The Iowa school senior named as an individual of curiosity within the disappearance of lacking Pitt scholar Sudiksha Konanki lastly returned residence Saturday — however it’s not clear when he’ll head again to highschool after what his mother referred to as “a very unhappy state of affairs.”
Joshua Riibe, 22 — the final individual to see Konanki, 20, alive earlier than officers say she drowned within the Dominican Republic — is recovering from the tragedy in his household’s residence in Rock Rapids.
“It was a very unhappy state of affairs. Josh is resting up proper now,” his mom, Tina Riibe, instructed the DailyMail.
Though the distressed mom didn’t consent to an interview, she instructed the outlet that her household’s ideas are with Konanki and her family members.
Tina additionally refused to disclose whether or not Riibe would return to St. Cloud State College, the place he’s a senior learning land surveying.
“We’re conserving that to ourselves proper now. It’s been an extended journey,” she added.
Riibe’s homecoming was weeks within the making, and included an extended holdover in Puerto Rico over points with a brand new passport he needed to get with a purpose to go away the Dominican Republic.
The passport — issued by the US Consulate within the Dominican Republic to assist him go away shortly — was reportedly not stamped accurately when he left the tropical nation.
Riibe was questioned for 2 weeks earlier than authorities decided there was no foul play on his half in Konanki’s disappearance, although he was the final to see her alive.
He and the pre-med scholar went for an early-morning swim on the RIU Lodge & Resort in Punta Cana on March 6, however the waters proved too tough for Konanki.
Riibe instructed cops he pulled her out of the depths so she might stand in knee-deep water earlier than he drunkenly handed out on the seaside. She has not been seen since.
The 2 had solely met earlier that evening on the lodge when Riibe’s group of mates launched themselves to Konanki and her College of Pittsburgh girlfriends.
Suvellience footage reveals the group consuming collectively and Riibe stumbling earlier than they went all the way down to the seaside. The buddies reportedly left, leaving Riibe and Konanki alone.
Authorities described him as an individual of curiosity however by no means accused him of wrongdoing or mentioned he was a suspect — although they nonetheless seized his passport and cellphone.
He was allowed to go away quickly after Konanki’s grieving dad and mom requested Dominican authorities to let him go and to additionally declare their daughter legally useless, saying they had been satisfied she drowned regardless that her physique has not been positioned.
“Either side of the authorities have proven us how excessive the ocean waves had been on the time of the incident, and either side of the authorities have clarified the individual of curiosity was not a suspect from the start,” Subbarayudu Konanki, the lacking co-ed’s father, mentioned from the household residence in Virginia.
“It’s with deep unhappiness and a heavy coronary heart that we’re coming to phrases with the very fact our daughter has drowned,” he mentioned.
Supply hyperlink