A newly released video shows missing University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki vomiting at a bar inside her resort in the Dominican Republic shortly before she disappeared. The footage also captures Joshua Riibe, the Iowa man who was last seen with the 20-year-old, throwing up near the entrance of the bar at the Riu Republica resort in Punta Cana.
Both Konanki and Riibe had been staying at the same resort. The video surfaced as reports revealed that Riibe, 24, gave multiple conflicting accounts during interrogations by authorities, according to People. However, he has not been officially identified as a suspect in Konanki’s disappearance but was named a person of interest.
Disturbing New Revelations
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Newly obtained footage from CDN television shows Konanki vomiting at 4:05 a.m. on March 6 before returning to the bar. In the background, Riibe can be seen also throwing up while two men stood nearby.
Konanki and three of her friends later headed to the beach with Riibe and his companion.
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A separate security camera at the all-inclusive resort captured Riibe holding a cup and putting his arm around Konanki’s back as they followed the rest of the group at 4:15 a.m.
Around 4:55 a.m., hotel security footage recorded two of Konanki’s friends making their way back to the hotel. At 5:05 a.m., the same camera captured another female friend entering the building alongside Johnson.
Surveillance footage later captured Riibe, barefoot and shirtless, slowly making his way back to his room at 8:54 a.m., with no sign of Konanki.
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The newly released resort video surfaced just days after Riibe was questioned at the prosecutor’s office.
During the interrogation, Riibe said that he and Konanki had kissed in the ocean before a wave nearly pulled them under. He claimed he rescued her from drowning but almost lost consciousness himself.
However, Riibe, accompanied by two lawyers, declined to answer certain questions. The prosecutor pressed him on how they could verify the accuracy of his account.
He was also questioned about statements he had made to a close friend regarding Konanki and what he thoughts about her disappearance.
Several Unanswered Questions
Riibe was questioned about whether he knew if Konanki could swim, if she signaled for help or cried out in the water, whether he contacted authorities or informed the hotel, and if he had shared details of the incident with his friends. He was also asked how he felt about the situation.
To each of these questions, Riibe responded, “My lawyers advise me not to answer that question, and I follow their advice,” before falling silent.
According to a transcript of his interview obtained by Noticias SIN, Riibe, a senior at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota, claimed he had only just met Konanki before they decided to go to the beach together.
“We were in waist-deep water. We talked and kissed a bit,” Riibe said. “A big wave came and hit us both. And when the water returned, it swept us out to sea. As soon as we were able to surface, we tried to call for help.”
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He said that he had previously worked as a lifeguard at a swimming pool and tried to get both of them to safety but began feeling unwell in the process.
“I was getting tired. I realized she was getting tired of swimming too. I’ve been a lifeguard. I grabbed her and pulled her out. I held her under my arm and swam to get her out of the water,” Riibe said.
Riibe surrendered his passport to Dominican authorities earlier this week and is not allowed to leave the country.
