The Iowa highschool wrestling star who was named as a “person of interest” within the disappearance of College of Pittsburgh pupil Sudiksha Konanki has formally been cleared of wrongdoing, a decide within the Dominican Republic stated.
The ruling by Choose Edwin Delgado ends the high-profile ordeal for Joshua Riibe, who was detained on the Caribbean island for practically two weeks after Konanki went lacking following a wee-hours swim on March 6 outdoors an upscale Punta Cana resort, WJLA-TV Information reported.
The courtroom listening to Friday, held with out Riibe being current, concludes an earlier ruling by Delgado that allowed the 22-year-old St. Cloud State College senior to return residence to the Midwest.
Konanki, 20, a pre-med pupil at Pitt, was on spring break with mates on the RIU Resort & Resort when she met Riibe at a bar on an evening out.
The 2 went for a swim within the tough surf on the seashore on the resort, with Riibe telling police he pulled Konanki to security earlier than passing out on the seashore — however by no means noticed her once more.
Dominican authorities by no means recognized Riibe as a suspect or alleged foul play, however he was nonetheless held as a prisoner at a resort on the island and repeatedly grilled by cops, and even the nation’s lawyer normal.
Konanki’s disappearance sparked a large search involving greater than 300 legislation enforcement personnel at its peak, together with brokers from the FBI and US Division of Homeland Safety in addition to deputies from the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Workplace in Konanki’s hometown in Virginia.
The seek for the scholar tapered off after her household requested that she be declared useless — along with her physique by no means discovered.
Previous to that courtroom listening to, Konanki’s dad and mom issued an announcement asking that Riibe be cleared. That they had beforehand urged Dominican authorities to develop the investigation into their daughter’s disappearance and contemplate whether or not she was the sufferer of a criminal offense.
In an e mail to The Publish after Friday’s ruling, the Dominican legislation agency of Guzman Ariza, which represented Riibe within the case, famous that the choice merely confirmed Delgado’s March 17 resolution.
“The court ordered Mr. Riibe’s immediate release because he was unlawfully detained surpassing the maximum period of 48 hours permitted under the constitution of the Dominican Republic,” the agency stated.
“Guzman Ariza remains steadfast in its commitment to defending the rule of law, ensuring nationals and foreign citizens alike can trust in the protection of their fundamental rights in the Dominican Republic.”
