Mates of the final individual to see lacking Pitt pupil Sudiksha Konanki are in “complete shock” he has been named an individual of curiosity within the case — whereas his aunt insisted he “wouldn’t damage a fly.”
Joshua Steven Riibe, 24, has been recognized as the person seen hugging and strolling hand-in-hand with the 20-year-old pupil simply hours earlier than she vanished within the Dominican Republic every week in the past.
He was referred to as an individual of curiosity — however “not a suspect” — partly from reportedly giving conflicting accounts of his last moments with Konanki, together with one model saying he bought out of the tough surf and handed out drunk on the seaside — solely to get up to search out her gone.
Mates and relations insist that the previous highschool wrestler and soccer participant would by no means have achieved something flawed.
“He’s an ideal child. He wouldn’t damage a fly,” an aunt, Theresa Riibe, advised the Every day Mail.
A neighbor in Riibe’s hometown of Rock Rapids, Iowa, additionally advised the outlet she was “in complete shock” over the information.
“I wager my life on it, Josh didn’t damage that woman,” his next-door neighbor, Laurel Schreiver, mentioned.
“I’ve recognized Josh since he was a younger boy. There isn’t any manner he would hurt her or have something to do together with her disappearance.”
Schreiver described him as “a brilliant good child” and a “pleasant and good pupil.”
“If he was drunk as I’ve learn, that was not the neatest factor to do, however he’s in school on spring break,” Schreiver mentioned, later reiterating: “There isn’t any manner he would have damage the woman.”
“I’m positive each households are devastated. Josh’s household are nice typical small-town Midwest folks,” Schreiver added.
Riibe is at present a senior at St. Cloud State College in Minnesota, the place he has a girlfriend, his uncle, Richard, advised Every day Mail.
Surveillance footage of the evening Konanki went lacking reveals her strolling with Riibe close to the seaside round 4:15 a.m. At one level, the pair could be seen holding palms as Konanki’s spring-break associates from school stroll close by.
The Dominican Republic Nationwide Police mentioned that Konanki, from Virginia, and her friends took to the seaside after attending a disco as a result of the Riu Republica Lodge, the place they had been staying, was experiencing an influence outage.
In an e-mail to The Publish on Wednesday, Chad Quinn, a spokesman for the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Workplace in Konanki’s hometown, confirmed Riibe was an individual of curiosity however cautioned in opposition to leaping to conclusions.
“This isn’t right now a felony investigation, so to be clear, he’s not a suspect,” Quinn mentioned. “It’s our understanding that he’s a US citizen who was vacationing in Punta Cana, not a part of the group touring with the lacking individual.
“Quite a few folks have been interviewed by the Dominican Nationwide Police with the help of the FBI and that is persevering with. Our workplace could have a presence on the bottom in the present day too.”
Officers additionally issued a yellow discover, a world alert used to assist find a lacking individual, for Konanki this week.
Authorities within the Caribbean island mentioned roughly 300 regulation enforcement personnel are concerned within the search, together with the FBI, the company confirmed this week. The tough surf has difficult the hunt.
Native police initially instructed Konanki drowned in the course of the early swim. Nevertheless, her household believes she is against the law sufferer — and should have been kidnapped.
