Dominican authorities investigating the disappearance of spring breaker Sudiksha Konanki may have already obtained an arrest warrant for American citizen Joshua Riibe, according to a bombshell report. This came as it emerged that Konanki's family has asked the Dominican officials to formally declare her dead.
A top criminal lawyer told the Daily Mail that Dominican authorities are now planning to arrest the person of interest. Riibe, who was the last known person to see University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha alive, made a bold move on Monday when his legal team filed a writ of habeas corpus. This comes 11 days after Konanki went missing while vacationing in the Dominican Republic.
Major Twist in Tale
Riibe's attorneys now plan to argue before a judge that confiscating the 22-year-old's passport and barring him from leaving Punta Cana was unlawful, as he had not been formally arrested or charged with any crime.
However, the crucial hearing set for 2 p.m. on Tuesday will become irrelevant if the former high school wrestler from Rock Rapids, Iowa, is formally charged before proceedings begin, the outlet reported.
Felix Portes, a well-known civil rights attorney, is not directly involved in the case but has previously clashed with Yeni Berenice Reynoso, the prominent and widely respected Attorney General of the Dominican Republic.
Portes told the Daily Mail that Reynoso still has strategic options available, including the possibility of pursuing a criminal negligence charge, which carries a potential two-year prison sentence, ahead of the high-stakes courtroom battle.
"They said they were treating him [Riibe] as a witness, but in reality, he's a person of interest.
"You don't take a witness's passport away and you don't keep your witness in a room guarded by police," Portes, who is widely recognized in the U.S. for defending rapper Tekashi69 following his 2023 arrest in the Dominican Republic for assault, shared this insight with the outlet.
"The prosecutor is trying to show the world that he's there voluntarily but that's not the case. His liberty has been restricted so he's not free. The judge is going to be presented with these arguments by the defense and if he agrees, Riibe will walk free immediately. Take it to the bank, that's what will happen.
"I've dealt with the Attorney General for 15 years and I don't think she's going to want to look bad in front of the international media.
"I'm pretty sure she already has an arrest warrant. She probably wanted to wait for the investigation to evolve before she executes it. Once she does so, she only has 48 hours before he has to be arraigned."
Grim Family Loses All Hopes
The hearing on Tuesday comes after Sudiksha's parents asked Dominican authorities to officially declare their daughter dead, 11 days after she went missing. Subbarayudu and SreeDevi Konanki said in a letter to the National Police: "While no declaration can truly ease our grief, we trust that this step will bring some closure and enable us to honor her memory."
In their letter, they reportedly expressed confidence in the authorities' investigation.
They also said that the last person seen with their daughter, identified as 22-year-old Joshua Riibe, has been fully cooperative with law enforcement and there is no indication of foul play. It is also reported that specific legal steps must be followed to process the family's request.
Sudiksha's parents have said that they are prepared to follow the required procedures.
The last time Sudiksha's parents spoke with her was during an 8 p.m. phone call on the night of March 5. Riibe was the last person seen with Sudiksha, just before 5 a.m. on March 6. The two had headed to the beach after spending the night drinking with friends.
Riibe told authorities that they went for a swim but were struck by a powerful wave. According to his statement, he used his lifeguard skills to pull her toward the shore, but the last time he saw her, she was standing in waist-deep water.
Riibe managed to make it back to shore and eventually lost consciousness on a sunbed, he claimed. Sudiksha was never seen again.
Footage from surveillance cameras at the luxurious five-star resort captured Riibe and Sudiksha at the bar around 4:05 a.m. on March 6, both appearing to be unwell and vomiting before heading toward the beach.
Sudiksha, an Indian national who moved to the U.S. as a child, was on a Caribbean vacation with five female college friends when she was reported missing on Thursday.
A sarong and a pair of flip-flops, thought to belong to the 20-year-old University of Pittsburgh student, were discovered on the beach where she disappeared.
Photos of the white mesh beach cover-up and flip-flops—resembling the ones she was last seen wearing—were circulated online.
