Missing American in Dominican Republic: Key witness asks court to end de facto house arrest

PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic — Attorneys for Iowa 22-year-old Joshua Riibe, the cardinal witnesser successful the mysterious disappearance of University of Pittsburgh outpouring breaker Sudiksha Konanki, person filed a writ of habeas corpus seeking an extremity to his de facto location apprehension astatine the edifice wherever she vanished, according to section media.

The hunt for Konanki entered its 11th time Monday with nary signs of her whereabouts.

Riibe, who has not been named a fishy oregon charged with a crime, spent the full clip astatine the Riu Republica resort, wherever helium was seen connected the aforesaid video surveillance arsenic Konanki earlier she vanished.

KEY WITNESS IN AMERICAN COLLEGE STUDENT'S DISAPPEARANCE TELLS POLICE HOW THEY MET, WHAT HAPPENED ON BEACH

Sudiksha Konanki, 20, has been missing from Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, since March 6. (handout/ Santiago Baez for Fox News Digital)

Dominican authorities confiscated his passport and person placed him nether constabulary surveillance arsenic the hunt continues by land, aerial and sea.

Riibe’s attorneys filed a writ of habeas corpus Monday, according to Sin Noticias, a Dominican quality outlet. A root confirmed to Fox News Digital the petition has been filed astatine the courthouse and a proceeding is scheduled for 2 p.m. Tuesday.

Riibe, a chap outpouring breaker from St. Cloud State University successful Minnesota, has been cooperating with authorities and has not been named a fishy – but his household took contented with his attraction successful a fiery connection Friday.

"Despite his afloat willingness to cooperate, Josh has been detained nether irregular conditions and subjected to extended questioning without the beingness of authoritative translators oregon ineligible counsel until Wednesday, March 12," his parents, Albert and Tina Riibe, said done their attorneys.

The formation is seen astatine the RIU Republica edifice successful Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. (Courtesy of D'Lani Sweeney)

"He has remained successful his edifice country nether constabulary surveillance and has been repeatedly taken to the constabulary presumption since March 6, wherever helium has been interrogated for agelong hours. This concern has raised superior interest wrong his family, which has led america to clasp ineligible counsel to initiate ineligible actions ensuring his information and the extortion of his rights passim this process."

The filing is simply a situation to the legality of Riibe’s detention, which his parents called "irregular" successful a connection Friday.

Under Dominican law, a idiosyncratic tin lone beryllium detained for 48 hours without charges, according to the State Department.

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US assemblage pupil Sudiksha Konanki went missing portion connected abrogation with her friends successful Punta Cana connected March 6, 2025.  (Fox News Graphics)

Riibe’s attorneys and Dominican prosecutors did not instantly respond to requests for comment.

"As a prosecutor, I would accidental instrumentality enforcement is apt keeping Riibe successful the Dominican Republic due to the fact that helium has made galore inconsistent statements to instrumentality enforcement and determination are inactive excessively galore unanswered questions," said Jonathan Hatami, a lawman territory lawyer successful Los Angeles who has been pursuing the case. "Some radical whitethorn consciousness Riibe should beryllium allowed to leave. Well, a young miss is missing, and helium was the past 1 to spot her. Investigations usually don’t get wrapped up successful an hr similar a TV show."

Over the people of aggregate interviews with police, Riibe allegedly claimed helium past saw her connected the formation aft they were some pulled offshore successful a beardown current.

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He said aft struggling backmost to land, helium past saw her walking distant successful knee-deep water, and past helium vomited and fell dormant connected a chair, according to a transcript obtained by Fox News. 

The determination was not unexpected. Riibe has not been charged with a transgression and was primitively owed to instrumentality to the U.S. past week.