Person Of Interest In Sudiksha Konanki's Disappearance 'Wouldn't Hurt A Fly': Who Is Joshua Riibe?

The disappearance of Sudiksha Konanki, a 20-year-old pre-med student from the University of Pittsburgh and a resident of Virginia, has left her family and authorities desperate for answers. Konanki went missing on 6 March, during her spring break trip to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, and the search still continues.

However, in recent developments, Joshua Riibe, a 24-year-old tourist from Iowa, has come under the spotlight, with investigators naming him a 'person of interest.' Riibe was reportedly the last person spotted with Konanki before she went missing in Punta Cana on 6 March. While some have raised questions about his involvement, his family maintains that he is innocent.

But who is Joshua Riibe, and what happened on the night of 6 March?

Who Is Joshua Riibe?

Joshua Steven Riibe, originally from Rock Rapids, Iowa, stayed at the same resort as Konanki and her friends. Konanki reportedly mingled well with Riibe during her visit, and they were spotted together at the resort.

Riibe is a senior at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota. According to his family members, he is a responsible, well-liked young man. As a former wrestler and football player, Riibe comes from an athletic background. Like Konanki, he was also on a trip to the Dominican Republic with his friends.

While his family insists that he 'wouldn't hurt a fly,' Riibe has come under scrutiny. Although Ribe has not been formally named as a suspect, investigators have named him a 'person of interest.' He has been questioned by the authorities in the nation multiple times as he was the last person spotted with her before her disappearance.

Surveillance footage from the resort shows her walking with Riibe and a group of friends towards the beach around 4:00 a.m. By 5:55 a.m., her friends had returned to their rooms, leaving Konanki and Riibe alone on the shore. Hours later, Konanki had disappeared without a trace.

Conflicting Stories

The other major factor raising suspicion against Riibe is that during questioning, he gave three different versions of his account of what happened on 6 March.

In one version, he told police that he and Konanki went swimming and were caught in a wave. He claims that after swallowing water, he became ill and returned to his hotel room. In his second version of the statement, Ribe stated that strong waves hit him and Konanki, and while he managed to get out, before passing out on the beach, he last saw Konanki in knee-deep water.

While in his final version, he stated that he saw Konanki walking along the beach, with the water up to her knees, heading toward a lounge chair where she had left her cover-up.

Contradicting most parts of his statement, reports suggest that surveillance footage reveals that Riibe returned to his hotel at 8:54 a.m. barefoot and shirtless. However, there has been no video evidence showing Konanki after 5:55 a.m.

Authorities have made it clear that Riibe is not being questioned as a suspect and Konanki's disappearance is being investigated as a case of missing persons. 'We are not going to comment about other persons, but we do believe that (Riibe) may have been the last person to see or be with the missing person,' sheriff's spokesman Thomas Julia said in a statement. 'This is still a missing person investigation, not a criminal investigation, so he is not a person of interest nor suspect for that latter purpose.'

Family Comes Forward in Riibe's Support

With the growing suspicion against Riibe, his family has officially spoken in his defence. Riibe is the middle child of Mike and Tina Riibe, both 46, they reportedly live in a five-bedroom, single-story house in Iowa.

While speaking to Daily Mail, one of their neighbours, Laurel Schriever, claimed that Josh did not hurt Konanki. 'There was no way he would harm her or have anything to do with her disappearance. I am in total shock at what I've read.'

His aunt Theresa Riibe said, 'He's a great kid. He wouldn't hurt a fly.' According to reports, Jiibe is still in the Dominican Republic, accompanied by his father.

Meanwhile, as the investigation intensifies, Konanki's family, especially her father Subbarayudu Konanki, is pushing the authorities to investigate the case from all angles. While authorities believe drowning is the most likely explanation, no body has been recovered till now.

Originally published on IBTimes UK