The Iowa man who was last seen with missing University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki appears to be growing frustrated with authorities in the Dominican Republic and is pleading to be allowed to leave. Joshua Riibe, 22, was seen at the Riu Republica Hotel in Punta Cana, where he remains under police surveillance.
Speaking to ABC late Monday night, he said, "I just hope to go home." When asked if he had any knowledge of what happened to the 20-year-old pre-med student who vanished in the early hours of March 6, the St. Cloud University student simply replied, "No comment." "It's very sad," Riibe added and didn't say anything else.
Unable to Leave Until Investigation is Over
This comes as it was revealed that Riibe has a girlfriend. The revelation was made by his uncle, Richard, who told the Daily Mail that Riibe's girlfriend is a student at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota, where he is also a studying.
The Rock Rapids native has been labeled a person of interest in Sudiksha's disappearance but has not been charged or officially named a suspect.
Riibe has faced multiple rounds of questioning by National Police investigators and the Attorney General's Office. He was scheduled for another interrogation at the prosecutor's office on Monday.
On Sunday, he was spotted with investigators at the beach and later told NBC that he was simply trying to assist with the investigation. "I'm just trying to help them out," Riibe said. "The ocean is a dangerous place."
Over the weekend, supporters of Riibe's family issued a statement in support of the former high school wrestler.
"The Rock Rapids community stands behind and supports Joshua Riibe and his family," the statement read. "The Riibe family moved to town in 2015 and has been active in various school and community events and organizations. They are well known and loved."
The statement, shared by the Lyon County Sheriff's Office on behalf of the family's friends, portrayed Riibe as a man devoted "his faith' and always 'showing kindness to others."
"He exemplifies the values of compassion, respect and integrity that are fundamental to our church and our community."
Changing Stories
Riibe declined to answer certain questions as officers pressed him on how they could verify the accuracy of his statements. He was also asked about what he had shared with a close friend regarding Konanki and his thoughts on her disappearance.
Investigators further inquired whether he knew if Konanki could swim, if she signaled or called for help in the water, whether he contacted authorities or informed the hotel, if he had spoken to friends about the incident, and how he felt about the entire situation.
To all of those questions, he said, "My lawyers advise me not to answer that question and I follow their advice," before going silent.
Surveillance footage showed Riibe with Konanki and a group of her friends walking toward the beach in Punta Cana around 4 a.m. on March 6. Two hours later, her friends left to return to their room, leaving Riibe alone with the medical student on the beach.
In one version of events, Riibe said that he and Konanki entered the water and were carried away by a wave. He also claimed at one point that he felt unwell, left the water, and returned to his hotel room. In another account, he said he fell asleep on the beach.
Riibe allegedly provided yet another version, telling authorities he saw Konanki walking along the shore in knee-deep water toward the lounge chair where she had left her cover-up.
His family explained the inconsistencies in his statements was because of different translators being present during his three separate police interviews.
Security cameras later captured Riibe returning to his hotel room at 9:55 a.m., barefoot and shirtless. He told investigators he was shocked to find out that Konanki had disappeared.
The Loudon County Sheriff's Office in Virginia, Konanki's home state, has identified Riibe as a person of interest. However, there are currently no suspects in the case.
Although Riibe has been "confined to the hotel since the investigation began," his attorney told NBC that the U.S. is treating Konanki's disappearance as a missing persons case rather than a criminal matter.
Authorities in the Dominican Republic believe she drowned, and while they have questioned Riibe, they have not indicated that he is suspected of any wrongdoing.
