MN Student 'Person Of Interest' In Woman’s Disappearance Abroad

ST. CLOUD, MN — A Minnesota college student has been named a person of interest in the disappearance of Sudiksha Konanki, of Loudoun County, Virginia, who vanished from a resort in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, earlier this month.

Dominican authorities have questioned Joshua Riibe, a 22-year-old student at St. Cloud State University, regarding Konanki's disappearance.

Konanki, a Chantilly resident, is an Indian citizen and permanent U.S. resident studying pre-medicine at the University of Pittsburgh. She had been vacationing with five friends on a spring break trip that began March 3, according to Dominican National Police.

St. Cloud State University spokesman Zachary Dwyer told the Star Tribune that Riibe, a student since 2023, is from Rock Rapids, Iowa and majoring in land surveying and mapping sciences.

Riibe’s aunt, Theresa Riibe, released a statement saying: "Our family is going through a very difficult time right now, and we’re experiencing a lot of sadness and pain. We kindly ask for privacy as we navigate this challenging moment together."

As reported by People magazine, the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office identified Joshua Riibe as a person of interest, but he is not officially a suspect in the case.

Authorities believe Riibe was the last person to see Konanki. Surveillance footage showed Riibe and Konanki with a group heading to the beach around 4:15 a.m. on March 6, CNN reported.

In a statement sent to the Associated Press, the Riu Republica Hotel said Konanki’s disappearance coincided with a power outage that prompted multiple guests to head to the beach.

Surveillance cameras showed five women and one man leaving the Punta Cana beach around 4:55 a.m., which authorities believe left Konanki alone with the person of interest. In a transcript of his conversation with police reported by the New York Post, Riibe said he pulled Konanki and himself out of the surf when it became rough.

According to the report originally shared in Spanish by Noticias SIN, Riibe and Konanki were talking and kissing in waist-deep water when the ocean become too rough. Riibe told police he had Konanki under his arm while heading back to the beach, but it took effort to fight against the rough waters.

"It took me a long time to get her out, it was difficult. I was a lifeguard in the pool, not in the sea," Riibe said, according to the transcript, also noting he ingested a large amount of sea water when heading to shore.

Riibe told police he got them to a less rough area in the water, and Konanki said she was retrieving her items that the ocean had moved. However, Konanki was still in water up to her knees.

"The last time I saw her, I asked if she was okay," the transcript read, according to a translation by WTOP. "I didn’t hear her answer because I started vomiting all the seawater I’d swallowed. After I vomited, I looked around, didn’t see anyone, and thought she’d grabbed her things and left."

Riibe, who was feeling sick, said he then passed out on the beach and awoke around sunrise.

The New York Post reported that Riibe didn't answer eight of the Dominican police's questions, including what he told his friend about the missing college student, if Konanki knew how to swim, if he notified the hotel about the incident, and what he thought of Konanki's disappearance.

Konanki was last seen in the early morning of March 6. Since her disappearance, a widespread search involving authorities from the Dominican Republic, the U.S. and India has mobilized.

CNN reported that authorities found video footage showing additional people on the beach near the time the 20-year-old student was last seen. Authorities have not identified the other people on the beach and asked them to report any information they know about the missing college student.

Authorities have been investigating drowning as a possible cause of the student's disappearance. Search and rescue teams continued to look for the missing student around areas with coral reefs, the Dominican news outlet Noticias SIN reported. WTOP noted that four people drowned and two others were saved from the water earlier this year at the same resort Konanki was at.

Konanki's father, Subbarayudu Konanki, and a friend, Ramprakash Krishnamanaidu, have called for a broadened investigation to look into causes like abduction or other foul play, WTOP reported. The record of complaint noted that she left behind personal items like her phone and wallet with friends.

Dominican Republic authorities said they are "conducting multiple investigative procedures" beyond an accidental incident. However, details are remaining confidential, per Dominican Republic regulations.

"We are using all our resources to thoroughly investigate the disappearance of Konanki Sudiskha Chowdary and understand the distress this case causes her family, Dominican citizens, and Americans," said Attorney General Yeni Berenice Reynoso, translated from Spanish in a news release.

INTERPOL issued a worldwide missing person alert for Konanki on Wednesday after a request from the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office. The INTERPOL alert describes Konanki as a 20-year-old Indian woman about 5 foot 2 and 138 pounds with black hair, brown eyes and three piercings on her right ear.

Anyone with information in the case may contact the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office at 703-777-1021. Anonymous tips can be submitted to Loudoun Crime Solvers at 703-777-1919.

The Associated Press and Patch editors Eric Heyl and Emily Leayman contributed to this report.