Twelve days after a college student vanished while on spring break in the Dominican Republic, there’s still no sign of her.
Sudiksha Konanki, a 20-year-old University of Pittsburgh student from Chantilly, Virginia, was last seen on a beach in Punta Cana on March 6.
Joshua Riibe, the 22-year-old St. Cloud University student who may have been the last person to see Konanki, is barred from leaving the island, according to his lawyer, though police say he is not a suspect.
Residents of Riibe’s hometown, Rock Rapids, Iowa, are now expressing their support for him.
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“Josh has an unwavering devotion to his faith and a genuine kindness towards others. He exemplifies the values of compassion, respect, and integrity that are fundamental to our church and our community,” community members said in a statement Sunday distributed through the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office.
The Riibes are “well known and loved,” the message signed “Friends of the Joshua Riibe Family” said.
The sheriff’s office turned off the comments on their Facebook post sharing the message, as rumors and conspiracy theories circulate.
Riibe told investigators he and Konanki met for the first time while both on spring break trips, drank tequila shots with friends, waded into the ocean together and were swept out to sea. Riibe said he was able to rescue Konanki but she disappeared as he vomited up seawater.
“The last time I saw her, I asked if she was OK. I didn't hear her answer because I started vomiting all the seawater I'd swallowed. After vomiting, I looked around and didn't see anyone. I thought she'd grabbed her things and left. I felt really bad and tired. I lay down on a beach chair and fell asleep because I couldn't go far. Then I woke up because of the sun and mosquito bites. I went to my friend's room to get my phone, and then I went to my room to sleep,” Riibe said, according to a translated transcript of his interview with investigators last week.
Police in the Dominican Republic called Riibe a witness assisting in the search for Konanki, not a suspect.
He is not allowed to leave the island, though, his lawyer told NBC News.
“His passport has been confiscated … he is permanently escorted by the police anywhere he goes … he is not free to leave,” the lawyer said.
NBC News’ Andrea Mitchell asked a State Department spokesperson why Riibe allegedly was being held in a foreign country though he has not been charged with any crime. The spokesperson did not give a straight answer and instead called it a private situation and private case.
Konanki's family requested from police in the Dominican Republic that she is declared dead, NBC News reports.
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