In a recent development, clothes found on a lounge chair on the Dominican Beach are believed to be owned by Sudiksha Konanki, a student of the University of Pittsburgh who vanished while on spring break in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. She was last seen on that beach only.
CDN accessed photos of a white netted sarong tossed over a sun lounger, with a pair of beige sand-covered flip-flops positioned beside the leg of the sun lounger. The clothing bears close resemblance to the last outfit seen on Konanki in the security cameras prior to her disappearance.
The authorities pointed out that the clothing seemed intact, implying that she might have left them on purpose before heading into the ocean wearing a brown bikini, where she is assumed to have drowned.
But foul play is still not ruled out. Joshua Riibe, a senior student of Minnesota’s St. Cloud State University and an Iowa resident, has been named as a person of interest in the case.
Joshua Riibe’s Parents Respond
Riibe is under 24-hour observation, and as the New York Post reports, a high-ranking official of the Public Prosecutor’s Office could lead to an escalation of interrogations. Riibe has, so far, declined to answer critical questions after receiving legal assistance.
His parents issued a statement through WTAE, saying, “In spite of his complete willingness to cooperate, Josh has been held in incommunicado conditions and interrogated for hours on end without the use of official translators or legal representation until Wednesday, March 12.”
The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office in Virginia, where Konanki’s family resides, confirmed that Riibe is a person of interest but emphasized that he is not currently a suspect. The search for Konanki entered its eighth day on Saturday, March 15. Missing person posters describe her as 5-foot-3 with black hair and brown eyes.
Virginia Sheriff’s Office spokesman Thomas Julia said to Fox News Digital, “We would like to make sure that the investigation is very thorough and contains all conceivable resources and methodologies.” He said further, “We are very tight with the FBI on everything they are doing here, and the FBI is communicating with the Dominican National Police.
