Sudiksha Konanki missing: Dominican AG grills key witness Joshua Riibe
The Brief
The Dominican Republic's Attorney General personally interrogated Joshua Riibe, the last known person seen with missing Virginia student Sudiksha Konanki.
Riibe gave varying accounts of the night Konanki vanished, first claiming they were hit by a wave, then saying he passed out while she was still in the water.
Officials confiscated Riibe's passport and called him a "key element" in the case, though he has not been named a suspect or charged.
Investigators are using helicopters, drones, dive teams, and K9 units to locate Konanki, as U.S. officials monitor the case.
The top prosecutor in the Dominican Republic personally questioned Joshua Riibe Saturday, the last known person seen with missing Virginia college student Sudiksha Konanki, as authorities intensify their investigation into her disappearance.
Attorney General Yeni Berenice Reynoso spent hours Saturday interviewing Riibe, 22, of Iowa, in his Punta Cana hotel room, according to his attorneys.
The interrogation follows multiple interviews with local police and Loudoun County, Virginia, investigators throughout the past week.
Riibe, a senior at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota, was on spring break at the Riu República resort with friends, including Konanki, 20, a University of Pittsburgh student from Loudoun County. She vanished early March 6 after being seen on the beach with Riibe.
While Riibe has not been named a suspect or charged with a crime, authorities have labeled him a "key element" in the case. Dominican officials confiscated his passport several days ago when he attempted to check out of the hotel.
Riibe's parents, Albert and Tina Riibe, have criticized the treatment of their son, saying he has been subjected to "irregular conditions" and repeated questioning without legal counsel or official translators for days.
"He has remained in his hotel room under police surveillance and has been repeatedly taken to the police station since March 6," the family said in a statement through their attorneys.
Investigators are scrutinizing conflicting statements Riibe has given about Konanki's disappearance.
According to a leaked police transcript obtained by Fox News, Riibe initially claimed they were swept offshore by a strong wave, but he managed to bring Konanki back to land. He said he then last saw her walking away in knee-deep water toward her belongings.
In another version, Riibe reportedly said he fell ill and passed out on a beach chair while Konanki was still in the water.
Surveillance footage confirms that six of the friends left the beach around 6 a.m., while Riibe returned alone just before 10 a.m. Konanki's friends reported her missing at 4 p.m. that day.
Authorities have launched an extensive search effort along the coastline using boats, planes, helicopters, dive teams, K9 units, and AI-equipped drones.
Konanki's disappearance comes two months after four European tourists drowned at the same resort.
Their bodies were recovered within 48 hours.
U.S. authorities, including the State Department, are monitoring the case but have not commented publicly due to privacy concerns.
What they're saying
Riibe's parents said their son is fully cooperating and deeply dismayed by Konanki's disappearance.
"Above all, we wish to contribute to the search efforts," they said Friday. "Joshua is deeply dismayed by her disappearance and has fully cooperated from the very beginning."
Authorities are also examining phone records from Konanki and other witnesses. The investigation remains active.
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