A Dominican Republic courtroom is anticipated to resolve on Tuesday whether or not the final individual believed to have seen lacking College of Pittsburgh scholar Sudiksha Konanki can depart the nation and return to the USA.
Authorities consider Joshua Riibe, a 22-year-old senior at St. Cloud State College in Minnesota, was the final individual seen with Konanki earlier than she went lacking within the early hours of March 6.
Her disappearance and Riibe’s connection to her case have captivated world onlookers for the reason that 20-year-old vanished this month whereas on a spring break journey with 5 feminine pals.
Riibe’s passport was confiscated by Dominican authorities on Friday, his attorneys informed NBC Information. Attorneys for the Rock Rapids, Iowa, native confirmed on Saturday that he has been confined to the resort the place Konanki had been staying earlier than she disappeared for the reason that investigation started. He’s being “completely escorted by the police anyplace he goes,” they added.
The Dominican Republic Nationwide Police didn’t verify or deny that Riibe’s passport was confiscated or that he was unable to depart the resort.
The two p.m. ET listening to on Tuesday will resolve if he can return residence.
Riibe may very well be seen coming into the courthouse carrying a black button down shirt and denims. He was instantly swarmed by a gaggle of worldwide media, however declined to reply a barrage of questions.
On Sunday, Riibe was noticed with investigators and his lawyer on a seashore in Punta Cana. Talking solely with NBC Information briefly earlier than the seashore walk-through, Riibe mentioned, “I’m simply attempting to assist them out,” including, “The ocean is a harmful place.”
Riibe mentioned he was on the seashore with Konanki shortly earlier than she disappeared, in accordance with a transcript of an interview he gave to native authorities obtained by NBC Information.
In keeping with the transcript, which NBC Information translated from Spanish, he mentioned he and Konanki have been “in waist-deep water, speaking and kissing slightly” earlier than a wave crashed, taking them each “out to sea.”
“I saved attempting to get her to breathe, however that didn’t enable me to breathe on a regular basis, and I swallowed quite a lot of water,” Riibe mentioned.
Regardless of the battle, Riibe informed investigators he managed to assist Konanki get again to shore earlier than she vanished.
“The final time I noticed her, I requested if she was OK. I didn’t hear her reply,” he mentioned. “I seemed round and didn’t see anybody. I believed she’d grabbed her issues and left.”
Riibe added that he was shocked to later study her disappearance.
Talking with reporters exterior their residence in Loudoun County, Virginia, on Tuesday, Konanki’s dad and mom mentioned authorities informed them they believed their daughter drowned.
“It’s with deep disappointment, disappointment and heavy, heavy coronary heart, we’re coming to the phrases with the truth that our daughter has drowned,” Subbarayudu Konanki mentioned. “That is extremely tough for us to course of.”
Konanki’s father added that each U.S. and Dominican authorities confirmed the household how excessive ocean waves have been on the time of the incident. They didn’t touch upon Riibe’s listening to or title him particularly, however mentioned that authorities “clarified that the individual of curiosity just isn’t a suspect from the start.”
On Monday, Konanki’s dad and mom despatched a letter to the Nationwide Police to request authorities declare her useless, in accordance with police.
“Initiating this course of will enable our household to start the grieving course of and deal with issues associated to her absence,” they wrote. “Whereas no declaration can really ease our grief, we belief that this step will convey some closure and allow us to honor her reminiscence.”
Dominican authorities mentioned on Thursday that nobody is taken into account a suspect and that they don’t use the time period “individual of curiosity,” because the sheriff’s workplace in Loudoun County has described Riibe. The sheriff’s workplace has despatched officers to help authorities in Punta Cana however has no jurisdiction over the investigation.
The sheriff’s workplace mentioned Tuesday that Konanki’s household expressed their perception that she drowned.
“Whereas a closing determination to make such a declaration rests with authorities within the Dominican Republic, we’ll help the Konanki household in each manner potential as we proceed to evaluate the proof and data made out there to us in the middle of this investigation,” Sheriff Michael Chapman mentioned within the assertion.
Konanki — a junior finding out biology on the College of Pittsburgh — was on spring break with pals within the Caribbean nation when she disappeared. They have been staying on the Riu República, a five-star resort in Punta Cana.
Within the morning, she disappeared, and her pals left the seashore to return to the resort. In keeping with authorities, Konanki stayed behind with individuals she met on the journey.
Police have mentioned no indicators of violence have been discovered on the seashore. Pink flags, which point out “that the ocean had a powerful present and really excessive waves,” have been flying when Konanki disappeared, in accordance with a resort spokesperson.
Kirsch, Jones and Catire reported from Higüey, Lavietes from New York.
This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. Extra from NBC Information:
