The Dominican Republic authorities grilling Iowa man Joshua Riibe into the early morning hours Sunday as the mysterious disappearance of 20-year-old Sudiksha Konanki takes a new turn as no body has been found even after 10 days. Joshua Riibe is believed to be the last person who saw Konanki and who was seen with the Pitt University student in surveillance footage.
Riibe is expected to be questioned again Monday, the local media reported. Riibe has not yet been accused in connection with Konanki’s disappearance but is being interrogated for the investigation as a person of interest. The authorities have seized his passport so that he can’t leave the place and he has also been put under police monitoring.
“Joshua Steven Riibe, who has been identified as a ‘person of interest,’ remains in custody and is being interrogated at the National Police’s Gender Violence Unit to gather more information about the incident,” a rep for the Caribbean nation said in an update on Friday. “As long as authorities consider Joshua Steven Riibe a key element in the investigation, he will remain in custody,” the notice said.
Joshua Riibe gave contradictory statements, said his lawyers asked him not to speak
Riibe said he and Konanki went to the sea and got swept by strong waves that he fought to pull Konanki out of the water. He said he was vomiting when he reached the shore as he gulped a lot of seawater in the process of saving himself and Konanki from drowning. But he could not tell the police what happened after that as he said when he woke up on the beach, Konanki was not there. Police said Konanki’s clothes were found on the chaise lounge on the beach.
Joshua earlier did not entertain the questions of the police and said he was asked not to reply to the questions by his lawyer.
Questions he declined to answer earlier
- How can we verify that everything you have said corresponds to the truth?
- Could you tell us what you told your friend Carter Joseph, when he asked about the missing girl Konanki – Sudiksha?
- What do you think about Sudiksha’s disappearance?
- Did young Sudiksha know how to swim or not?
- Do you remember if young Sudiksha made any gestures or cries while she was in the sea?
- Did you inform the authorities or the hotel what had happened to you and the girl on the beach?
- Did you tell your friend what had happened with you and the girl on the beach?
- How do you feel about this situation?
“My lawyers advise me not to answer that question and I follow their advice,” Joshua said to each question before he was taken into custody.
