Missing American in Dominican Republic: What's next for witness Joshua Riibe after court ruling

PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic – Joshua Riibe, the cardinal witnesser successful the outpouring interruption disappearance of Sudiksha Konanki, successfully argued successful a Dominican tribunal Tuesday that his de facto location apprehension astatine a five-star edifice was against section law.

But though he's been cleared to instrumentality to the United States, Dominican authorities didn't springiness him backmost his passport. He could proceed to prosecute its instrumentality successful tribunal oregon question a provisional replacement from the U.S. embassy.

Riibe, 22, is believed to beryllium 1 of the past radical who saw Konanki, 20, earlier she vanished successful the aboriginal hours of March 6 from the formation down their resort, the Riu Republica successful Punta Cana.

He successfully argued successful tribunal Tuesday that arsenic a witness, not a suspect, constabulary power implicit his movements implicit an 11-day span was unlawful. A root told Fox News Wednesday that Riibe checked retired of the Riu Republica edifice and moved past night. 

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Joshua Riibe arrives astatine a Dominican Republic courthouse alongside his father, Albert Riibe, connected Tuesday, March 18, 2025. Riibe is simply a cardinal witnesser successful the disappearance of Sudiksha Konanki, an American assemblage pupil who went missing portion swimming connected a Punta Cana formation connected March 6. (Fox News Digital)

He is inactive successful the Dominican Republic, the root said, and the probe points to an accidental drowning, not foul play.

Riibe's household declined to comment.

The State Department confirmed Tuesday it was providing Riibe with consular assistance, but has declined to sermon specifics of the case, citing privateness concerns.

A witnesser and not a suspect, Riibe had been holed up successful the Riu Republica nether strict constabulary monitoring for 11 days earlier a justice ruled the concern violated Dominican law.

Sudiksha Konanki, 20, from bluish Virginia, was archetypal reported missing connected Thursday, March 6, aft disappearing from a formation successful the Dominican Republic.  (Handout, left, and Defensa Civil Dominicana, right.)

"Being held successful a edifice alternatively of a constabulary installation doesn’t alteration the ineligible world — if helium is restricted from leaving the state without authoritative ineligible basis, that’s inactive a usurpation of planetary quality rights standards," said Jason Pack, a retired FBI supervisory peculiar cause and erstwhile Child Abduction Rapid Deployment (CARD) Team Leader.

"The U.S. State Department typically monitors cases wherever American citizens are detained abroad, particularly if it appears they are being denied owed process."

If an American national loses a passport successful Punta Cana, the U.S. embassy successful Santo Domingo advises that the U.S. consulate bureau successful Bávaro offers exigency assistance – and it's successful the aforesaid bureau analyzable arsenic Riibe's attorneys astatine Guzman Ariza. 

The Guzman Ariza instrumentality firm, 1 of the largest successful the Dominican Republic, has a outer bureau successful Altagracia successful the aforesaid analyzable arsenic the section U.S. consulate. (Michael Ruiz/Fox News Digital)

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While Pack's erstwhile squad focused connected missing and abducted children, helium said the aforesaid tactics use successful the lawsuit of a missing big similar Konanki.

"Ever since my passport was taken, it's precise uncommon I'm alone," Riibe testified earlier a Dominican justice Tuesday. He aboriginal added, "I can’t spell anywhere. I truly privation to beryllium home. Hug my household and friends."

Surveillance video shows helium and Konanki went to the formation with a radical astir 4:15 a.m. connected March 6, the greeting she vanished. Most of them were seen leaving astir 6 a.m. Riibe and Konanki remained connected the beach. Riibe came backmost by himself hours later, and Konanki's whereabouts stay chartless astir 2 weeks later.

Local authorities hunt for missing US pupil Sudiksha Konanki successful Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, Thursday, March 13, 2025. Konanki, 20, was past seen connected a formation extracurricular the five-star RIU Republica Resort successful the Dominican Republic connected March 6, 2025. (Santiago Baez for Fox News Digital)

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According to a leaked transcript of an interrogation with police, Riibe told investigators helium and Konanki were some pulled distant from the enactment by a beardown current, and they struggled to marque it back. He past saw her walking successful knee-deep h2o earlier helium vomited and fell dormant connected a formation chair.

Her parents, successful a missive to Dominican authorities, asked for her to beryllium declared dormant Monday, citing the deficiency of grounds of foul play and Riibe's continued practice with investigators.

Riibe, for his part, agreed to aggregate constabulary interviews but expressed vexation astatine a proceeding Tuesday astir his confinement to the resort, wherever helium was monitored by constabulary astir the timepiece for much than a week contempt a Dominican instrumentality that says a idiosyncratic tin beryllium confined for a maximum of 48 hours without being charged with a crime.

MISSING AMERICAN COLLEGE STUDENT SEEN IN NEW HOTEL SECURITY FOOTAGE BEFORE DISAPPEARANCE

People bask clip connected the formation astatine the RIU Republica Resort successful Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, Thursday, March 13, 2025. Sudiksha Konanki, 20, was past seen connected a formation extracurricular the five-star RIU Republica Resort successful the Dominican Republic connected March 6, 2025. (Santiago Baez for Fox News Digital)

Authorities person not called Riibe a fishy and person not accused him of wrongdoing, but successful a proceeding that repeatedly devolved into screaming betwixt prosecutors and Riibe's attorneys, the authorities unsuccessfully sought to person his changeless monitoring kept successful place.

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The justice sided with Riibe, uncovering his concern unlawful.

The justice told him to instrumentality for a proceeding connected March 28, but according to 1 expert, it's a formality, and helium doesn't really person to look successful person.