Joshua Riibe named person of interest in Sudiksha Konanki's disappearance

In the Dominican Republic, the search continues for Sudiksha Konanki, a 20-year-old student from the University of Pittsburgh who went missing on March 6, 2023, during a spring break trip. Konanki was last seen around 4:15 a.m. at the Riu Republica Hotel, shortly after being captured on surveillance video walking towards the beach with her friends and two unidentified men. Her friends reported her disappearance approximately 12 hours after realizing she was missing, which prompted an extensive search operation involving over 300 personnel from various authorities, including the FBI and the U.S. Embassy. As the investigation unfolded, a 24-year-old local man named Joshua Riibe became a focus of interest due to his presence near Konanki before her disappearance. His passport was confiscated by Dominican authorities during their investigation. Riibe, who has claimed to have been on the beach with Konanki, stated in an interview that they were engaged in conversation when they were caught by a wave, but he maintains that he took her back to shore before losing sight of her. The circumstances of her last known moments remain unclear, prompting considerable public speculation and concern. Authorities have categorized the situation as a missing person case rather than a criminal matter, despite the involvement of numerous law enforcement agencies and the formation of a high-level commission by the Dominican Republic's National Police to oversee the investigation. Luis Abinader, President of the Dominican Republic, has expressed concern for the ongoing search efforts and has indicated that the investigation considers the possibility of an accident after receiving reports from individuals who were with Konanki last. In the face of the unfolding investigation, the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office in Virginia, where Konanki is originally from, has been collaborating with Dominican authorities, as well as sending detectives to assist in the case. They have characterized Riibe as a person of interest but have made it clear that, to date, there are no suspects in what remains a mystery surrounding Sudiksha Konanki's fate. The case highlights the importance of safety precautions when traveling abroad, especially in regions with travel advisories.