Pitt Student Sudiksha Konanki Missing: Last Known Person Claims Rescue but Avoids Key Police Questions.

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The last known person to see missing University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki has stated that he rescued her from strong Caribbean waters before losing sight of her. However, he refused to answer several key police questions regarding the circumstances of her disappearance, according to a report by New York Post.

Final Moments with Konanki

Joshua Riibe, a 22-year-old senior at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota, was vacationing at the RIU Hotel & Resort in Punta Cana, the same resort where Konanki was staying for spring break. Surveillance footage captured the two walking arm-in-arm along the beach at around 4 a.m. on 6 March before entering the water.

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Riibe told authorities that he and Konanki waded into waist-deep water, talking and kissing, when a strong wave suddenly pulled them further out to sea. He claimed they called for help but received no response, as there was no one else on the beach at the time.

Also read: Sudiksha Konanki: Was Indian-origin US student kidnapped? Here's what her family said

According to Riibe, both were exhausted from trying to swim back to shore, but he held Konanki under his arm and managed to get them back to shallower water. He described the rescue as difficult, noting that he had experience as a lifeguard in pools but not in the ocean.

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Once back in knee-deep water, Riibe said Konanki mentioned retrieving her belongings, which had been displaced by the waves. He recalled asking her if she was okay but did not hear her response, as he was vomiting from swallowing seawater. When he looked up again, she was gone. Believing she had left to get her things, he sat in a beach chair, fell asleep, and later returned to his hotel room.

Refusal to Answer Key Questions

During police questioning, Riibe declined to answer eight critical questions, instead repeating the same response each time: “My lawyers advise me not to answer that question and I follow their advice.” The questions he refused to answer were:

  1. How can we verify that everything you have said corresponds to the truth?
  2. Could you tell us what you told your friend Carter Joseph when he asked about the missing girl, Sudiksha Konanki?
  3. What do you think about Sudiksha’s disappearance?
  4. Did Sudiksha know how to swim?
  5. Do you remember if Sudiksha made any gestures or cries while in the sea?
  6. Did you inform the authorities or the hotel about what happened on the beach?
  7. Did you tell your friend what had happened with you and Sudiksha on the beach?
  8. How do you feel about this situation?

Also read: Missing university student Sudiksha Konanki’s hometown sheriff names person of interest

Investigation Ongoing

Konanki was reported missing around 4 p.m. on 6 March by her friends. Initially, authorities suspected drowning, but they did not ruled out foul play. Riibe’s statement aligns with a police report indicating that Konanki was hit by a large wave while swimming at night.

The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, which is handling the case in her hometown in Virginia, has named Riibe as a person of interest but has not classified him as a suspect. His family has defended him, with his aunt stating that he "wouldn’t hurt a fly."

Dominican authorities are also investigating a power outage at the resort on the night of Konanki’s disappearance, which may have led the two to go to the beach. Additionally, they are reviewing two Venmo transactions she made hours before she was last seen—one marked with a sailboat emoji and another referencing the popular Punta Cana nightclub, Coco Bongo.

The investigation remains ongoing as officials continue to search for answers.