Missing American in Dominican Republic: Key witness Joshua Riibe leaves country
PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic – The key witness in the spring break disappearance of Sudiksha Konanki, Joshua Riibe, reportedly left the Dominican Republic on Wednesday aboard a jetliner out of Santo Domingo.
Two sources confirmed to Fox News that Riibe boarded a JetBlue flight from AILA airport in Santo Domingo to San Juan, Puerto Rico.
"On March 18th, following the conclusion of the habeas corpus hearing that ordered the release of our client, Joshua Riib, the Prosecutor's Office of La Altagracia informed him of their readiness to return his passport," Riibe's attorneys said. "While Joshua appreciated this decision, he chose, for privacy reasons, to apply for a new passport at the U.S. Consulate, which was promptly issued. We are pleased to announce that Joshua and his father are currently traveling back to their home in the United States."
Riibe, 22, is believed to be one of the last people who saw Konanki, 20, before she vanished in the early morning hours of March 6 from the beach behind their resort, the Riu Republica in Punta Cana.
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This comes a day after a Dominican Republic judge ruled in favor of Riibe's writ of habeas corpus, giving him the ability to move freely within the country until another hearing on March 28.
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Riide's lawyers, Micenis Beatriz Santana and Helen Alexandra Peralta, were seen at the courthouse in Higuey, Dominican Republic, on Wednesday afternoon. Micenis confirmed with Fox News that they have not submitted the new recourse to recover Riibe's passport and cellphone, claiming her team missed a few documents and stamps needed to submit.
Micenis also confirmed Riibe was still in the Dominican Republic, and his friend, whose passport was also confiscated and returned to him Tuesday, was scheduled to depart the country from Punta Cana.
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Riibe's attorneys successfully argued in court Tuesday that, as a witness, not a suspect, police control over his movements over an 11-day span was unlawful.
Riibe had been holed up in the Riu Republica under strict police monitoring for 11 days before a judge ruled the situation violated Dominican law. His restrictions also included having his cellphone and passport confiscated.
"Ever since my passport was taken, it's very rare I'm alone," Riibe testified before a Dominican judge Tuesday. He later added, "I can't go anywhere. I really want to be home. Hug my family and friends."
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Surveillance video shows he and Konanki went to the beach with a group around 4:15 a.m. on March 6, the morning she vanished. Most of them were seen leaving around 6 a.m. Riibe and Konanki remained on the beach. Riibe came back by himself hours later, and Konanki's whereabouts remain unknown nearly two weeks later.
According to a leaked transcript of an interview with police, Riibe told investigators he and Konanki were both pulled away from the shore by a strong current, and they struggled to make it back. He last saw her walking in knee-deep water before he vomited and fell asleep on a beach chair.
Her parents, in a letter to Dominican authorities, asked for her to be declared dead Monday, citing the lack of evidence of foul play and Riibe's continued cooperation with investigators.
Riibe, for his part, agreed to multiple police interviews but expressed frustration at a hearing Tuesday about his confinement to the resort, where he was monitored by police around the clock for more than a week despite a Dominican law that says a person can be confined for a maximum of 48 hours without being charged with a crime.Original article source: Missing American in Dominican Republic: Key witness Joshua Riibe leaves country
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