By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2025-03-17 16:37:15 | Updated at 2025-03-18 05:29:12
13 hours ago
The Iowa man who was the last person who saw missing University of Pittsburgh student Sudiskha Konanki appears to be frustrated with Dominican Republic authorities and is pleading to be allowed to leave the country.
Joshua Riibe, 22, was spotted at the Riu Republica Hotel in Punta Cana, where he is under police surveillance, and told ABC overnight Monday, 'I just hope to go home.'
The St. Cloud University student told the network, 'No comment,' when he was asked if he knew what happened to 20-year-old pre-med student, who disappeared the early morning of March 6.
'It's very sad,' Riibe added.
This comes after his uncle Richard revealed to DailyMail.com that Riibe has a girlfriend at Minnesota's St. Cloud State University, where he also goes to school.
The Rock Rapids resident is considered a person of interest in Sudiksha's vanishing. He has not been charged or named a suspect.
Riibe has been grilled by National Police investigators and the Attorney General's Office on numerous occasions, and was set to undergo questioning at the prosecutor's office Monday.
He was seen with investigators at the beach on Sunday and told NBC that he was only trying to cooperate with the investigation.
'I'm just trying to help them out,' Riibe said. 'The ocean is a dangerous place.'
Over the weekend, friends of Riibe family released a statement in support of the former high school wrestler.
New footage Sudiksha Konanki in the hotel lobby hours before she vanished. The missing Pittsburgh student hasn't been seen since the morning of March 6
Joshua Riibe is seen being questioned by authorities in Punta Cana. The 22-year-old has had his passport confiscated, but is yet to be named a suspect
Sudiksha Konanki disappeared from a beach at the Riu Republica Hotel in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic on March 6. Authorities in the Caribbean country believe she may have drowned
'The Rock Rapids community stands behind and supports Joshua Riibe and his family,' the statement said. 'The Riibe family moved to town in 2015 and has been active in various school and community events and organizations.
'They are well known and loved.'
The statement, which was released by the Lyon County Sheriff's Office on behalf of the family's friends, described Riibe as being devoted to 'his faith' and always 'showing kindness to others.'
'He exemplifies the values of compassion, respect and integrity that are fundamental to our church and our community.'
Surveillance camera footage from the all-inclusive five-star hotel showed both Riibe and Konanki vomiting at a bar at 4:05 am on March 6 before they walked to the beach.
Surveillance video footage obtained by Dominican Republic news outlet Noticias SIN showed Joshua Riibe (left) and Sudiksha Konanki (second from left) following the young woman's friends and another man to the beach at the Riu Republica Hotel before Konanki disappeared March 6
A second camera spotted Riibe holding a cup and placing his arm around Konanki back as they trailed the group at 4:15 am. At about 4:55 am, the hotel security camera system showed two of her friends returning to the hotel.
The same camera picked up another female friend accompanied by Johnson walking into the building at 5:05 am.
The surveillance camera would show Riibe, barefoot and shirtless, as he slowly walked back to his room at 8:54am with Konanki nowhere in sight.
Riibe was peppered with over 50 questions last Wednesday and told a prosecutor that he and Konanki had kissed in the ocean before they almost got swept away by a wave.
He also said he saved her from drowning while almost losing consciousness.
University of Pittsburgh pre-med student Sudiksha Konanki vanished from the Riu Republica Hotel in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic on March 6
The former wrestler has told several, slightly different versions of what transpired the last time Konanki was seen
Joshua Riibe was grilled by a prosecutor last Wednesday. He's the last person who saw Sudiksha Konanki before she disappeared March 6
But under the guidance of his attorneys, Riibe refused to reply to several questions, with the prosecutor probing him over how they could be sure what he was saying was truthful.
Riibe was also questioned if he knew if Sudiksha was able to swim, if she made any gestures or cries in the sea, if he called the cops or told the hotel, if he had told his friends about what happened and was also asked how he felt about the situation.
Each time he replied: 'My lawyers advise me not to answer that question and I follow their advice', before going silent.
