Spooky photo captures Joshua Riibe walking alone shortly after Sudiksha Konanki’s disappearance
A man who was last seen with the missing college student Sudiksha Konanki has been identified as a person of interest in her disappearance. The search for the 20-year-old University of Pittsburgh student, who went missing while on vacation in Punta Cana, has entered its sixth day with the involvement of federal investigators from the FBI. Konanki was last seen on the beach near the Riu República Hotel on the morning of March 6 during her Spring Break trip with five female friends.
Surveillance photos captured Konanki walking towards the beach with Joshua Steven Riibe, a 22-year-old tourist from Iowa, at around 4:15 am. While several members of their group returned to their hotel rooms, Riibe and Konanki remained on the beach. Riibe claimed that they went for a swim, but a large wave separated them. He managed to swim back to shore but got sick from swallowing seawater. However, Riibe has given conflicting versions of the events that occurred that morning, further complicating the investigation.
In one version, Riibe said he fell asleep on the beach and woke up to find Konanki missing. Another account stated that Riibe felt ill and left Konanki standing in knee-deep water. A subsequent surveillance photo showed Riibe walking alone without Konanki. The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office in Konanki’s hometown named Riibe a person of interest in the case, although he has not been charged with any crime.
The Riu República Hotel revealed that they experienced a power outage at the same time as Konanki’s disappearance. Authorities in the Dominican Republic, including the National Police, are conducting interviews with individuals who were near Konanki at the time of her disappearance. The search efforts involve multiple agencies, including the Dominican National Police, the FBI, and the US and Indian Embassies. Konanki’s father expressed concerns over various possibilities, including kidnapping or human trafficking, and disputed claims that she may have drowned in the ocean.
Riibe, a former high school athlete, has been cooperating with investigators. While he traveled to Punta Cana for Spring Break, it remains unclear whether he knew Konanki prior to their encounter on the island. Konanki’s parents have also joined the search efforts in the Dominican Republic, highlighting the family’s determination to find their missing daughter. Despite the challenges and uncertainties surrounding Konanki’s disappearance, authorities continue to pursue all leads to unravel the mystery of what happened to the young student.