Sudiksha Konanki. Photo:
Handout
The parents of Joshua Riibe, the American tourist who was named a person of interest in the Dominican Republic disappearance of University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki, said their son had been “detained under irregular conditions.”
Riibe, 22 — who hasn’t been accused of or charged with a crime — was recently named a person of interest by the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office in Virginia after Konanki, 20, was last seen at a beach at the Riu Republica resort in Punta Cana on March 6.
The man’s parents have since released a statement, shared by Pittsburgh ABC affiliate WTAE, expressing their “deep sorrow and solidarity” with Konanki’s family, as they explained that their son had “fully cooperated in the search and clarification of the facts from the very beginning.”
Then detailing their “concern” related to his questioning, the parents continued, “Despite his full willingness to cooperate, Josh has been detained under irregular conditions and subjected to extensive questioning without the presence of official translators or legal counsel until Wednesday, March 12.”
“He has remained in his hotel room under police surveillance and has been repeatedly taken to the police station since March 6, where he has been interrogated for long hours,” the parents added. “This situation has raised serious concern within his family, which has led us to retain legal counsel to initiate legal actions ensuring his safety and the protection of his rights throughout this process.”
Officials search for Sudiksha Konanki in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic on March 10, 2025. AP Photo/Francesco Spotorno
Riibe is a student at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota, his parents — identified as Albert and Tina Riibe by The Minnesota Star Tribute — also confirmed in the statement.
Konanki was part of a group of six female students traveling for spring break this month. A source close to the investigation said her clothes were discovered on a chaise lounge on the beach, as Dominican outlet El Nacional reported that no signs of foul play were detected.
Riibe remained in custody as of March 13, when a source told PEOPLE that he was “still at the hotel he was holidaying in and remains at the disposal of the Dominican and U.S. authorities for further clarifications.”
That same day, the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office told PEOPLE that Riibe is not a suspect and is still considered a person of interest to the office, “as he may have been the last one to see her.”
A prosecutor’s office source previously claimed that Riibe’s story changed over the course of four interrogations. He maintains he first met Konanki at the hotel where they stayed and had been “partying” together with friends, the insider said.
“We are keeping all avenues of investigation open, but at this time we have no concrete elements that could lead us to believe that foul play was involved,” a police source told PEOPLE.
According to a source close to the investigation, Konanki and seven others left their hotel for a beach walk around 4:15 a.m. local time on March 6 after having drinks.
Later, six of the eight could be seen returning in security camera footage shot at around 5:55 a.m. Investigators determined that Riibe returned to the hotel around 9 a.m. Konanki’s friends later reported her missing to hotel staff at 4 p.m. that day.
Following her disappearance, Dominican National Police said an “exhaustive search was launched by sea, air, and land.”
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According to ABC News, which cites two Dominican Republic sources who provided a transcript of his conversation with a prosecutor, Riibe claimed he met Konanki that night and that they kissed.
He added that they were hit by a “big wave” that pulled them “into the ocean,” before he “swam to get her out of the water.” Per the outlet, he claimed he “thought she had taken her things and left.”
Riibe’s family later said in their statement, per WTAE, that their son is “deeply dismayed by” Konanki’s “disappearance and has fully cooperated in the search and clarification of the facts from the very beginning.”
The Konanki family previously told USA Today that they are “going through an incredibly difficult time” and “are deeply saddened.”
“We kindly request privacy as we cope with this challenging moment together,” they added.
In a prior news release, the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office said that there has been “considerable public speculation about what may have happened to Konanki and who may be involved.”
“We caution anyone from drawing any unsubstantiated conclusions and are committed to ensuring that a thorough investigation is conducted before any conclusions are reached. The LCSO is hopeful for the safe return of Sudiksha Konanki, and we are committed to supporting this investigation and her family in every way possible,” the office continued.
