Sudiksha Konanki's last known associate contends police treatment, pleads for liberty in judicial proceedings
A Man Challenges Authorities Over His Treatment in the Missing Student Case
Joshua Riibe, the guy who was last seen with missing University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki, is making a stand against authorities, claiming they've been overstepping their bounds since the 20-year-old's disappearance nearly two weeks ago.
Riibe, a 22-year-old student from Rock Rapids, Iowa, and a senior at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota, has filed a habeas corpus petition in a Dominican Republic court, alleging his rights were violated by prosecutors, police, and the hotel where he was staying, according to court documents obtained by CNN.
A hearing is set for 2 p.m. local time on Tuesday, as per the documents.
Authorities in the Dominican Republic have reportedly confiscated Riibe's passport, and he's been under police surveillance despite not being considered a suspect in Konanki's disappearance or accused of any wrongdoing.
The Dominican Republic Attorney General Yeni Berenice Reynoso interviewed Riibe over the weekend for over six hours, according to a source close to the investigation. Riibe's parents claimed he was detained "under irregular conditions" and questioned without official translators or legal counsel until March 12. Prosecutors declined comment when asked by CNN about these allegations.
Sheriff Michael Chapman of Loudon County, Virginia, where Konanki's family resides, told CNN that Riibe had been "very forthright with our detectives." The sheriff stated he didn't see "any inconsistencies" with what Riibe said.
The entire contents of Riibe's habeas corpus request are expected to be made public at the Tuesday hearing.
The Last Moments of Sudiksha Konanki
Konanki, a driven student planning to study medicine, arrived in Punta Cana on March 3. She traveled with five other female students from the University of Pittsburgh, according to the Loudon County Sheriff's Office.
Riibe claims he first met Konanki in the hotel when he and his friend introduced themselves to her group. They went together to the bar, where they drank until "someone suggested we go to the beach."
In the early hours of March 6, Konanki was seen on surveillance footage drinking with five women and two men in the Riu República Hotel bar. In the video, Konanki is seen wearing a white cover-up as she hugs and talks with her friends. Riibe is seen several feet away, stumbling on the lawn outside the bar.
Then, at 4:15 a.m., a surveillance camera captured the group, including Konanki, entering the beach, as stated by police.
Just before 5 a.m., footage shows five women and one man leaving the beach, but Konanki was not among them.
During his fourth interview with prosecutors on Wednesday, Riibe described a harrowing attempt to save Konanki after they were jostled by the wave, and she started to tire of swimming.
"It took me a long time to get her out. It was difficult," Riibe said, according to Noticias SIN. He said he was trained as a lifeguard but worked at pools, not the beach.
"I was trying to get her to breathe the whole time. That didn't allow me to breathe all the time, and I swallowed a lot of water. I could have lost consciousness several times. When I finally reached the ground on the beach, I held her in front of me."
He said he last saw Konanki when she was walking in knee-deep water.
"The last time I saw her, I asked if she was OK. I didn't hear her answer because I started vomiting up all the seawater I had swallowed."
"After vomiting, I looked around, and I didn't see anyone. I thought she had grabbed her things and left," Riibe said.
"I felt very sick and tired. I lay down on a beach chair and fell asleep because I couldn't go far."
The sun and biting mosquitoes woke Riibe up, and he went to his friend's room to get his phone and then went to his room to sleep.
"I was sleeping in the room and my friend asked me if I had seen her; I told him no, I thought she had gone to her room," Riibe said. His friend told him Konanki never returned to her room, which surprised him.
When Konanki did not return to her room, her friends searched for her before notifying authorities, according to the law enforcement source. The group then reported her missing to hotel staff around 4 p.m. Thursday, according to the Riu hotel chain.
"After I saw her walk away while she was walking in the water, I never saw her again," Riibe told Dominican news station Noticias SIN.
Sudiksha Konanki's sarong-style cover-up was found on a lounge chair on the beach, but there were no signs of violence. Konanki's disappearance comes nearly two months after four tourists drowned in Punta Cana, according to the Dominican Republic's civil defense agency, at the same beach where she was last seen. Strong currents swept the tourists off the Arena Gorda beach, where the Riu República Hotel is located, the civil defense agency said January 18 in a Facebook post.
[1] CNN, "Authorities in Dominican Republic question Joshua Riibe in missing student case," March 14, 2023. https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/14/us/ dominican-republic-missing-student-case/index.html
[2] Washington Post, "Last person seen with missing student asks court for his freedom," March 15, 2023. https://www.washingtonpost.com/us/2023/03/15/missing-student-domincan-republic-lawsuit/
Enrichment Data:
Overall:- The investigation into Sudiksha Konanki's disappearance, a missing University of Pittsburgh student, continues in the Dominican Republic. She was last seen on CCTV approaching the beach outside the Riu República Hotel on March 6, 2023, with Joshua Riibe, an American college student. Riibe reported they were swept into the ocean by a large wave, but he isn't sure what happened to Konanki afterward[1][2].
Current Investigation Status:- The case is classified as a missing persons investigation, with the possibility of drowning being explored, though foul play hasn't been ruled out[1][2].- Joshua Riibe, the last person to see Konanki, has been interrogated extensively and was recently released from police surveillance following a court order, but his passport remains confiscated, and there's no decision on its return[2].- The investigation involves over 300 police and officials, with support from the FBI, and a global police alert has been issued by Interpol[1].- Konanki's family has petitioned for her to be declared dead, but no official declaration has been made[2].
Recent Developments:- Riibe's habeas corpus petition led to his release from police surveillance, but he remains in the Dominican Republic without his passport[2].- The Dominican Republic's attorney general is continuing to investigate while re-interviewing individuals who were near Konanki at the time of her disappearance[1].
Us, in the investigation of Sudiksha Konanki's disappearance, found inconsistencies in the handling of our passports and the level of surveillance despite not being suspects. On March 16th at 16am, the tribunal will address these matters in a hearing. Although Joshua Riibe violated no laws, his passport was confiscated by the authorities, an action that we believe is inconsistent with the ongoing investigation.
