernebel

Herbert Bauernebel has been reporting from New York since 1999 and currently works for Bild.de, OE24 TV, and US Live. He also runs the news portal AmerikaReport.de. Bauernebel has covered nearly all major US events of the past quarter-century, including 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, Barack Obama’s election, Donald Trump’s surprise victory, the pandemic, last year’s election showdown, as well as natural disasters such as hurricanes and oil spills. He has also reported firsthand on international events, including the Asian tsunami, the Haiti earthquake, and the Fukushima disaster. He lives in Brooklyn with his family and holds degrees in communication and political science from the University of Vienna. Bauernebel is the author of a book about his experiences on 9/11, And the Air Was Full of Ash: 9/11 – The Day That Changed My Life.

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