DR, Sudiksha Konanki, 20, Punta Cana, 6 March 2025

[nightowl2728]

You couldn’t pay me to go to the Dominican Republic after this.
Places where authorities seize your passport and don’t return it in a timely manner (as in that same day) without just cause are both dangerous and corrupt.
Putting this young man under house arrest but not arrested without an iota of proof in his culpability for Sudiksha’s disappearance is abhorrent.
There should be a national travel ban against this place.
And hard earned tax dollars paid for Virginia authorities to FLY DOWN HERE and interview Josh in person. You can’t have a zoom meeting or talk to him stateside?
SMH.
This has become a ridiculous story.
You just can’t make this stuff up.
I’m sorry but a fully drunk person doesn’t make a good key witness for detailed memories - period.
His memories could be inaccurate or inadvertently fabricated (as others have pointed out) and are snippets of what has actually transpired at best.
I personally think Josh has been truthful to the best of his ability.
They better free Josh during the hearing tomorrow morning and let him fly home.
He must be fully traumatized by now and his parents (who don’t appear to be wealthy or particularly smart about protecting their son from being harassed) must be facing incredible costs for this circus that has ensued.
They are certainly fully traumatized now as well.
I can’t figure out why it’s taken Josh’s attorney so long to file for his release.
Now Josh will have missed a minimum of 1.5 weeks of college classes.
Hopefully he has access to a laptop in his hotel room and can do some work online.
It’s horrible that Sudiksha disappeared but this treatment of the “key witness” stinks.
How this Dominican government can continue to hold Josh is beyond my comprehension.
All imho

I think just as much as he could be being held there without sufficient evidence, I think it's more likely, for the reasons below, that they do have evidence that they haven't released to the public that makes him able to be held there. Especially if the US government has been involved - if they think there's no evidence to detain him wouldn't they (e.g. the Loudon County Sheriff) be saying so publicly? Rather than calling him a "person of interest"?

There's so much we haven't been told that LE likely has already investigated (as someone posted before) - his phone records, interviews with hotel staff, interviews with her friends, possibly other things we don't know about.

 

[lonetraveler]

I think that confusion could be expected but if you had witnesses a romantic partner/ friend drowning, wouldn’t you remember? How long do you think it would take you to alert for help?
I just have issue with him account of massive confusion and sleeping. No witnesses to him sleeping. His behavior after leaving the beach, not reporting her drowning to anyone. His behavior upon finding out she was missing was “surprised” per the reporting. Him going back to sleep after retuning to the hotel.
He is sober enough to remember details leading up to her disappearance then things get hazy. He claims he saw her leaving to gather her clothes. But she obviously didn’t.
She disappeared between 5-630 am and he was with her. He’s not a baby he’s a grown adult and a large strong one at that with lifeguard training and extensive wrestling background.
I think he knows what happened to her and IMO he isn’t being 100% truthful. Without her discovery we may never truly know and with each passing day evidence could be destroyed.
AMO

I don't agree. He was obviously very drunk, she was obviously very drunk as well. He passed out immediately after vomiting sea water and probably alcohol. He most likely thought that he got her to shore. Passed out and didn't wake until the next morning. He most likely thought that she had gone back to the resort.

 

[Chimera]

Joshua Riibe speaks out after being named as person of interest

Just a thought... After reading the different additions to Riibe's account of what happened, I believe this one is interesting. Riibe allegedly told authorities that he saw Konanki walking along the beach with the water up to her knees in the direction of where she left her cover-up on a lounge chair.

I’ve spent many hours on beaches in different types of weather, and whenever the waves are particularly bad (no matter the weather), you always end up further down the beach than where the wave initially hits. You just do. So, I can see her walking toward where she knew her clothing was, as the waves and undertow likely caused them to drift down the beach.

If Riibe went straight to a lounge chair after throwing up, it's possible that he lost sight of her and fell asleep. It's hard to know how far down the beach her clothing was from where they ended up because I wasn’t there. But it’s feasible that she either got hit by another wave and it took her out, or something else happened. I’ve been hit by strong waves with undertow in knee-deep water that took me under very quickly.

My point is, Riibe may not know what happened to her after that. I’m not suggesting that this removes any guilt or adds any blame to anyone—it’s just one possibility of what might have happened.

Bbm.
I'm thinking that her belongings (outer clothes & flip flops, not her phone though ?) were discovered on a beach lounger ?
So, not dragged or drifted further down the beach ?
Imo.

 

[whitelilac]

Where did you read that? I read that only 1 of the people were found. Which led me to believe that if S drowned, they likely wouldn't find her body. However, if they did find all 4 people, that makes her disappearance even more suspicious.

Three European tourists at the Riu Republica Hotel in Punta Cana were swept away and drowned on Jan. 17, while a fourth — a tourist from Russia — was hospitalized, Dominican Today said.

Only one of the bodies was recovered, the outlet reported.

It's the NY Post though.

Dominican Republic beach where Pitt student disappeared has already claimed 3 tourists’ lives this year – and only 1 body was recovered: report

The surf at the popular Punta Cana beach in the Dominican Republic where Pitt student Sudiksha Konanki went missing last week has claimed lives in the past.

nypost.com

eta, this is wrong, All were recovered, see below

 

[Dee10]

Where did you read that? I read that only 1 of the people were found. Which led me to believe that if S drowned, they likely wouldn't find her body. However, if they did find all 4 people, that makes her disappearance even more suspicious.

Dominican attorney general grills witness in missing American case at his resort in person

Dominican Attorney General Yeni Berenice Reynoso grilled U.S. witness Joshua Riibe in person in the unsolved disappearance of Sudiksha Konanki, of Virginia.

www.foxnews.com

"The same resort saw four European tourists drown in one incident in January. Their remains were all recovered within 48 hours."

 

[Chimera]

I think just as much as he could be being held there without sufficient evidence, I think it's more likely, for the reasons below, that they do have evidence that they haven't released to the public that makes him able to be held there. Especially if the US government has been involved - if they think there's no evidence to detain him wouldn't they (e.g. the Loudon County Sheriff) be saying so publicly? Rather than calling him a "person of interest"?

There's so much we haven't been told that LE likely has already investigated (as someone posted before) - his phone records, interviews with hotel staff, interviews with her friends, possibly other things we don't know about.

Bbm.
That's one reason they may be detaining him ?

I am starting to think we don't know everything.
Imo.

 

[whitelilac]

^ However here it says all January drowning victims were recovered
In January, multiple people drowned and others were rescued from the beach behind the same resort where Konanki was last seen, the Riu Republica in Punta Cana. The first three to be recovered were identified as European tourists, two from Poland and another from Portugal.

The remains of a third Polish national were found washed ashore the following day, according to Bavaro Digital, a local newspaper.

Missing American student: Dominican lawyer puts drowning theory back in play; same beach claimed 4 in January

A Dominican lawyer believes the possibility that missing Pitt student Sudiksha Konanki drowned is more plausible than some experts have indicated.

www.aol.com

 

[nightowl2728]

^ However here it says all January drowning victims were recovered
In January, multiple people drowned and others were rescued from the beach behind the same resort where Konanki was last seen, the Riu Republica in Punta Cana. The first three to be recovered were identified as European tourists, two from Poland and another from Portugal.

The remains of a third Polish national were found washed ashore the following day, according to Bavaro Digital, a local newspaper.

Missing American student: Dominican lawyer puts drowning theory back in play; same beach claimed 4 in January

A Dominican lawyer believes the possibility that missing Pitt student Sudiksha Konanki drowned is more plausible than some experts have indicated.

www.aol.com

Wow Ok... I think this really changes things, if they found all of the other bodies so quickly.

My theory of her drowning (and him not being able/fully trying) to save her seems unlikely, if that's the case.

Does LE think he somehow got rid of her body elsewhere? Were others involved?

 

[lonetraveler]

I do not think that he witnessed her drowning.

 

[whitelilac]

Wow Ok... I think this really changes things, if they found all of the other bodies so quickly.

My theory of her drowning (and him not being able/fully trying) to save her seems unlikely, if that's the case.

Does LE think he somehow got rid of her body elsewhere? Were others involved?

I don't know what to think.
There has been so much searching, helicopters, drones, divers, dogs etc, and evidently the water is very clear.
Snagged underwater in the reefs? Even those are visible from the air.

 

[lonetraveler]

I do not think that he w

A couple of things:

Could the inconsistencies be warning signs? It's possible they found his things in a strange spot that doesn't match his account. Similarly, her items might have been found in a location that contradicts his narrative. I'm still puzzled by the fact that her belongings weren't discovered until eight days later; that just seems bizarre to me.

I'm also struggling to accept the idea that two people, waist-deep in the ocean and intoxicated in the dark, could be hit by a massive wave that knocked them down and swept them out to sea, yet somehow, he managed to find her, and rescue her to shore (or close to it). Does that really seem believable?

I have been sucked into an undertow out into the ocean and nearly drowned a couple of times. It's very believable to me.

 

[Chimera]

This is interesting:

"A representative for the Caribbean nation confirmed that Riibe remains in custody and is being questioned at the National Police’s Gender Violence Unit.

The official stated that authorities would keep him in custody for as long as he is deemed a key figure in the investigation.......

Read more at: Dominican authorities intensify scrutiny on ‘person of interest’ in Sudiksha Konanki missing case

Seems like something has changed. I wonder if they found his shirt & shoes hidden in a place they shouldn't be perhaps and he has more explaining to do?

I'd imagine once they're certain he (JR) knows nothing more he'll be on his way.
They must not be 100 % certain ?
Imo.

 

[Chimera]

black out drunk...there is a small chance that someone nabbed her on the way back to the hotel...they need to recreate in order to see where they could take her and be concealed from camera's etc.
if there are no working cameras in that area then they need to find out how it could have happened if she was abducted and re-search that hotel...and once again how do we know they were always on that beach ? what if her body is in the hotel ? I know I keep saying this but it sounds like the whole resort was in chaos and the hotel is ginormous. mOO

Bbm.
If the power went out that night (& I haven't been able to find out in msm for sure), they might have left the beach for a bit and we'll never know.
How frustrating.
So horribly sad for her family.
They need answers and most of all, Sudiksha !
Imo.

 

[whitelilac]

I wonder if they've searched every INCH of the coastline, rocky outcrops, caves?, vegetation along the coast....even for partial remains.
There are after all tiger sharks in the area around the reefs.

 

[Chimera]

Something I'm wondering: They all went to the beach together, and likely sat together. Their chaise lounges would've been close together, especially JR and Sudiksha's. So, JR sees his shoes and socks were missing, but didn't see Sudiksha's belongings on the chair next to him?

JMO

Bbm.
Valid point.

Was there a link about him losing his shoes/socks ?
There might have been one upthread ... but I'm looking and can't seem to locate it.
Imo.
Thanks in advance.

 

[whitelilac]

Bbm.
Valid point.

Was there a link about him losing his shoes/socks ?
There might have been one upthread ... but I'm looking and can't seem to locate it.
Imo.
Thanks in advance.

I believe I read one of his friends retrieved his stuff.
Though I'm not certain.

 

[Chimera]

Yes, it is exhausting, I don't deny that. What I find suspicious is that despite first intoxication and then exhaustion to the point of blackout he managed to remember a lot of details

Bbm.
Good comment and points made, @Hexe .

I think at this time he's gone silent since he lawyered up ?
But before that JR did indeed remember quite a bit about that night.
I'm stuck on the bit where he last saw her knee deep in the water going to swim some more or get her things ?
Iirc, he'd saved her.... or something like that, from a rip tide.
Wouldn't she have wanted to go back to her room, and not swim anymore ?
Just curious.
Imo.

 

[Missing Susan]

Check out the aerial views of that resort. There are scores of lounge chairs clogging up the beach. I can imagine wandering through them trying to find the one you had left your belongings at before going into the ocean. Maybe staff collects them all during the night.

The only thing that is perplexing in this case is the involvement of Loudoun County. All I can think of is that her family is part of the Indian embassy to the USA but that might trigger federal involvement rather than a local sheriff.

 

[flowershop]

I think just as much as he could be being held there without sufficient evidence, I think it's more likely, for the reasons below, that they do have evidence that they haven't released to the public that makes him able to be held there. Especially if the US government has been involved - if they think there's no evidence to detain him wouldn't they (e.g. the Loudon County Sheriff) be saying so publicly? Rather than calling him a "person of interest"?

There's so much we haven't been told that LE likely has already investigated (as someone posted before) - his phone records, interviews with hotel staff, interviews with her friends, possibly other things we don't know about.

In the Chris Stewart interview, the private Investigator, Steve Fischer, is interviewed. He said that the FBI is involved and in his opinion, has a lot of power in the investigation. It is one man's opinion but I found that interesting given that this is an investigation in another country. See 16 min 19 sec.
I agree with you btw.

Edit: I went back to the video and Chris Stewart said that DR authorities are in the lead and the FBI is an assisting agency. I had originally said FBI was the lead. Steve Fischer says the FBI is leaning on the DR authorities and offering various resources.

 

[Dee10]

I wonder tomorrow at the hearing if he will be released and if not, will the reasons for the decision made or evidence made public?

I'm sure LE must have interviewed everyone in the area, especially those friends and anybody out walking or on the beach that morning, what they saw if anything. Maybe he wasn't seen sleeping until 9:50 ish. There would be many people on the beach, walking or grabbing lungers for the day. Maybe he was seen in another area & not sleeping? Shirt & shoes found?

I am glad the military is there and searching the land, leaving no stone unturned. Both of these young people and their families deserve the truth of whatever happened.