A judge in the Dominican Republic on Tuesday cleared the way for the last person who saw missing University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki alive to return to the United States. "Joshua Riibe is free to leave," the judge announced after a nearly five-hour hearing in the Dominican Republic, according to the Spanish-language outlet Noticias Telemicro.
The judge also ordered authorities to return the Iowan's passport. Riibe, 22, wearing a black button-down shirt and appearing unkempt, was surrounded by TV cameras as he attended the court session. He had been identified as a person of interest in the March 6 disappearance of Konanki and was seeking permission to return home.
Free at Last
"I really want to be able to go home, talk to my family, give them hugs, tell them I miss them," Ribbe told Judge Elvis Delgado during an intense closed-door hearing, according to Noticias SIN. "I understand I'm here to help, but it's been 10 days and I can't leave."
He described feeling like a virtual prisoner at the RIU Hotel & Resort, with his phone taken away and police accompanying him everywhere he went—even staying with him during meals.
The decision to end his police detention followed a statement from Konanki's parents, who now believe she drowned in the rough waters off Punta Cana and that Riibe played no role in her death.
"Both sides of the authorities have shown us how high the ocean waves were at the time of the incident, and both sides of the authorities have clarified the person of interest was not a suspect from the beginning," her father Subbarayudu told The New York Post.
"It is with deep sadness and a heavy heart that we are coming to terms with the fact our daughter has drowned."
The decision to release Riibe came after heated legal arguments between both sides over the reasons for his prolonged stay in the Dominican Republic. Government attorneys now claim that he was never considered a suspect but rather a witness in the unexplained disappearance.
"Enough," his father, Albert Riibe, told the judge. "It's been 12 days."
Not an Easy Bailout
The judge scheduled another hearing for March 28, though it remains unclear whether Riibe will be required to attend in person or if his passport has already been returned. Attorneys for the Dominican government denied that Riibe had been "detained," insisting he was merely a witness in the case and had voluntarily handed over his passport.
They also claimed he was never "interrogated" by police but only "interviewed," according to the outlet.
However, the judge rejected the government's argument, granting Riibe's request and allowing him to return home to Iowa. "The law is the law," Delgado said.
Authorities revealed that another friend who was with Riibe at the resort, Carter Joseph, is still in the Dominican Republic. However, they did not clarify whether he is being held against his will or if he is now free to leave.
Officials said that Riibe was one of more than 50 people interviewed in connection with the case.
A student at St. Cloud State College in Minnesota, Riibe told police that he and Konanki, who was in Punta Cana for spring break with friends, went for an early morning swim at the RIU Hotel & Resort. He claimed they were caught in strong currents but said he managed to bring her to shore before losing consciousness on the beach.
Dominican authorities initially said that they believed Konanki had drowned but did not rule out the possibility of foul play. They identified Riibe as a person of interest and seized his passport while launching a large-scale search effort that involved the FBI and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
On Monday, Riibe's attorney, Beatriz Santana, filed a writ of habeas corpus, arguing that he should be released since he had not been charged with any crime. This legal action led to Tuesday's court hearing.
Meanwhile, Konanki's parents submitted an emotional letter on Monday requesting that their daughter be officially declared dead. In the letter, Subbarayudu and SreeDevi Konanki also urged authorities to allow Riibe to return home.
Riibe testified in court on Tuesday that he had met with SreeDevi Konanki on the island, and she told him, "Thank you for saving my daughter the first time."
Konanki's disappearance drew global attention, with international media extensively covering the prolonged search for her.
