Joshua ‘Josh’ Steven Riibe granted habeas corpus release following hearing & is now allowed to leave the Dominican Republic as Sudiksha Konanki parents affirm their belief that their daughter drowned as a judge rules that Iowa man is free to return to the U.S after being detained despite no charges ever filed against him
##Update: ‘Joshua Riibe is free to leave,’ a presiding judge declared late Tuesday afternoon following a hearing that lasted several hours and hours more deliberation..
## Original story: Prisoner in paradise’ Joshua Riibe appeared in a Dominican Republic court on Tuesday to learn whether authorities probing the disappearance of University of Pittsburgh student, Sudiksha Konanki can continue to hold him under de facto house arrest.
The American college student, 22, despite not being named a suspect in the pre-med student’s disappearance continued to remain held against his will, with authorities pointing to surveillance video showing that he was last person to see Sudiksha alive along with seemingly contradictory accounts of what happened during the early morning of March 6, where the 20 year old student was last seen.
Joshua Riibe leaves the Dominican Republic amid many un-answered questions
‘Our heart is broken’ parents of missing student Sudiksha Konanki speak out https://t.co/B7zNFthPky pic.twitter.com/jd8RWe2Yy0
— Allison Papson (@AllisonPapson) March 18, 2025
‘I want to go home. I want to see my family.’
The court hearing comes as the 22 year old Iowa native forced an ultimatum on Monday, stating that authorities either charge him in relation to Konanki’s disappearance or set him free.
Despite authorities admitting they have no concrete evidence suggesting he had enacted foul play or engaged in bad will towards the missing 20 year old, Riibe continued to remain under 24 hour police surveillance at his Punta Cana resort accommodation following the confiscation of his passport.
Riibe’s lawyer filed a legal ‘habeas corpus’ request Monday demanding that the 22 year old Minnesota college student be allowed to return to the US because he has not been charged with wrongdoing.
‘I understand I’m here to help, but it’s been 10 days,’ Riibe testified according to local Dominican outlet, Noticias SIN. ‘I want to go home. I want to see my family.’
Reported local media: ‘The Public Prosecutor’s Office stated today during the habeas corpus hearing for Joshua Steven Riibe that he is not a ‘detainee,’ but rather a witness who “has the right to enjoy the hotel, eat, and drink as he pleases.’
University of Pittsburgh student tragic spring break getaway
The plea to be released comes as the parents of the missing woman, Subbarayudu and SreeDevi Konanki, announced on Monday that they now believe Sudiksha drowned in ‘rough’ seas and wished to file a motion declaring her death.
The motion comes 12 days after Konanki abruptly disappearing during an impromptu swim with Riibe in the early morning hours of March 6 after a night of partying and drinking.
Re-affirming his case to declare his belief that Sudiksha had drowned, her father, Subbarayudu issued the following statement:
‘Both sides of the authorities have shown us how high the ocean waves were at the time of the incident, and both sides of the authorities have clarified the person of interest was not a suspect from the beginning.
‘It is with deep sadness and a heavy heart that we are coming to terms with the fact our daughter has drowned,’ the grieving parent said. ‘This is incredibly difficult for us to process.’
Reiterated the father during a Monday press conference: ‘We still have two young children to care for and they’re at a very tender age.’
Adding, ’In light of this, we respectfully request some space, time and privacy to focus on healing and helping our children recover as we try to move forward with our lives.’
Will Dominican Republic justice accept Joshua Riibe habeaus corpus plea?
The parents also asked that Riibe be allowed to leave the Caribbean nation, where he has been detained as the investigation into their daughter’s disappearance continued.
Of note, Dominican prosecutors issued a statement, saying, ‘Sudiksha Konanki has not yet been declared legally dead.’
The developments come as the Loudon County Sheriff’s Office, in Konanki’s hometown of Virginia did an about face, announcing that they no longer believed Riibe was involved in Konanki’s disappearance. Similarly like her parents, they now believe that the 20 year old likely drowned after her body failing to turn up during a massive search operation for her.
Riibe has since met with Konanki’s mother, who hugged the 22 year old who had arrived to what was supposed to be a Caribbean dream vacation only to end in tragedy. The mother thanked Riibe for saving her ‘the first time,’ local media reported.
A judge has yet to rule on whether Riibe can now be released to return home as the world now watches on what would happen next.
